In English class lately, we've been discussing Edgar Allen Poe and his writings. Those of you that are familiar with the story of Poe know that he lived a tragically short life, but the work he accomplished in that time advanced modern writing hugely.
He is known as the father of the short story. Without his work, a lot of horror fiction we know today- like Stephen King, or books about zombie apocalypses or dark, dystopian settings-- may never have come about. Up until his time, most books for young people were very cheerful and upbeat. Poe introduced an entirely new style of writing to the world. For example, The Cask of Amontillado and Telltale Heart are told from the POV of deranged men who both murder someone and hide the body. And the famous "The Raven" is about death.
So I've been thinking, and my friends and I came up with a theory in class today: Poe wrote so much with insane narrators, dark, depressing settings, and death. This makes me wonder if Poe had some experience with these things himself-- of killing people and hiding their corpses?
The best place to hide something is in plain sight. If Poe really had killed someone and covered up his crime, and he wrote stories based on it, no one would ever suspect him.
What do you think about Edgar Allen Poe and his dark, twisted stories? Do you think maybe he could have...? *gulp*
He is known as the father of the short story. Without his work, a lot of horror fiction we know today- like Stephen King, or books about zombie apocalypses or dark, dystopian settings-- may never have come about. Up until his time, most books for young people were very cheerful and upbeat. Poe introduced an entirely new style of writing to the world. For example, The Cask of Amontillado and Telltale Heart are told from the POV of deranged men who both murder someone and hide the body. And the famous "The Raven" is about death.
So I've been thinking, and my friends and I came up with a theory in class today: Poe wrote so much with insane narrators, dark, depressing settings, and death. This makes me wonder if Poe had some experience with these things himself-- of killing people and hiding their corpses?
The best place to hide something is in plain sight. If Poe really had killed someone and covered up his crime, and he wrote stories based on it, no one would ever suspect him.
What do you think about Edgar Allen Poe and his dark, twisted stories? Do you think maybe he could have...? *gulp*
Yikes! I honestly think he was such a troubled soul he coped with his mental illness by giving us a peek inside of it. He was such a brilliant writer with a tragic end.
ReplyDeleteChloee
irishgirlwithacrazylife.blogspot.com
I always thought that too! Then this girl I sit with had to go, "All this murder is kind of suspicious. What if Poe really did kill someone?" That certainly sparked my imagination!
DeleteThen again, anyone who's ever scrolled through my Pinterest account or web history probably thinks I'm a murderer, too!
He was indeed a great writer, and it's a shame his own story ended so tragically.
"There is nothing to writing, all you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed."
ReplyDeleteErnest Hemingway said that, and I believe that's true. If you're a writer, everything in your life, good or bad, will taint your writing. That's sort of why reading really dark things disturbs me so much...makes me think about the author and how exactly they came to write this stuff... Maybe Poe did, or maybe he was just nuts. We might never know... :)
I love that quote-- it's so true.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I wonder what people think when they read my writing... I wonder what mine is tainted with?
Hahaha who knows! Your theory might be 100% accurate!* shiver*
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
June
The Journeys' of my beating heart
Wow. We're digging deep into theories here... I'm liking this Poe guy coz, you know, zombie apocalypse books ;). I wouldn't be surprised if he... yeah...
ReplyDeleteFascinating interesting lovely blog here! New follower!
-M
The Life of Little Me