Poe: Sublime, or Ridiculous?

dlowan- When I clicked on your link, I got,



I have always been morbidly fascinated by Poe. Even as a kid, a remember using his works as English paper assignments. When I went to college, I read a great bio of the man, which tied together many of his works with his own psychology.

My whole life has been a journey of understanding how the mind works, with a particular fascination with psychological deviance. I am also drawn to literary works that deal with psychological horror. Therefore, I found that Poe, with his gift for language, coupled with a very strange life view, was an author with whom I could connect in a very meaningful way.

To start:

I must say, hitherto The Raven has roused more laughter from me, than rapture - (at times the non-avian protagonist seems to laugh a little at himself, and at the bird!) - these lines always struck me as rather over the top (although they are about the protagonist's inner miserable musings)

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I, "what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore--
Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore
Of 'Never--nevermore.'"

But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore--
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er
She shall press, ah, nevermore! "


while I have found the poem "Alone" much more appealing and less over-wrought, while retaining Poe's rhythm and complex structure:

From childhood's hour I have not been
As others were - I have not seen
As others saw - I could not bring
My passions from a common spring -
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrow - I could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same tone -
And all I lov'd - I lov'd alone -
Then - in my childhood - in the dawn
Of a most stormy life - was drawn
From ev'ry depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me still -
From the torrent, or the fountain -
From the red cliff of the mountain -
From the sun that 'round me roll'd
In its autumn tint of gold -
From the lightning in the sky
As it pass'd me flying by -
From the thunder, and the storm -
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my view -

Rather Bleakean in its evocation of a mind creating a hell "in Heaven's despite"?

Dammit, Phoenix, you are right! About the link. Weird. Sorry folks, look in the Portal in poetry under Poe.

Phoenix - which poems do you love most? How do you connect them with his life? Can you quote some pieces you love and tell us what makes them work for you?

dlowan- This is really funny. The poem that I was looking for that was so autobiographical was "Annibel Lee". I had forgotten some of the biographical details, so I wanted to read it again, to see how much more that I could remember.

Anyhow, I went to "Google", and typed in "Annibel Lee/review". Guess what I got, first shot out of the box? A2K!

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gotta be happy with that. I have noriced a few of our poems in the "What's cool" bit of the portal - I assume this means hits?

Methinks a part of the appeal of Poe is that no matter your age you can relate to his stuff. It's sort of like watching a Monty Python movie - every time you watch you pick up something new and as you age and learn new things the lines to the story don't change but gather new meaning.

Hmm - that is true - I just noticed that when I reread The Raven and Alone.

Any favourites, Fishin' - anything you have noticed recently?

Damn- I can't seem to find the book for which I am looking. I have been going nuts searching for it. It was a book on Poe's life from a psychological standpoint. Well, it was 30 years ago, I can't remember the author's name, and it may be out of print.

Anyhow, I found a link to a good biographical overview:

http://www.poedecoder.com/Qrisse/

I've always been a bigger fan of his tales than his poetry. I like "The Tell Tale Heart" and "The Cask of Amontillado" best of all his works.

My favorites are "The Tell-Tale Heart, and "The Black Cat". And of course, "Annabel Lee".

When I was a young teenager, I found a book of Poe's poems and stories at my local library. This was the first time I encountered unusual reading material. I was hooked for quite some time, and found myself wanting to read more and more. To me he appeared dark, sinister, and very sad...why that appealed to me, I have no idea. Although, I no longer have that strong attraction to Poe, I still enjoy reading his works from time to time. My favorites include of course, The Raven, The Telltale heart, and The Pit and the Pendulum.