Romanticism Author in the History of American Literature

Edgar Allan Poe is a most influential romanticism author in the history of American literature. He is both a poet and a novelist. The life-time poverty and the experience of struggling in the sea between life and death seeking for foothold in the mainstream of American literature endued him with better understanding of pain and death, as well as with the death topic of his works. At the same time, the appetency of beauty, which was buried deeply inside of the heart of the author, made each of his works an annotation of beauty.

For a century and a half, critics had put so many comments on Poe’s works, and generations of readers had been attracted by mystery, horror, dream and destiny portrayed by him. Death of beauty is always thought of the most representative scene in his works. Every time when critics talk about him, they would rather take him simply as a gothic author or an unlucky critic, and death is the topic mentioned the most.

They believe that “he is only talent was for suffering”. But beauty, as another immortal topic, is glowing everywhere in his works, not only the portrayal of beautiful women but also the annotation of the abstract beauty. All the five works I choose are representative ones. Annabel Lee, To Hellan, Ligeia and The Fall of the House of Usher all portrayed the death of beauty. As poems, the former two don’t have such scaring scenes as the two tales, while they all have annotations of beauty in them.

Get quality help now

Dr. Karlyna PhD

Verified

Proficient in: American Literature

4.7 (235)

“ Amazing writer! I am really satisfied with her work. An excellent price as well. ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

And The Raven, with no woman in this poem, delivers another kind of beauty to the readers. al topic, is glowing everywhere all the five works I choose are repito death of beauty. As My paper will start with the traditional death topic, and focuses on the annotation of beauty by the author, which is discussed less. Taking Poe as a beauty interpreter instead of a gothic storyteller, from the most superficial depiction to the innermost definition of beauty, the annotation of beauty will be discussed in layers.