The Centenary of Edgar Allan Poe
The essay commemorates the centenary of Poe's birth and reassesses his literary significance. It argues that Poe's work was misunderstood during his lifetime and that he was a pioneer of modern literature, influencing writers like Baudelaire and Swinburne. The writer praises Poe's innovative use of language, his exploration of the human psyche, and his creation of a new kind of poetic beauty.
By Edmund Gosse · First published 1909 · Genre: Biography, Literary Criticism, Historical · 3,872 words
First lines
In the announcements of the approaching celebration of the centenary of Poe in this country, the fact of his having been a poet was concealed. Perhaps his admirers hoped that it might be overlooked, as without importance, or condoned as the result of bad habits. At all events, the statement that the revels on that occasion would be conducted by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was quite enough to prove that it was the prose writer of "The Black Cat" and "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," and not the verso writer of "Ulalume" and "Annabel Lee" who would be the centre of attention. On that side of Poe's genius, therefore, although it is illustrated by such masterpieces of sullen beauty as "The Fall of the House of Usher" and such triumphs of fantastic ingenuity as "The Gold Bug," I feel it needless to dwell here, the more as I think the importance of these tales very slight by the side of that of the best poems.
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The Centenary of Edgar Allan Poe is listed on Textopian as an essay by Edmund Gosse, dated 1909 CE.
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- Work type: Essay
- Author: Edmund Gosse
- Date: 1909 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Biography, Literary Criticism, Historical
- Length: 3,872 words
- Structure: 1 section, 33 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
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Genres
- Biography — The work is a detailed account of the life and works of a specific individual, focusing on their achievements and contributions to literature.
- Literary Criticism — The work critically analyzes and interprets the literary works of the individual, discussing themes, writing style, and impact on literature.
- Historical — The work provides a historical context for the individual's life and works, discussing the literary and cultural environment of their time.
Tags
Edgar Allan Poe · literary criticism · 19th century literature · American literature · poetry · short stories · gothic fiction · horror · mystery · influence · biography · literary analysis