OK. I'm not asking you to do my paper for me or anything like that, but this IS for a research paper and I do need a little "push" so to speak. Have you any information on where I can find good critiques of "The Sphinx"? Do you know of any websites where I could find what I'm looking for. I've been searching for the past two weeks and I have not arisen victorious. Thank you.

-- Anonymous, April 30, 2001

Answers

Look in the back of a very good biography of Poe and you might find some expalantion of his various works. One usually accessible in libraries if Silverman's E A Poe, A Mournful and Everlasting Remembrance. These lesser, allegorical works are often ignored. Simply, this another hypersensitive hero just looking for omens while plague rages in the city. he mistakes a bug for a gigantic apprarition until his friend solves the riddle of the "Sphinx". A tale combining horror, intuitive theory, detection solving the mystery and a bit of humor. The let down from the somber fellow nearly scaring himself to death is rather complete and dispels the silly mistake thoroughly. By the way, Poe did have brushes with cholera and once thought himself infected.

"Sphinx" shows the true two sides of Poe: the one who revelled in being a shocking visionary and the other the man of sense, science and humor, and, contrary to popular legend, the latter was the stronger though the hardships of life tested him sorely.

See the original texts at the Edgar Allen Poe Society of Baltimore site.

-- Anonymous, May 01, 2001