If I had to describe Edgar Allan Poe in one word, it would be simply “genius”. A versatile wordsmith who faced poverty, gloominess & sickness all his life, Poe created a niche for himself in world of literature with his out of the world writing skills. His death was as mysterious as was his life. I got acquainted with Poe’s writings when I read his short story collection: Tales of mystery and terror in 2002.
The scary stories sent a shiver down my spine and I had nightmares when I read his stories. Such was the impact of his words. His short stories: Tell Tale Heart, Cask of Amintillado & Fall of house of usher were sufficient enough to scare away the readers. Compared to other horror genre writers, Poe’s writing was unique. He focused on creating a gloomy & haunting visual through his settings in the stories. Even the characters were perfectly sketched. The old man with big, vulture like eyes in the short story ‘Tell Tale Heart’ will leave you disturbed. The character Madeline Usher in the short story: The fall of the house of usher is intriguing as it difficult for the reader to figure out whether she is ghost or actually alive. Poe explored the theme of revenge in his story: The Cask of Amintillado where the narrator seeks the vengeance by trapping his friend inside the walls of an ancient catacomb. Despite leaving behind a rich legacy of his stories, poems, Poe never got appreciation, fame or monetary prospects in his lifetime. Burdened under debt, Poe sought solace in alcohol. He even couldn’t enjoy a happy marital life with his wife Virginia. Her death was a tragic blow to Poe. He couldn’t emerge out of her memories. Virginia was only 24 when she died. He wrote many poems in memories of Virginia.
Infamous for his drinking habits, Poe never got the acceptance from the editors of his times. He was only 40 at the time of his death. His death is still a subject of mystery in world of literature. The 2012 motion picture: The Raven is set during the times of Poe. In the movie Poe has to race against time to catch a serial killer who happens to be the admirer of Poe’s writings. Does Poe manage to find the serial killer forms the rest of the story. Poe was portrayed onscreen by actor John Cusack in the 2012 movie: The Raven. The recent 2022 thriller movie: The Pale Blue Eye is set during times of Edgar Allan Poe.
Who can forget his poem ‘The Raven’ or his spine chilling mystery stories. Was he really an alcoholic wastrel? In my opinion, he was a genius who was deprived of the fame and happiness he deserved.