Poe's fears

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I am aware that Poe had a fear of being buried alive but did this ever actually happen to him....?

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2003

Answers

No, it never happened to Poe. And his "fear" of being buried alive was no greater than that of anyone else of his time period. Poe uses the device because it scares the reader. His own reaction is not relevant.

-- Anonymous, October 17, 2003

He treats is humorously, mocking himself, in "The Premature Burial" to tease his readers. He professes and indeeds writes as to deny his belief in ghosts yet thrills at nightly fears and the mysterious powers that have no overt manifestation or reason, except perhaps a cloying presence of the dead and obsessive memory.

He did make arrangements for someone to be sure he would not be buried alive, so it at least shgows his love of scaring others and himself developed into a minor phobia or two. The deeper meaning of these fears is much more important. A lot of it is unresolved mourning and deep financial woe milked for the strong poetic feelings they inspired and the outlets of fiction wheres escape or revenge could take place. Always, nervous self-criticism, skepticism and keeping the supernatural at arms length.

-- Anonymous, October 18, 2003


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