Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe1809-18491809-1849
American WriterAmerican Writer Tortured geniusTortured genius master of horrormaster of horror father of the father of the
detective storydetective story literary criticliterary critic
BiographyBiography Father left when he was born, Father left when he was born,
mother died when he was mother died when he was three years oldthree years old
Adopted, but his adopted Adopted, but his adopted mother also died & he had a mother also died & he had a stormy relationship with stormy relationship with adopted fatheradopted father
Married his cousin; lived in Married his cousin; lived in Baltimore, NYC, Boston & Baltimore, NYC, Boston & PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia
Known for legendary drinking Known for legendary drinking bingesbinges
Pioneered the Gothic horror Pioneered the Gothic horror story, detective story and was story, detective story and was known as a literary criticknown as a literary critic
Fought w/ other famous Fought w/ other famous American writersAmerican writers
Supposedly died of alcohol Supposedly died of alcohol poisoning in a gutter in poisoning in a gutter in BaltimoreBaltimore
Historical ContextHistorical Context The early 19The early 19thth century was century was
known as “The American known as “The American Renaissance” in literatureRenaissance” in literature
For the first time, American For the first time, American writing moved away from the writing moved away from the religious texts of the Puritans religious texts of the Puritans and Revolutionary War textand Revolutionary War text
American writers now had a American writers now had a voice of their own voice of their own
Contemporaries: Ralph Waldo Contemporaries: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Nathaniel Walt Whitman, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman MelvilleHawthorne, Herman Melville
Poe was an important Poe was an important contributor: 1contributor: 1stst American writer American writer of horror, suspense, and of horror, suspense, and mystery mystery
Poe’s Gothic Horror storiesPoe’s Gothic Horror stories Explores the dark Explores the dark
side of human side of human experienceexperience
Death, alienation, Death, alienation, nightmares, ghosts, nightmares, ghosts, haunting, graphic haunting, graphic violence and violence and insanityinsanity
American Gothic American Gothic portrays the guilty portrays the guilty conscience of a conscience of a culture plagued by culture plagued by poverty and slaverypoverty and slavery
Poe’s Detective StoriesPoe’s Detective Stories The word “detective” did The word “detective” did
not exist in English when not exist in English when Poe was writingPoe was writing
Poe was the first to create Poe was the first to create detective characters who detective characters who used psychoanalysis, the used psychoanalysis, the powers of reasoning and powers of reasoning and deduction to catch deduction to catch devious criminalsdevious criminals
Poe worked puzzles, word Poe worked puzzles, word games and secret codes games and secret codes into these storiesinto these stories
His character, C. Auguste His character, C. Auguste Dupin was copied by Sir Dupin was copied by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who Arthur Conan Doyle, who created Sherlock Holmescreated Sherlock Holmes
Poe as Literary CriticPoe as Literary Critic
One of America’s first One of America’s first popular literary criticspopular literary critics
His literary criticism His literary criticism made him a popular made him a popular speaker on the speaker on the lecture circuitlecture circuit
He often attacked He often attacked many other famous many other famous authors of his timeauthors of his time
After his death, many After his death, many writers attempted to writers attempted to ruin his reputation as ruin his reputation as revenge for criticismrevenge for criticism
Common ThemesCommon Themes Love & HateLove & Hate—Examined —Examined
how the two are not how the two are not opposites, but nearly opposites, but nearly the samethe same
Self vs. alter-egoSelf vs. alter-ego—The —The internal struggles we internal struggles we experience between our experience between our different personalitiesdifferent personalities
The Power of the DeadThe Power of the Dead—We often keep the —We often keep the dead alive through dead alive through memorymemory
InsanityInsanity—When faced —When faced with conflicts, we are with conflicts, we are pushed to madnesspushed to madness