Edgar Allan Poe

Poe’s life

He was born the son of an American actor and English actress; he was orphaned and adopted; he attended West Point Military Academy but was discharged; at the age of 27 he married his cousin who was half his age; he loved her dearly but lost her to tuberculosis; he died at the age of 40.

Poe’s identity

A criticA poet A short story writer

A theory of poetry.

1) A poem—and this also applies to his fiction—should be short enough so that it can be read at one sitting.

2) The most important purpose of poetry is the creation of beauty

3) The best manifestation of beauty is associated with sadness.

4) The death of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world.

5) The immediate object of poetry is pleasure, not truth.

6) Poe made good use of a number of poetic devices to create a good appropriate to the theme of his poems.

His works

Poems: To Helen; Annabel Lee; The Raven

Horror short stories :The Fall of the House of Usher; Ligeia ; The Tales of Grotesque and Arabesque

Detective short stories :The Murders in the Rue Morgue ; The Black Cat; The Purloined Letter; The Gold-Bug

To Helen

Brief introduction to To Helen Word devices used in the poem Rhyme scheme The theme

Additional questions

1. Why does the poet compare Helen’s beauty to “those Nicean barks of yore”?

2. What have brought the wayfaring speaker home?

3. In what form does Helen appear in the final stanza? Why does she carry a lamp in her hands?