Edgar Allan Poes Influence on Literature - 1191 Words

Edgar Allan Poe’s influence on American literature was nothing short of great; not only was he the creator of the detective story and the horror thriller, but he also influenced many great writers, among those William Faulkner and Fyodor Dostoevsky. While Poe is best known for his horror thrillers, being the creator of that particular genre, he has also fashioned two other literary genres, like the detective and the science fiction genre. Throughout his life, Poe read, reviewed, and critiqued many books for various magazines and papers. Poe did not hesitate to attack what he deemed inferior. â€Å"Is purely too imbecile to merit an extended critique,† he once wrote of a novel. Because of his readiness to attack what he believed to be unworthy,†¦show more content†¦His first attempt was Hans Pfall, a story in which a man travels to the moon on a revolutionized balloon. Poe included actual facts into his story, mixing it with entirely false scientific â€Å"fact s† to make the story believable (Meltzer 64). Poe’s innovations would later expand the modern science fiction genre. His vivid imagination veered off from scientific facts to create believable details to incorporate into his stories. These details anticipated later discoveries in both geography and astronomy (64). Science fiction writers like H.G. Wells and Jules Verne learned a great deal from Poe, which they integrated into their own writings. The belief that Poe began the science fiction genre may also be attributed to Poe’s complicated piece of writing which explained his own view of the universe. Eureka: A Prose Poem was published in March of 1848, and in it, Poe introduced his theory, a mixture of science, theology, and intuition. Poe theorized that: â€Å"God existed before matter. God created the first atoms. They scattered to create the universe. They are all trying to join back together, but when they do, they will be scattered again.† Poeâ€℠¢s theory caused an upset in society, as it was not Christian; however, others believed it to be brilliant, as it showed both insight and clear thought (Binns 100). Poe’s influence has not limited itself on just literature. Alfred Hitchcock, director of classic suspense films like Vertigo and Psycho has statedShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Edgar Allan Poe s The Raven And The Fall Of The House Of Usher 896 Words   |  4 PagesEdgar Allan Poe is an extremely well known American writer and is famous for his horrific and mysterious works such as, â€Å"The Raven† and â€Å"The Fall of the House of Usher.† Poe was born in 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts in an era that seems to have many dark and ominous writers and pieces of literature originating from that time period. Poe is said to have launched the interest in many of the detective type stories that we read from modern day writers. â€Å"In the early 1800s, romanticism was the dominantRead MoreA Brief Biography of Edgar Allan Poe Essay1192 Words   |  5 PagesKnown for his disturbing and sinister work, Edgar Allan Poe’s writing has captured the attention of readers for almost two centuries. His works and reputation were largely influenced by his childhood, education, adulthood, and struggles with his career, along with his legacy before and after his death. Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts, as being David and Elizabeth Poe’s second child of three. David and Elizabeth were professional theatrical actors in a companyRead MoreEdgar Allan Poes Impact on American Literature1379 Words   |  6 PagesEdgar Allan Poe is one of the most influential writers of the horror genre in American history. 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Anything written is a context that includes the â€Å"writer’s feelings,Read MoreInfluence That Endures Ever More: Edgar Allan Poe908 Words   |  4 PagesInfluence That Endures Ever More: Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe once said, â€Å"Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.† Edgar Allan Poe was one of the most influential people in literary history and his words had the great power to impress the mind. More than 150 years after the death of Edgar Allan Poe, his writings are still influencing and inspiring writers today. Edgar Allan Poe was one of the a greatest literary influences of the 19th century andRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe721 Words   |  3 PagesEdgar Allan Poe Edgar Allen Poe, born is 1809, was an American short story writer, poet, and critic. He is commonly know as the father of detective stories. His most well know work of art is his poem The Raven (Werlock). Although Poe had a short lived career, his literature continues to influence many writers in the United States and Europe. He worked with many genres such as: gothic tale, science fiction, occult fantasies, and satire. While many critics consider his works of literature as grotesqueRead MoreThe Life and Works of Edgar Allan Poe Essay1487 Words   |  6 Pages Throughout the life of Edgar Allan Poe, he suffered many unfortunate events and endured several difficult situations. Some speculate that it was these experiences that helped to formulate the famous writing style of Edgar Allan Poe. His dark tales such as The Masque of the Red Death and The Tell-Tale Heart are horrific, and his poems such as Alone and The Raven show evidence that his life experiences influenced their drearin ess. Poes story plots and his own life are undeniably related andRead MoreThe Peculiar Edgar Allan Poe868 Words   |  4 PagesJanuary 19, 1809. As a child Poe’s parents had passed on making him an orphan. He then went on to live with the family of John Allan who was originally from Richmond, Virginia. During the period of 1815-1820, the family migrated to England. Living in England was beneficial to Poe for the reason that he gained his gothic style that appears so frequently in his work from this area. Although prior to his success challenges were in the forefront of his career, Edgar Allan Poe is a well-known poet whoRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe And The Cask Of Amontillado1384 Words   |  6 PagesWhat makes Edgar Allan Poe work unique? Other than being a strange individual, Poe has become a remarkable literature writer. The Raven, Annabel Lee, and The Cask of Amontillado are just a few of Poe’s work that staples the theme of gothic literature. This essay will allow y ou to see the gothic elements Edgar Allan Poe uses through his most common poems. Gothic literature has many elements which play into its definition. The actual definition is a style of writing that is characterized by elementsRead MoreGothic Literature : Edgar Allan Poe928 Words   |  4 Pagesthe genre’s influence on American grounds are William Faulkner (associated with the sub-genre Southern Gothic), Washington Irving and the ever-so-famous Edgar Allan-Poe. The latter being known as one of the prominent authors of American Gothicism. Poe, just like every great author, had his influences in Gothicism. First of all, Gothic is a term in literature that describes a combination of two genres: Romanticism and Horror. Along with the details of the genre, most Gothic literature follow a distinct