Poe’s Life… At the Tip of a Pen Essay - 2201 Words

The vision of the mind is easily portrayed through the art of literature, painting a picture with the stroke of words. The natural inspiration that influences the creation of these works is derived from the life and the experiences of the creator. For some, these tales become stories and those stories become novels, but for one man it meant so much more. The works of Edgar Allan Poe became his life; he expressed every feeling and every moment of his existence through ink and paper. Poe involved his entire life in his writing, leaving no element of the story untouched by his trademark of a past. His work became so unique and unorthodox, yet it did not lack the attention it deserved. The American critic, Curtis Hidden Page, suggested that†¦show more content†¦Roderick states that Poe seemed to be â€Å"consumed with paranoia, distrust and insecurity† (Roderick 10). From the very beginning Poe was abandoned by his father, leaving him without a male role model to insti ll the confidence, composure, and motivation a young man should possess. Poe was well aware of his position in life without a father and felt as if something was missing. In many of his stories, it seemed as though Poe craved to see the pain of sorrow in others. The unstable mind motivates the body to act out in such a violent manner in order to satisfy its desires. In â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† the protagonist, Montressor, â€Å"[hearkens] in vain for a reply† of agony from his enemy. Poe wanted to hear the suffering of his adversaries; he needed to hear them feel the pain he felt. His desire to force this punishment onto others, questions his sanity and reason. Frances Winwar, Author of the The Haunted Place, suggests that the discovery of a female body found on the Hudson â€Å"roused the sleuth Edgar Allan Poe in his alter ego.† (Winwar 226). The darkness that Poe encountered and experienced was the reason he developed the insane characters in his stories. As Poe went on with his life as a lost soul searching for affection, it was very easy for him to lose sight of his own importance. Without anyone to reassure his value of life it became difficult to remain content. In the short story â€Å"Ligeia† Poe stresses how the narrator â€Å"cannot.. remember how, when, orShow MoreRelatedAmerican Literature11652 Words   |  47 Pageswarring emotions such as greed, power, and fight for survival in an amoral, indifferent world. Genre/Style: ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · ï‚ · short story, novel characters usually lower class or lower middle class fictional world is commonplace and unheroic; everyday life is a dull round of daily existence characters ultimately emerge to act heroically or adventurously with acts of violence, passion, and/or bodily strength in a tragic ending Effect: ï‚ · this type of literature continues to capture audiences in