Edgar Allan Poe And The Effect Of Grief

Edgar Allan Poe and The Effect of Grief

American Romanticism employed and influenced authors, including but not limited to, Edgar Allan Poe. Poe’s life was filled with loss: first the death of his mother, then later his wife. These heart-breaking occurrences prompted Poe to have “a strange and disastrous relationship with alcohol” (Authors and Artists 1). Though he didn't receive much attention during his life, his works are now widely read and inspired many writers today. Romantic traits including gothic elements, the principle of imagination, and the idealization of women can be found throughout his works. One of these works that reflected these traits is the poem “The Raven.” An unnamed narrator who delivers the poem, had recently lost

Poe was brought into this world January 19, 1809, born in Boston, Massachusetts. His family had a very low social standing and was incredibly poor. Poe’s experienced many losses throughout his life, not just death, but abandonment from family members as well. Early in his life, Poe’s father, who was a major alcoholic, left the family. Then not too long after he had to witness the brutal death of his mother. She passed from tuberculosis ending her successful career as an actress. Always idolizing his mother and her acting career, “Poe watched his mother act on stage, he watched her die off of it” (Authors and Artists 1). His mother's sudden death “probably warped Poe for the rest of his life” (Unger 409). This grief was already building up, even at such a young age, and it would only become worse. Poe admired his mother deeply even after her passing “later remembering her as a princess in flowing white robes, ethereal in her beauty” (Authors and Artists 1). Poe's grief at his mother's passing had such a profound effect on both his life and his writing because of how much he loved and treasured her. Shown throughout “The Raven” the narrator has trouble dealing with the horrendous loss of his wife. He found it hard to forget about Lenore and the sorrow she made him feel, “Quaff, oh quaff this kind of nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”(Poe 3) The narrator of "The Raven" portrays this grief by agonizing over the

Throughout Edgar Allan Poe’s lifetime, he always admired the women in his life. His readings amply described the tragic events in which many of the women he admired lost their lives, “It was not hard to see the connection between the nightmares of Poe’s life and his work” (Encyclopedia of World 1). The narrator describes his passed wife using many words of admiration “rare,” “radiant,” and “angel” (Poe 5). As well as longing for her, even after her passing he wanted to “Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore” (Poe 5). Throughout the poem, the narrator describes his inability to let go and stop mourning his love, Lenore, which drives him insane. The narrator inquired as to when he will be permitted to visit his wife once more and “Quoth the Raven, nevermore” (Poe 5). The narrator went mad calling the raven a “thing of evil” (Poe 5). He went mad at even the thought of not being able to see her again. The fact that the narrator loved and cared for this woman so much that he went insane at the thought of never seeing her again is a product of grief and