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THEME: GOTHIC CLASSICS IN THE WORKS AND POETRY OF
EDGAR ALLAN POE
Hasanova Gavharhon Erkinovna
Researcher of Namangan state university
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13896675
Annotation:
There is a strong chance that you will have heard the name,
Edgar Allan Poe, however, not everyone has read his work or understands his
lasting impact, so if you’re new to Poe or classic horror, allow me to help you
explore the shadows of the genre and get to know its icons. Just like any good
story, let’s start at the very beginning, with the birth of Gothic Literature. Gothic
Literature is the strange and awkward love child of the Romantic movement,
born in the late 18th century. The genre has captivated readers in the centuries
since its conception with its moody, darkly mysterious, and often chilling tales.
In its black heart, this literary tradition harbors a deep fascination with the
macabre.
Keywords:
madness, obsession, the darker facets, unsettling, ambiguous,
horrifying outcomes, uncanny, labirinting catacombs, madness, furnishings,
desolate moors, vengeful,
The gothic short stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe are so outstanding
that they are still being read today. He only lived for forty years yet made such a
huge impact on literature. Poe tells Thomas W. Fredrick in a letter, why he
became a writer. Depend upon it, after all, Thomas, Literature is the most noble
of professions. In fact, it is about the only one fit for a man. For my own part,
there is] no seducing me from the path. (Edgar Allan Poe‘s Life, intro page) The
word that best describes the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe would have to be
mystery.
Not only is it seen in his literary works, but in his life as well.
Shortly after,
his mother died of tuberculosis, the two children were all alone. In 1811,a t the
age of two, Poe was taken in by John and Frances Allan. Mr. Allan Refused to
adopt Edgar but said he could stay with them. Rosalie was taken by another
family. Poe lived in Richmond until he was six years old, then the Allans and Poe
moved to Scotland. Poe attended school at Irvine Grammar School and for
several years at Manor House School in Stoke Newington. (The Manor may have
been reproduced in some of the darkly romantic houses in Poe’s stories).
When Edgar was eleven the Allan’s returned to Richmond. There he went to
school at an English and Classical School attended by the more wealthy children.
At this time, Edgar began to notice how diffrent he was and began to feel
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bitterness towards his mother and Mr. Allan. He expressed his feelings at age
sixteen, when he began to write poems and short stories. He became very
arrogant and didn’t get along with anyone. When Edgar was seventeen years old,
Mr. Allan sent him to the U. of Virginia in Charlottesville. In 1825, Edgar secretly
engaged to Sarah Elmira Royster, who was only sixteen years old. At college,
Edgar continuously drank, gambled, and fought. He began to drink and gamble
so much, that he fell into debt so far that he couldnt pay his losses. Mr. Allan
could no longer tolerate Poes behavior so he withdrew him from school and put
him to work at his counting house all within one year.
Edgar Allan Poe is most commonly known for his dark and mysterious
poetry. His poems often explore the darkness of the human soul, and the
macabre aspects of life. Many of his poems contain Gothic elements, such as
ghosts, death, and decay. In addition to his poetry, Edgar Allan Poe also wrote
short stories and novels that are often classified as Gothic as well. Some of his
most famous Gothic works include The Fall of the House of Usher, The Masque of
the Red Death, and The Raven.Despite his dark subject matter, Edgar Allan Poe‘s
writing is extremely poetic and beautiful. He has been credited with changing
the course of American literature, and is considered to be one of its greatest
authors. Even today, his writings are still widely read and studied in schools.
Edgar Allan Poe‘s influence can be seen in many modern authors, such as
Stephen King and Anne Rice. In fact, King has said that ―Poe is the father of us
all.‖ Thanks to Edgar Allan Poe, the Gothic genre is one of the most popular and
enduring in all of literature. Edgar Allan Poe may be described as a gothic writer
because of his preference for medieval locales, gloomy ambiences, and
inexplicable and violent events. Poe was a very talented writer with a strong
imagination.
