I need some info of the element of supernatural in any of Poe's writings please, the paper is DUE MONDAY!

-- Anonymous, May 19, 2001

Answers

Believe it not not, many of Poe's stories have nothing directly supernatural except an atmosphere that moves the mind to the edge or slightly over. Murder, sickness, madness, disturbed imagination and grotesque situations abound, but less supernatural than you would find in Stephen King.

The spirit of deceased loves constantly haunts Poe's imagination. If the death of young beautiful woman was the highest theme in his romantic theory, her haunting and return(Ligeia)was the most upsetting to his imagination. The Masque of the Red Death is an allegorical exception, the plague personified in a party guest. The witching hour of midnight the colors red and black and gothic atmosphere almost qualify. They certainly push the envelope. The ghost ship in "Ms Found In A Bottle, the stories where two spirits talk to each other(Colloquy of Monos and Una"? are more like exceptions. In poetry demons or ghouls haunt the inner tombs or belltowers or haunted palces of decay- while angels and "stars" watch from above.

Overall, despite his dreamscape preoccupation with the supernal, the more than real, most of Poe's stories are rooted in the natural world and usually have clever explanations taken from the new science of his day. So you can see how such diverse people as Jules Verne and Stephen King find inspiration iin his work.

As for religion, this too is rather vague. The longing of and fear of the after life. The spiritual world pressing about his memories. His poetic mystical philosophy of science, art and the cosmos in "Eureka"( a difficult but must read). That is attempt to work out a reconciliation between the failures and dissolution in life and the Ideal beauty at the core of his soul and in heaven.

-- Anonymous, May 19, 2001

Benji> Try The Supernatural in Poe For Poe's works, the supernatural is generally suggested rather than overtly present. For the most part, I think that Poe dabbled in the supernatural, in his writings, merely as a device to "explain" some of his more fantastic tales.

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2001