What was E.A. Poe's obsession with death?

-- Anonymous, April 30, 2003

Answers

You only need to look at his life for one second to see what his "obsession with death", as you so rudly put it, was. He had many loved ones that died around him, which was very common at the time. For his original mother died, his "step-fater" and "step-mother" died, and many of the ones that he cared about. His family did not support him and they left him alone without any money of help for college. He also believed that there was true beauty in death and mourning, such as Emily Dickinson with agony. He was not obsessed with death, it just seemed to be obsessed with him.

-- Anonymous, April 30, 2003

He was not the only person "obsessed". That century of urban expansion saw a lot of deaths of infants and mothers and other maladies symptomatic of increased crowding and impoverishment of people. Poe's own life had ample early deaths(mother,father, brother, stepmother, patroness) but perhaps the main thing may have been the age he experienced thses losses. Too young to take death seriously. Too young in the case of his young mother to mourn properly. Perhaps this created a mystery in the void left by their absence that worked on his singular poetic sensitivity. The Romantic movement would have instructed him to mine this feeling rather than heal it, as Dante for a long time would torture himself to retain his idealized love for the dead Beatrice. Poe more specifically felt the power of that place as something beyond the dead or their ghosts, but less positively had no bridge to theolgical or cosmic comforts.

-- Anonymous, May 02, 2003

Edgar Allen Poe is a wonderful mysterius writer, publisher. He had many romors of his death. He had been on the street in poor clothes in horrible condition when taking to a hospital. He was alive for four more days until he said a quick prayer and then he was gone. They two days later baried if in a local grave-yard. How? Why? What? How? All questioned that have not been answere for years, the hospital declared brain failer but was that it?

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2003

I believe that Poe's obsession with death was because of the many deaths of many of his loved ones. The majority of the deaths were caused by consumption or the disease today we turburculocios. This is a disease that causes coughing up of blood. Both E.A. Poe's mother, step-mother,brother and cousin/wife all died of this dreadful disease. This all played a major part in Poe's obsession with death, murder and ghost.

-- Anonymous, March 16, 2004

look, your spelling sucks and most of this dosn't have anything to do with Poe so just talk about how you think he died O.K.

-- Anonymous, March 24, 2004

What are you talking about, Youra Idiot? All of the answers given to Jade Holt are about E.A. Poe. He did lose a lot of people he loved to tuberculosis and he did have an obsession with death. The question asked was not 'how did he die' it was 'What was E.A. Poe's obsession with death?' And for another thing, if you are going to criticize how other people spell you need to learn how to spell and how to use correct grammar! It should be You're an idiot, not Youra Idiot! I cannot stand it when other uneducated people try to correct the faults of others when they themselves have countless faults of their own.

-- Anonymous, June 03, 2004

Right on Belle! I hate when people do that!

-- Anonymous, October 10, 2004

I think that this should be a polite forum. My grammer and spelling are not perfect. But to answer the question on what is E. A. Poe's obsession with death, is what could be more fascinating to focus on then the unknown. Today people write about death, weather it be how the person dies, or the life after. Just that in the current day we have more information so it isnt as much as a mystery to us. Back then, there were plagues, diseases, anything you did could have meant death. Death is fascinating, being surrounded by death all his life, from family to his military it is no wonder the man explored death. It is much easier to understand and to fantasize any idea through media of writing it down. Go ahead and criticize who you want, but if you cant listen to others thoughts and opinions, then you are ignorant of the world around you.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2004

poooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooop

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2004

FUCK U ALL BITCHES!

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2004

PEE on me please...mr. poop

-- Anonymous, January 27, 2005