Along with his enormous writing skill and vivid imagination; Poe had an
apparently limitless vocabulary. He mostly composed poems and tales about
dark and terror-inducing themes. The Raven is one of the most well-known
poems written by Edgar Allan Poe to the English language. He also released one
novel in addition to the many journals he contributed to. Gothic elements in
Edgar Allan Poe‘s writing can be seen in the use of medieval settings, murky
atmospheres, and mysterious and violent incidents. One of the reasons Edgar
Allan Poe is considered a Gothic writer is because of his use of medieval settings
in his works. Many of his poems take place in castles or abbeys, and his tales
often have Gothic villains who wear monk‘s robes or dusty old armor. In ―The
Masque of the Red Death‖, for example, Prince Prospero holds a masked ball in
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an effort to forget the plague that is ravaging his land. But even in this setting of
gaiety and revelry, death manages to make an appearance. A sinister figure
dressed all in red arrives at the castle and begins killing all of the guests. Poe
creates a feeling of unease in his reader by using a setting that is often associated
with safety and security, but then introducing an element of danger. Another
Gothic element that can be found in Edgar Allan Poe‘s writing is the use of murky
atmospheres.
The works of Edgar Allan Poe continue to stand out in our literature
through their gloomy settings and unusual characters and events. In many of his
poems, Edgar Allan Poe placed the people or situations in somewhat medieval
locales. His utilization of unique locations stands out particularly in Ulalume,
which is one of world literature‘s most well-known poems. The narrator asks a
raven flying into his chamber if he will ever see his lost love again in The Raven,
the poet grieving the death of his lover Lenore in a chamber. Edgar Allan Poe‘s
choice of a chamber as the setting for this poem creates an intimate feeling,
which is a common element in gothic literature. Edgar Allan Poe also commonly
wrote about death and decay, which are other elements of gothic literature. In
his poem The Bells, Edgar Allan Poe writes about the sound of bells and how
they can bring both happiness and sorrow. Edgar Allan Poe‘s writing style often
times included dark and mysterious elements that were intriguing to his
readers. His works were often associated with the genre because of these
characteristics. Edgar Allan Poe‘s poems The Raven and The Bells are both
excellent examples of his gothic style. In The Raven, Edgar Allan Poe creates a
dark and depressing atmosphere through the use of death and loss. The poem is
about a man who is grieving the death of his lover, Lenore. The poem is set in a
chamber, which creates an intimate feeling. Edgar Allan Poe also uses sound
words in The Bells, which create a haunting effect. These gothic elements make
Edgar Allan Poe‘s writings unique and interesting to read even today.
References:
1.Goddu Teresa A. “Gothic America: Narrative,History, and Nation”.
2.Martin Robert K.Savoy, Eric (Eds). “American Gothic: New Interventions in a
National Narrative”.
3.Leverenz, David. "The Gothic Tradition in American Literature."
4. Smith, Allan Lloyd. "American Gothic Fiction: An Introduction."
5. Roberts, Marie. "Gothic Immortals: The Fiction of the Brotherhood of the Rosy
Cross." Articles and Journals:
6. "American Gothic: An Overview" by Elizabeth H. Oakes (The Yearbook of
English Studies).
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7. "Women and the Gothic: An Overview of Feminist Criticism" by Emma J. Clery
(The Year's
Work in English Studies).
8. "Gothic Fiction in American Literature" by John G. Parker (The American
Literary Review).
9. "Southern Gothic: From O'Connor to Faulkner" by Ruth Grimes (The Journal of
American Literature).
10. "Haunted Houses and the American Gothic" by James W. Smith (The New
England Quarterly).
https://edubirdie.com/examples/gothic-literature-edgar-allan-poes-narratives/
https://dspace.univ-ouargla.dz/jspui/bitstream/_compressed.pdf
benjaminbarber.org›the-gothic-short-stories-and
