Why is Poe so famous in France?

-- Anonymous, February 11, 2003

Answers

Largely through the efforts of the French poet Charles Baudelaire, a poetic soul-mate and disciple who just became a fan when Poe died. Translated his works wonderfully, expounded and used his theories- though those were reinterpreted and expanded. The Parnassians, the art for art's sake school, took up the torch and it became part of the symbolist movement. Mallarme has a famous memorial poem about Poe. Jules Verne was a fan of Poe's fiction and style. Even Baudelaire was not an imitiation of Poe, nor did they fully understand Poe or his context, but thanks to his tales, his inclusion of francophone characters and references(Auguste Dupin), he became the most popular American writer at that time.

-- Anonymous, February 12, 2003

ah ah ah ah!!!!

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2004