Did he have any role models? If so who?

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2005

Answers

The answer is simple - we don't really know if he had a role model or if he modeled himself intentionally off of any one person.

-- Anonymous, February 03, 2005

His sailor brother Henry he idolized but he never followed his footsteps except they both wrote. Lord Byron was a artistic model but personally Poe criticized him. One could see big similarities in poetic expression, pose and life responses but it is more the concept of the Byronic hero that Poe naturally took to, the moody loner soaring above the masses, etc. As far as character Poe was far more conservative(especially with the ladies) and less elitist which puts him more as a democratic Coleridge class I suppose. In art I think Poe was more sincere and original than some of the preceding British Romantic stars. Lenghty florid writing was out of his league as well.

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2005