As Fall approaches,we acknowledge the beauty of the changing of the leaves, the vast array of its colors, the scent of crispness in the air during early morning hours, and frost about to make its intro by "putting to sleep" all the lovely landscaping we have accomplished over the Spring and Summer, I realize I have been kind of delving into the "Dark Side" of the Fall season, doing a little research on Halloween, the stories of "Jack (or Jill) the Ripper", and yet there is another... I always relate to this time of year that has both the characteristics of beauty and an eeriness all rolled into one....Edgar Allen Poe....
Born in Boston, Mass. on January 19th, 1809, Edgar Allen Poe was a short story writer, a poet, a literary critic, and an editor. I personally have always found him having remarkable talents not so much for the subjects he chose to write on, but the techniques and abilities to translate what he thought to the "written paper".
Edgar Allen Poe was the son of actors, who in his lifetime achievements became known to many today as the "Father of Mystery Stories". Actually, Poe did not really know his real parents very well as his father left early on, and his mother passed away when Poe was only 3 years of age.
After his mother's passing, Poe was sent to live with a John and Francis Allan, who were successful tobacco merchants in Richmond, Virginia. His relationship with Francis was a seemingly good and stable one, but Edgar and John had a "rocky relationship" at its best. John was very much a business man, while Poe was naturally a visionary who expressed himself on paper at an early age...including writing poetry on the back of invoices prepared by his step-father John. In fact. Edgar Allen Poe was publishing poems as early as 1827, at the age of 18 years old.
Poe did attend the University of Virginia, but didn't have the funds to finish. He even embraced gambling as a form of revenue, but when his time at the University was done, he was still in debt.
Poe was accepted into West Point, and went there for a year, finally being "kicked out" because of his poor handling of his duties.
It was during this time Poe severed ties with his foster-father John Allan.
From 1831-1835, Poe moved from place to place and ended up in Baltimore, where he met his young cousin, Virginia. She was an encouragement to Edgar Allen Poe in all his literary pursuits and...they fell in love. Virginia and Edgar were married in 1836. Virginia was said to have been 13 or 14 years of age, Poe was 27.
Edgar and Virginia moved to Richmond Virginia where Poe gained popularity as a literary critic. He was notorious for his vicious reviews of his contemporaries, and was known for his "combative personality". He left the firm he was employed to in the latter of 1837, and it was now noted alcohol was becoming a problem in his life.
During the late 1830's, Edgar Allen Poe published short stories like the "Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque", and in 1843 won a literary award called the the "Gold Bug"...attributed to the tales of "secret codes and hunting treasure".
Poe did face some serious contentions with other poets of his era, including the famous Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Poe had claimed Longfellow was guilty of plagiarism, and this had a somewhat negative effect on Poe because of Longfellow's popularity to the public.
Edgar Allen Poe's death has always been a mystery to many. Again, this is a subject that has been discussed far and wide, and there are numerous books, writings, many websites, etc....all given to the subject of Poe's death.
In 1847, Poe's wife Virginia passed away...it is recorded to have been due to lung disease (common in that time period). It was then reported Poe was overcome with grief, and his last couple of years on earth is a mystery...even to this day.
It seems on September 27th, 1849, Edgar Allen Poe was on his way to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, yet on October 3rd Poe was found in great distress and was admitted to Washington College Hospital...where he died on October 7th, 1849. It is recorded by some that his last words were: "Lord, help my poor soul!" Edgar Allen was 40 years of age when he passed.
There are numerous reasons attributed to Poe's death including congestion of the brain, alcoholism, rabies, epilepsy, or even carbon monoxide poisoning.
One of Poe's literary adversaries, Rufus Griswold, seemed to take revenge on Poe's death and wrote some very negative articles about Poe after his death, including accusations of being a deranged drunkard and a womanizer. These writings by Griswold seemed to have a effect to the public's mind for quite some time.
Edgar Allen Poe never achieved real financial success, but has become one of America's most enduring writers. The reading of some of Edgar Allen Poe's stories even today carry the power to shock, surprise, and move the modern day reader.
For me, his poem of "The Raven"...is a true classic! Whether you enjoy the subject matter Poe chose to write this poem, his talent to express on paper what his thoughts are...and to identify some thoughts we have in our own minds....simply priceless!
"The Raven" was published in 1845, in the New York Evening Mirror. It was highly acclaimed even at its onset and became famous both in England and the United States.
Here for me is what makes a great writer or poet...the ability to create impressions, to tap into emotions, to display feelings, to set the mood, to paint images, and be given to detail...and to translate that to the "written paper".
In the poem "The Raven", there is an unnamed narrator of this story who is sitting on a bleak December night, not able to find release of sorrow from the death of his beloved "Lenore".
The narrator then hears a knock from what he thinks is the door...but no one is there. Then, he hears the knock again..goes to a window..opens the window and a Raven enters.
The Raven responds to the narrator's series of questions (who is in such deep remorse), such as the Raven's name etc.,with only a one word response... "Nevermore".
The setting, your mind creating this almost "Gothic-style atmosphere", seems to have a pinnacle point when the narrator asks the Raven: "Is there balm in Gilead?"...of which the Raven offers no hope.
The poem ends in despair..."his soul forever floating on the floor".
I realize the poem "The Raven" does not offer the type of hope we have in Christ Jesus...yet I must applaud Edgar Allen Poe on what he related to this literary classic...the very anguish we all sometimes face...in our very souls!
