I have a research paper on Edgar Allan Poe due God knows when?! I have (in general) troubles with this kind of material. I have searched through all books and who knows how many internet sites (didn't know there was sooo many). Any information on Edgar Allen Poe's writing style and what affected it would be so greatly appreciated. I hate to ask for help because I feel so minute in means of basically feeling stupid. However I need major help. Thank you to all who help!

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

Answers

1) Don't feel stupid for asking for help, plenty of people do it, and lord knows how many should but never do. Do you think Einstein never asked for help?

2) The writing style of Poe is very dark and twisted (in most short stories I have read). My teacher says this could be influenced by any number of things, such as: - His early relationship with his adopted father (who didn't care for him at all) - The death of both his mother and his wife*(I think) of consumption..very painful, and some say that this is what influenced him to write about the Red Death, which many thinks symbolizes consumption.

This is all I have at the moment, If I find anything else I will write more later

-- Anonymous, September 14, 2000

Finally someone is getting to the center of Poe and his art! Poe's writing style is naturally poetic, even favoring alliterative sentences in iambic pentameter. Highly visual for direct and powerful emotional effect. Exagerrated, stark colors and deep shadows. Enjoys Arabic or italian exoticism of design. Affected by the german romantic school and gothic tale, Coleridge's theories and Byron. Music, sound, unified and tight, unified structure, deep cross references of sound and symbol. The first person psychological tale, the structure of the detective novel taken from Godwin's "Caleb Williams"(the trick of writing the story backwards). Read Poe's own literary analyses and critics on the same topic.

-- Anonymous, April 26, 2001