Title: The Complete Poetry
Author: Edgar Allan Poe
First published January 1, 1831
128 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9780451526403 (ISBN10: 0451526406)
Rating: 4.29
Overview
Indulge in the mesmerizing poetry of Edgar Allan Poe, the master of eerie tales that continue to captivate readers to this day. This collection features Poe’s haunting verses on love, death, and loneliness, showcasing his unparalleled talent as a poet.
Immerse yourself in the dark and enchanting world of Poe’s poetry, as it continues to enthrall readers with its enduring power. This unique edition is a must-have for any lover of American literature.
About the Author
When we hear the name Poe, we immediately think of chilling tales of murderers, premature burials, and mysterious women who return from the dead. His literary works, which date back to 1827, include renowned classics such as The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, and The Fall of the House of Usher.
Poe’s writing spanned across various genres, including short stories, poetry, a novel, a textbook, a book of scientific theory, and countless essays and book reviews. He is widely considered as the father of the modern detective story and a pioneer in science fiction.
However, he made his living as America’s first great literary critic and theoretician. Today, Poe is most well-known for his haunting lyric poetry and tales of terror.
Poe’s stories have captivated the public’s imagination, and so has Poe himself. He is often portrayed as a macabre and enigmatic figure lurking in the shadows of moonlit cemeteries or decaying castles.
This image of Poe is purely fictional, created by one of his enemies who penned a defamatory biography of the author.
The real Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809, to traveling actors. He was the second of three children, and his older brother William Henry Leonard Poe also became a poet before his untimely death.
Poe’s sister, Rosalie Poe, grew up to teach penmanship at a girls’ school in Richmond. Unfortunately, both of Poe’s parents died within three years of his birth, and he was taken in by a wealthy tobacco merchant named John Allan and his wife Frances Valentine Allan in Richmond, Virginia.
Poe’s siblings were sent to live with other families. Mr. Allan raised Poe to be a businessman and a Virginia gentleman, but Poe had a burning desire to become a writer like his childhood hero, the British poet Lord Byron.
Early poems written in Poe’s own handwriting on the backs of Allan’s ledger sheets attest to his lack of interest in the tobacco business.
Editoral Review
The Complete Poetry by Edgar Allan Poe presents, in one volume, an expansive collection of poetry by one of Americas most influential writers. With more than 100 poems, including compositions such as The Raven, Annabel Lee, and The Bells, the volume showcases the incredible range of Poes emotional depth and his masterful use of verse to evoke mood and tell a story.
Edgar Allan Poe, a pioneer of the American romantic movement, is best known for his haunting tales of mystery and the macabre. His poetry, in contrast, is less widely read but it is just as compelling.
Poes verse style, which inspired countless imitators, was marked by an emphasis on the musicality of language, the beauty of melancholy, and the power of imagination. The Complete Poetry draws together works from across Poes career, beginning with his earliest published poems and continuing through to some of his last compositions.
The book offers readers a glimpse into the mind of a man who was haunted by death, consumed by love, and driven by a desire to capture the elusive beauty of life. At its core, The Complete Poetry is a collection of love poems, odes to the natural world, and elegies to the dead.
Through these themes, Poe explores his ideas about love, loss, mortality, and the passage of time. The poems are deeply personal, but they are also universal, speaking to readers across time and space.
While the books content is its strength, at times it can also be its weakness. Some of the poems are repetitive, and a few lack the emotional depth seen in many of Poes better-known works.
However, the book as a whole is still a treasure trove of poetry that will delight and intrigue readers. One interesting aspect of this collection is the historical and cultural significance of the works.
Poe wrote during a time of great social upheaval in America, and his poetry reflects his own struggles with poverty, illness, and heartbreak. As a result, many of the poems carry a sense of urgency and desperation, making them feel particularly relevant in our current moment.
In terms of writing quality, Poes command of language is impressive. He uses vivid imagery, musical rhythms, and surprising rhymes to create a sense of mood and atmosphere.
However, at times some of his word choices can feel archaic and stilted to modern readers. Comparing The Complete Poetry with other works in its genre, it is clear that Poe stands out as a trailblazer in the Gothic romantic movement.
His exploration of themes like love, death, and the supernatural remain relevant to modern readers, and his influence can be seen in the works of countless poets. Overall, The Complete Poetry is a must-read for anyone interested in Poe and his literary legacy.
It is a rich and varied volume that showcases the breadth and depth of Poes poetic skill. While it may not be perfect, it is still a treasure trove of moving and enduring verse, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to deepen their appreciation of American poetry.
Rating: 4/5 stars.