I realize Edgar Allen Poe had a troubled life, and the choices and decisions he made in daily affairs didn't always prove helpful both to himself and/or others.
Yet, if it be true that Poe's lips did mutter: "Lord have mercy on this poor soul!"...it is possible his heart was uttering..."Come into my life Lord Jesus!"
Would that be cool!... to see Edgar Allen Poe with Jesus...when we arrive there!
Born in Boston, Mass. on January 19th, 1809, Edgar Allen Poe was a short story writer, a poet, a literary critic, and an editor. I personally have always found him having remarkable talents not so much for the subjects he chose to write on, but the techniques and abilities to translate what he thought to the "written paper".
Edgar Allen Poe was the son of actors, who in his lifetime achievements became known to many today as the "Father of Mystery Stories". Actually, Poe did not really know his real parents very well as his father left early on, and his mother passed away when Poe was only 3 years of age.
After his mother's passing, Poe was sent to live with a John and Francis Allan, who were successful tobacco merchants in Richmond, Virginia. His relationship with Francis was a seemingly good and stable one, but Edgar and John had a "rocky relationship" at its best. John was very much a business man, while Poe was naturally a visionary who expressed himself on paper at an early age...including writing poetry on the back of invoices prepared by his step-father John. In fact. Edgar Allen Poe was publishing poems as early as 1827, at the age of 18 years old.
Poe did attend the University of Virginia, but didn't have the funds to finish. He even embraced gambling as a form of revenue, but when his time at the University was done, he was still in debt.
Poe was accepted into West Point, and went there for a year, finally being "kicked out" because of his poor handling of his duties.
It was during this time Poe severed ties with his foster-father John Allan.
From 1831-1835, Poe moved from place to place and ended up in Baltimore, where he met his young cousin, Virginia. She was an encouragement to Edgar Allen Poe in all his literary pursuits and...they fell in love. Virginia and Edgar were married in 1836. Virginia was said to have been 13 or 14 years of age, Poe was 27.
Edgar and Virginia moved to Richmond Virginia where Poe gained popularity as a literary critic. He was notorious for his vicious reviews of his contemporaries, and was known for his "combative personality". He left the firm he was employed to in the latter of 1837, and it was now noted alcohol was becoming a problem in his life.
During the late 1830's, Edgar Allen Poe published short stories like the "Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque", and in 1843 won a literary award called the the "Gold Bug"...attributed to the tales of "secret codes and hunting treasure".
Poe did face some serious contentions with other poets of his era, including the famous Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Poe had claimed Longfellow was guilty of plagiarism, and this had a somewhat negative effect on Poe because of Longfellow's popularity to the public.
Edgar Allen Poe's death has always been a mystery to many. Again, this is a subject that has been discussed far and wide, and there are numerous books, writings, many websites, etc....all given to the subject of Poe's death.
In 1847, Poe's wife Virginia passed away...it is recorded to have been due to lung disease (common in that time period). It was then reported Poe was overcome with grief, and his last couple of years on earth is a mystery...even to this day.
It seems on September 27th, 1849, Edgar Allen Poe was on his way to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, yet on October 3rd Poe was found in great distress and was admitted to Washington College Hospital...where he died on October 7th, 1849. It is recorded by some that his last words were: "Lord, help my poor soul!" Edgar Allen was 40 years of age when he passed.
There are numerous reasons attributed to Poe's death including congestion of the brain, alcoholism, rabies, epilepsy, or even carbon monoxide poisoning.
One of Poe's literary adversaries, Rufus Griswold, seemed to take revenge on Poe's death and wrote some very negative articles about Poe after his death, including accusations of being a deranged drunkard and a womanizer. These writings by Griswold seemed to have a effect to the public's mind for quite some time.
Edgar Allen Poe never achieved real financial success, but has become one of America's most enduring writers. The reading of some of Edgar Allen Poe's stories even today carry the power to shock, surprise, and move the modern day reader.
For me, his poem of "The Raven"...is a true classic! Whether you enjoy the subject matter Poe chose to write this poem, his talent to express on paper what his thoughts are...and to identify some thoughts we have in our own minds....simply priceless!
"The Raven" was published in 1845, in the New York Evening Mirror. It was highly acclaimed even at its onset and became famous both in England and the United States.
Here for me is what makes a great writer or poet...the ability to create impressions, to tap into emotions, to display feelings, to set the mood, to paint images, and be given to detail...and to translate that to the "written paper".
In the poem "The Raven", there is an unnamed narrator of this story who is sitting on a bleak December night, not able to find release of sorrow from the death of his beloved "Lenore".
The narrator then hears a knock from what he thinks is the door...but no one is there. Then, he hears the knock again..goes to a window..opens the window and a Raven enters.
The setting, your mind creating this almost "Gothic-style atmosphere", seems to have a pinnacle point when the narrator asks the Raven: "Is there balm in Gilead?"...of which the Raven offers no hope.
The poem ends in despair..."his soul forever floating on the floor".
I realize the poem "The Raven" does not offer the type of hope we have in Christ Jesus...yet I must applaud Edgar Allen Poe on what he related to this literary classic...the very anguish we all sometimes face...in our very souls!
I realize Edgar Allen Poe had a troubled life, and the choices and decisions he made in daily affairs didn't always prove helpful both to himself and/or others.
Yet, if it be true that Poe's lips did mutter: "Lord have mercy on this poor soul!"...it is possible his heart was uttering..."Come into my life Lord Jesus!"
Would that be cool!... to see Edgar Allen Poe with Jesus...when we arrive there!
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