Edgar Allan Poe Influences

Edgar Allan Poe was a story -teller, a poet, and a critic, a writer whose dark prose and tumultuous past shroud the man in mystery even to this day. Poe’s name is very closely associated with dark romanticism and gothic style, but the undeniable darkness of his work is not the only reason why he is venerated in the literary field today. Poe, though he was not celebrated during his own life, was a master of his craft, his writing skills were multi-faceted and numerable. One of the many skills he perfected in his work was how to incorporate theme. Poe’s writings used the dark romantic style and featured recurring themes that are present in his poetry and short stories, those themes being power of the dead over the living, and self vs. alter ego.

He had two siblings, but after the death of their parents, they were separated to different families. Poe then went on to live with a rich Virginian tobacco merchant, and was raised by the man and his wife until adulthood. The Allan family later disowned him for being dishonorably discharged from West Point Academy after putting up the funds for his attendance. His foster-mother died of cancer and was buried before he could make it home to say his goodbyes, and his foster father left him nothing in his will following his death. Solace came for Poe later, in the form of his cousin Virginia, whom he married. His aunt Maria Clemm served him for many years as a motherly

In The Masque of the Red Death, revelers at the Prince Prospero’s party are ignoring the spread of the Red Death plague outside their sheltered and privileged lives. They want to ignore the problem, and go on being untouched by strife. These revelers see a man who they think is wearing a costume of poor taste. They believe he is dressed as a victim of the Red Death. The man attends the party under this pretense, though the truth is that he himself is not in any costume, but has been touched by the plague with the intention of spreading it to the ignorant yet wealthy population who have been doing nothing to help the less fortunate. Poe writes, “And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. . . the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all” (273). The man not only impersonated a party-goer, but also personified the disease that struck his