While I know who haven’t at least heard the name Edgar Allen
Poe and as embarrassing as the may be for an English major, until this class I
had never read any of Poe’s works. Now, I wish I had; I’ve never been a big fan
of poetry, but I found Poe’s writing to be surprisingly absorbing. I do not
know if it is his writing or if it is the mystery surrounding his life
(probably a combination of the two), but Poe exudes the persona of a fictional
character out of fantastical urban legend and not a contemporary poet of the 19th
century.
I think what I like best about The Raven was its ability
create one of those life-like atmospheres while you’re reading it; it goes back
to what I said about it pulling the reader in. It’s like when an author
describes the smell of the sea in great detail; you begin to imagine the smells
and feelings of the scene as if the story was unfolding a few feet away from
you. Or another example would be when you’re reading a Stephen King book before
bed and as you’re trying to go to sleep you begin, letting your imagination run
wild and freaking yourself out over little creaks and house sounds. I admire
Poe’s skill in creating goose-bump, chilling/weird-what-did-I-eat-before-bed-dream-like
poetry; I don’t think many people could pull off what Poe wrote today let alone
back in his time.
PS. I kinda want to see the film adaptation of The Raven
now…
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