im writing an analysis of various works by poe...and i need to compare the themes and wrting styles of his stories and poems...does anyone have any ideas as to what i could mention in my paper? it would really help...thanks alot!

-- Anonymous, January 05, 2003

Answers

He has a strong signature of his personal inspiration and vision in most of his works. It is hard to briefly describe, depending on what you yourself may be discovering. Read the poem "Alone" where his primary vision is a disturbing apartness, bordering on the ultimates and dreams, and that might key you to his narrators and protagonists and their prime emotions. Each character considers this kind of strong revelation important no matter what fantastic incident or tragedy embody it. The singular strength of this revelation may also be foundation for his insistence on short united works with a single punch. His search for a feminine ideal, like Dante's Beatrice except not so real or so certain a guide may be a part of this orphaned aloneness seeking lost feminine ties while seeking relief from the trap of his peculiar Muse. He never gets free of that trap and even this quest turns on him "The Raven".

That is dangerously brief for a suggestion but as you read you begin to see a unique and ingenious stamp on Poe's works, that rarely are they ever just a yeoman market performance of horror, humor or meaningless artistry.

-- Anonymous, January 06, 2003

ALL of his stories end tragically.

-- Anonymous, January 12, 2003