why was he misunderstood by other wriiters?

-- Anonymous, May 27, 2002

Answers

In style, theory and literary criticism(often attacking his fellow poets) Poe was simply unique and an intentional outsider. besides being a Southerner, constantly poor, a popularizer who worked in magazines and relished his reputation and fame, he was quite different form the Northern establishment of such staid and philosophical,poets as Emerson, Longfellow etc. They could not understand how he could combine praise and vicious attacks in the same article or appreciate the depth behind his more musical, short and shadowy poems. Through the years you can still find many critics dismissive of Poe from simple lack of appreciation or the judgment that his work is shallow.

Some of Poe's self-contradictions and self-limitations combined with sometimes dishonest or joking hyperbole tend to make people lose patience with the real value of his work.

-- Anonymous, May 28, 2002