AaronGaona

112013
mr.lucero
per4

PoeResearchProject

Thelifeofedgarallanpoewasaverydifficultandhardone.Hewent
throughalmosteverythingbadthatyoucanthinkoffromhisparentsdyingbeforehe
wasthreetolosinghisbelovedwife.Edgarwasalsooneofthebestandmostcomplex
writersinhistorybutnotmanypeoplenoticeditrightaway.Edgarallanpoeslife
definitelyaffectedhiswriting,whathewroteaboutandhowhewroteaboutit.
ProbablyoneofthemostfamousandknownworkofartistheRaven,theraven
isapoemthatpoewroteinjanuary1845,thepoementailsawildraventhatgoesinto
thenarrator'sroomandsitsonabustontopofthedoorandthenarratorclaimstohear
theraventalkingandrespondingtohimandbeforethishehearsvoicesoutsideofhis
roomthathedoesn'tknowwheretheyarecomingfromorwhattheyare.Fromreading
thispoemoneofthefirstthoughtsisthatthenarratoriscrazyorinsanewhichhe
probablyisbutanotherbigthingaboutthispoemisthesymbolism.Thereismultiple
examplesofsymbolisminthispoemoneofwhichistheactualravenitself,theravenis
asymbolforhisguiltinhiswifesdeathbyhimsayingthattheravenwouldterrorizehim
withitswordsandhowhewouldhearnoisesoutsideofthedoorwhichwashiswife
dyingandhowtherewasnothinghecoulddoaboutit.Anothersourceofsymbolismin
theravenisthebustthattheravenstandsonwhichisthebustofpallasathenawhichis

thegoddessoftruththisisusedassymbolismbyimplyingthattheravenistellingthe
truthbysittingonthegoddessoftruth.
Althoughpoe'spoemsandshortstorieswereandareveryfamoustheydidn't
makehimawealthyman.Poestruggledtomakealivingandtokeephimselffedand
underarough.Poewentthrougharoughlifeofsadnessanddisappointment.
althoughwithinthesadnessanddisappointmenttherewascreativityandgreatgreat
storiestobetold.Oneofpoe'sshortstoriescalledthepitandthependulumisoneof
hisdarkestandmostwickedstories.Thisstoryissetinthespanishinquisition,its
aboutamanthatistrappedinadarkdungeonandheistieddownanddrinksacupof
liquidthatintoxicateshimandheendsupinahugepitwithasharppendulumswinging
ontopofhim.themajorthemeofthepitandthependulumistonevergiveupasthe
narratorshowsinthestorybyalwaysfindingawaytogetoutofabadsituation.poe
reflectshisdarklifewiththisdarkstory,heshowsallhisdarknessesofallhislosses
andputsthemintohisart.Inthisstorythepitisusedasasymbolbecausethepitisa
verydeepholethatifyoufallinyouwilldiemuchlikewhencatholicssintheyfalland
inthepitifyoukeepfallingthenyoumetaphoricallyfallintohell.Thependulumisalso
usedassymbolismbythependulumbeingusedastimeandalsoakillingdevicemuch
likethegrimreaperwhichusuallycarriesascytheandsomesortoftimedevicebutin
thiscasethetimeisnotonlytellingyouwhenyouwilldiebutitactuallykillsyou.The
inquisitorstorturedtheirvictimsbecausetheywantedthemtogothroughmorethanjust
dyingtheywantedtoscarethemintotellingthemsomething.Thewayinwhichthepit
andthependulumiswrittenandhowhesavestheguyattheendreflectsonhowpoe

wantedthingstogorightinhisownlifeandhowhewouldn'tgiveuponthingslikehis
wifeorhiswritingcareer.
Withpoehavinghadthelifethathehadheknewwhatitfeltliketoalwaysbe
downandout.Heknewaboutguiltandhadexperiencedguiltthroughouthislifeandhe
expressedhisknowingofguiltinhisart.Oneofthepiecesofartinwhichheshows
guiltisthetelltaleheartthisisanothershortstorywhereanamelessnarratorkillsan
oldmanforastrangereason,thereasonbeingafearoftheoldmansoldblueeyes.He
killsthismantoalsoprovethatheissanesomehow.Atfirstthenarratorwatchesthe
oldmanforawhilebeforekillinghimbutthenafteraweekhedecidesthatthetimingis
righttoactuallykilltheoldman.Thenarratorgoestotheoldmanandtheoldmans
heartstartstobeathardandsothenarratorkilltheoldmansothatnobodycouldhear
hisheartbeatheburieshiminthefloorofthehouseandthenthecopscometothe
housebecausetheyheardaloudnoisebutthecopsfoundeverythingokayuntilthe
narratorhearstheheartthumpingagainandgetsverynervousuntilheblatantly
confessestothemurder.Thisstorytiesalongtopoe'slifebyhimalwaysfeelingguilty
aboutsomethingandinthestorythenarratorfeelssoguiltyforkillingthemanthathe
confessestoit.Poehadalotofthingstofeelguiltyaboutsuchashimnotbeingableto
provideforhiswifewhenshewassickandcouldn'ttakecareofherselfandalsothathe
couldn'treallykeepasteadyjobbecausehewouldalwaysmanagetogetfired.
poenotonlyhadalotofthingstofeelguiltyforbutalsohedidn'tknowhowto
expresshisguiltandhowhewouldlethisguiltoutsothatisanotherreasonwhyhe
mighthavecreatedthetelltaleheart.


Whenedgarallanpoewas27hewenttolivewithhisauntmarie.Hisauntmarie
hada13yearolddaughternamedvirginia.Virginiawaspoescousinbuthefellmadly
inlovewithherandshefellmadlyinlovewithhimaswell.Poehadalotoffamily
membersdiefromtuberculosisincludinghisoriginalmotherhismotherinlawthat
adoptedhimandalsohisbrother.Poewasfamiliarwithtuberculosisandknewwhatit
was,soonedaywhenvirginiawassingingonstageshecoughedbloodandpoe
immediatelyknewwhatshehadandthathecouldn'tdoanythingtostopit.Virginiahad
tuberculosis,shehadthisdiseaseforaboutfiveyearsandinbetweenthosefiveyears
shewouldgetbetterandthenshewouldgetworseandthenbetteragainandallofthis
madepoehappyandthenwhenitwouldcomebackhewouldhavetosufferuntil
eventuallyshediedfromthediseasein1847.
Poemadeapoemforhiswifecalledannabelleeinwhichhetalksaboutwhat
kindoflovehehadforhiswifeandhowhedidn'twanttoletgoofher.Virginia'sdeath
wasextremelyhardonpoeconsideringhehadlostsomanyrelativestothedisease.
Heexpressedhisloveforhisdeceasedwifeinhisartandhewantedtoforever
memorizeherinit.
Inconclusionpoesliferevolvedaroundhisartandhisartwasbecauseofhis
life.Poedidn'thavethebestlifebuthedidknowhowtomakeitintogoodliterature.