The Biography Narrative About Edgar Allan Poe

Table of Contents

Introduction
Economic Crises
Poes Wife
Publication of Raven
What does Poe teach us about Early America?
References

Introduction

The period of Early America began before such memorable and meaningful events in the history of America, such as the Civil War and the Wild West. This period refers to the first settlements of Native Americans and appears to be interesting to explore as well. Shortly before the mentioned events, the romantic period of literature was popular, as it conveys the beliefs shared by the population.

For instance, an individual was dominant over a group, emotions over logic, and the subjective over the objective. A significant figure in romanticism was Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), as he manages to create classic detective and phycological prose genres (Poe, 2009). The paper contains three of his life episodes, which reveal the personality and creativity of the writer and may be informative about the mentioned historical period.

Economic Crises

In 1837, economic crises in the United States emerged, which regarded publisher companies as well. A range of newspapers and journals were closed, and mass downsizing of the workforce was conducted (Campbell, 2021a; Campbell, 2021b). Poe had to cope with this challenging situation when he did not have employment for a long time. However, in his case, this fact benefited his creativity considerably, as he could focus only on his literary activity. A range of poems was created by the writer during the period of economic crises: Ligeia, The Devil in the Belfry, The Fall of the House of Usher, and William Wilson (Poetry Foundation, n.d.). Composition and poem of this period are predominantly gloomy:

But evil things, in robes of sorrow,

Assailed the monarchs high estate;

(Ah, let us mourn, for never morrow

Shall dawn upon him, desolate!)

And, round about his home, the glory

That blushed and bloomed

Is but a dim-remembered story

Of the old time entombed (Campbell, 2021b, para. 15).

Lack of financial resources for living prompted Poe to search for ways of earning money (Biography, n. d.). He managed to conclude his contribution with the American Museum journal, which published his works. However, the writer still did not have sufficient sums of money, which stimulated him to start another work. The result of that became him the most commercially successful book on conchology. Moreover, Poe worked for Lea & Blancard, which introduced his album Histories extraordinaries, which become the beginning of his fame (Poe, 2009). This episode of Poes biography illustrates life during crises and how it changed the lifestyles of all people.

Poes Wife

A significant figure in Poes life was his wife, Virginia Clemm Poe. According to National Park Service (n. d.), described as having bright eyes, and dark brown hair, Virginias face was always animated and vivacious (para. 1). The couple was married in 1836 when Poe was 27 years old, and his wife was 14 years younger than him. They were together till her death from tuberculosis in 1834 (Wife of Author Edgar Allan Poe, n. d.). This appeared to be a tragedy for the writer, and he could not recover from it fully. Poe wrote: Kindestdearest friendMy poor Virginia still lives, although failing fast and now suffering much pain (Virginia Clemm Poe, n.d., para. 5). He faced a serious emotional burden, which aggravated his health problems as well.

His feelings to his wife are expressed in his poems Valentine to Her Husband, My Little Darling Wife, My Poor Virginia Still Lives, and Her Life was Despaired of. These works help understand the perception of love in this period and attitude to a spouse in general. Poe wrote:

Ever with thee I wish to roam

Dearest my life is thine.

Give me a cottage for my home

And a rich old cypress vine,

Removed from the world with its sin and care

And the tattling of many tongues (Virginia Clemm Poe, n.d., para. 3).

Publication of Raven

An important stage of Poes creativity was the publication of the poem Raven on January 29, 1845, in the New York Evening Mirror. The work was introduced by Poe at the period of his crowning glory and helped the writer recognition of broad public (Poe, 2021). Poe took the process of creating Raven seriously and did his best in order to impress the readers and critics (Poe, 2021). The creator marked that the poem appeared to be an experiment on the way of presenting a work, which will be highly evaluated by critics and ordinary people.

He intended to make Raven both interesting for professionals in literature and poetry and easy to understand for the broad public. According to Young (2020), Its widely believed that Poe composed, or at very least, perfected the poem in New York (para. 2). There is no precise answer, how much time the writer spent on creating the poem: some researchers assume that it took no more than a week, and others argue that the creating process involves several years (Young, 2020). Poe managed to achieve roaring success after publishing Raven, and his work was actively discussed in literary circles. The poem illustrates the beliefs shared by people of Early America and their tastes:

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,

Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.

Surely, said I, surely that is something at my window lattice;

Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore

Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;

Tis the wind and nothing more!

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,

In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;

Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;

But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door

Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door

Perched, and sat, and nothing more (Young, 2020, para. 17).

What does Poe teach us about Early America?

Since the beginning of human history, literature appeared to be a mirror of the population and the historical period they live. It reflects the thoughts of people, their beliefs, values, and lifestyle. Consequently, the works of Poe may be helpful for understanding the period of Early America profoundly. For instance, his poem Raven, which gained popularity, may convey the tastes of readers and critics at that time. The works devoted to his lovely wife transmit his pure love and sincere feelings, which were important values in Early America. Moreover, his life path and creativity reflect how people cope with economic crises, which regarded every citizen.