what were the major influences on Poe that help shape his writing?

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2002

Answers

Everyone that poe ever loved died

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2002

The major influences in shaping his writing skills came from his education especially overseas in Britain where his exposure to the Classics and the Romantics like Coleridge and Byron led to many of his early poems and stories. A childhood friend's mother Mrs. Stanard gave him personalecncouragement in literature and especially the classics. her death added to the death of his mother and stepmother put her in symbolic place of ideal reverence and memory. The Gothic German tale was quite popular and Poe had exposure to the new philosophies and sciences that combined with the new possibiities of wildly expanded personal percetions. To get more specific on Poe's extensive education culminating in West Point where he wrote his first chapbook you need a good biography. Check out the bibliography at www.eapoe.org.

As to the content, being a lonely oprhan and genius seemed to orient his most serious muse(he could write a lot of humorous verse too!) His first known verse fragment "Last night with(by?) many cares and toils oppress'd,/ Weary, I laid me down to rest-" conjures the later emphasis on melancholy, cares of the world, sleep, etc.

-- Anonymous, November 07, 2002

there were many circusistances which influnced poe's writing such as 1- the proverty he experinced after the death of his father allen. 2- the death of his wife. 3- the pestemestic view of the world.

-- Anonymous, November 08, 2002