Modern Short Story by Edgar Allan Poe
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- Introduction
The selected author is Edgar Allan Poe. My decision to pick Poe was informed by several considerations. One, Poe is widely regarded as the founder of the modern short story. Two, his stories and poems have enthralled, entertained, inspired, and challenged me and I regard him as my all-time best author. For me therefore, the choice of Poe was an easy one to make. Before I picked the topic, I knew that Poe died under controversial circumstances and that he was the author of classics such as “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Fall of the House of Usher”.The source that I chose is the Poetry Foundation (Poetry Foundation, 2014a). I chose this particular source because it is well written with extensive information about the authors’ life and times. The source gives a biography of Poe that is detailed without becoming boring or condescending. I also chose this source because it has an extensive bibliography that lends credence to the credibility of the information in the source. The bibliography consists of books and literary criticisms published in peer reviewed journals. The bibliography also includes original letters written by Poe and editions and collections
- Summary of the Source
Hailed as the father of the modern short story, Poe’s work was different from the work of other authors because he mainly focused on style and construction rather than on ethical or philosophical concerns. His works are imaginative and inspiring and he exhibits an excellent grasp of language in all his work. Poe’s work inspired the French Symbolists. Regarding his birth and early life, Poe’s parents were actors and they both passed away when he was still a small child. He was raised by John Allan who was a successful exporter and who took him to the best schools where he excelled. However, insufficient support from Allan forced him to leave school and join the army. While in the army, Poe published his first collection of poems namely Tamerlane and other Poems, Tamerlane, Al-Aaraaf, and Minor Poems. He was discharged from the army in 1829 and later dismissed from the Military Academy from West Point because of financial difficulties. He thereafter relocated to New York and published his third collection of poems called Poems (Poetry Foundation, 2014a, 2014b).
He later on published his first stories and became and editor with The Southern Literary Messenger and married his cousin in 1836. His editorship with The Southern Literary Messenger together with his short stories and poems earned him fame as a writer and critic. Poe’s wife died of tuberculosis in 1847 and while preparing to marry another wife he was found unconscious on October 3, 1849 and died four days later. His death has remained a mystery ever since. His most conspicuous contribution to literature was his use of analytical techniques to criticize the works of others and write his own works. Poe was an avid believer in aestheticism which he imparted to literature. An example to support this is the short story “Dorian Gray”. His writings are highly psychologically intense. Examples to support this view are seen in Poe’s works including “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “The Black Cat”, and “The mask of Amontillado”. Poe uses allegory and symbolism with deadly effect in many of his works. This can be seen in “Ligeia”, “The Masque of the Red Death”, and “The Fall of the House of Usher”. Poe is now acclaimed as one of the greatest writers ever. He has influenced a whole generation of authors such as H.P. Lovecraft and Ambrose Bierce (Poetry Foundation, 2014a, 2014b). The source is easy to read and is logically comprehensible. It is written as a narrative, is engaging, and is easy to follow. It is told in simple English and this makes it easily legible. Additionally, the source has verifiable information due to the extensive bibliography and the detailed information about the Poetry Foundation which administers this page. The source is a non-commercial venture as evidenced by the presence of free apps for downloading poems.
- Comparison
The purpose of the source is information and its target audience is the general audience. The breadth of the source can be described as shallow since it covers only the biography of Poe and lists only the poems that Poe wrote. None of the writings are analyzed and the list of Poe’s works is not comprehensive. However, its depth can be described as deep. The biography is extensively covered (an entire 2,931 words) and it carefully dissects the authors life, tracing his literary journey from its inception up to his death. This enables one to make eye-opening analyses of Poe’s style and motivations juxtaposed against the contemporary times.
The page that lists Poe’s works only includes his poems. However, its extensive listing of all his twenty one poems is evidence of the depth of the second page. Overall, the source is more inclined on writing about Poe the poet rather than Poe the short story writer or Poe the literary critic. The style of the source can be described as formal. It is official in language and tone, does not use colloquial speech but only uses conventional and civilized language, is written in prose, and the grammar is up to the standard.
- Conclusion/Evaluation
I found this source useful because it provides a detailed biography of Poe which reveals the life and times of Poe. The source is also useful because it provides very detailed information on where sizeable amounts of Poe’s papers can be found. This is a list of libraries and art galleries that house this data.I learnt several things about Poe which I didn’t know of before. One, he wrote a total of twenty one poems and was the brains behind a couple of poetic essays such as “The Philosophy of Composition”. Besides being branded as a forerunner of the popular literature he is a poet per excellence who has redefined the way poetry and short stories are written. He concentrated more on style and composition while other contemporary authors were fixated on the ethical and philosophical basis of their work. Thus, he helped restore art to its original pristine form by enhancing it with something more than utilitarianism. Poe is highly imaginative and is a creative genius who has an excellent grasp of language. He is an accomplished author who is well known. I know that Poe was an orphan who attended the best schools and suffered from financial distress for most of his life and this affected his education and army career. I also know of the high regard with which he is held as a poet and short story writer. I know that Poe is a connoisseur in the horror genre. His works are psychologically intense and enigmatic and have the uncanny ability to evoke terror, excitement, and a feeling of shock and dreadfulness.