How has Edgar Allan Poe's poetry affected American Literature?

-- Anonymous, March 22, 2002

Answers

Poe invented the detective story. While introducing innovations and popularity to literary magazines(puzzle codes) Poe pioneered real literary criticism(beyond puff pieces), advances in poetry, moved us farther beyond European literature toward an American literature in its own right. He raised the level of literary writing and encouraged innovations, art for art's sake, bringing American works back to Europe as a cross influence(Baudelaire). Brought the regionalism split to the conscious fore between the Eastern establishment and the South. Set standards for the short story and its structure. United scientific progress with works of the imagination(science fiction). etc. etc.

-- Anonymous, March 22, 2002

Sorry. Poetry in particular. Created a movement toward art, music and symbolism in poetry opposed to stock romantic devices and didactism(that message-oriented viewpoint that plagues us today). The popularity of The Raven put this uniqueness on the world map. The crossover of his poetics to France through Baudelaire and Mallarme gave America its first and perhaps most radical contribution to the world. Helped establish the preeminence of the short poem as opposed to grand epics to convey the disciplined, to the point, unified effect(as in short stories) that also is in keeping with the national character.

-- Anonymous, March 22, 2002