Poe's story never bet the devil your head, includes an introductory paragraph or two. He is talking about morals and mentions a great many people. What are the first two paragraphs talking about and why are they relavant to this story?

-- Anonymous, March 06, 2002

Answers

Dear Adam, You are decidedly in the right way to appreciate Poe when so choicing a clever, though rarely picked up, tale... Poe was always at war with the so-called art-critics and artists of his time, who dogmatically thougth that any work of art ought to convey some "moral" message. He always condemned those who reduced art-function to some ethical utilitarianism. People too often believe he condemned some philosophical current. Not at all! Poe was against philosophy and the like in an art-product, and not necessarily against philosophy itself, ethical, transcendantalist or whatsoever. Therefore, in "Never bet...", he gave an humorous touch to his credo, and made complete fun with the so usual "moral writings" of many literary cliques of his days. I am sorry for my too hasty answer, but I think it the core of a good start to dig , with a new axe, for the gems unfolded in Poe's marvellous work. Yours sincerely, Raven's Shade (Belgium).

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2002