Edgar Allan Poe was an American author best known for his works of poetry and short stories that incorporated themes of death, loss, and the macabre. Some of his most famous works include "The Raven," "The Tell-Tale Heart," and "The Fall of the House of Usher." Poe died under mysterious circumstances in 1849 at the age of 40, with the exact cause of his death still unknown.

1. Edgar Allan Poe Ceramics Project || PowerPoint

2. Biography Born January 19, 1809 – Died October 7, 1849 American poet, short story writer, editor and literary critic. After his mother died, Edgar was adopted out to Mr. and Mrs. Allan. (He kept his maiden name yet added theirs because both families meant a lot to him.) He did well in school yet drank heavily, and soon fell into debt. He joined the army in 1827. John Allan stopped sending him money; it is thought that Poe purposely broke the rules so he would be discharged. He then took up writing, evaluating, etc.

3. Causes of Death It is not known exactly how Edgar Allan Poe died, but it is known that he was found broke and in a gutter. Many theories include (but are not limited to): alcohol {he drank sometimes}, disease {as it was common back then, and he was known for being somewhat sickly}, and the Cooping theory {murder – however, no evidence was ever found aiding this case}. It will always remain a mystery as to how Poe died.

4. Poe’s Work Edgar Allan Poe is known for his deep, dark writings. They are considered to be ‘dark’ because they usually have to deal with death, loss, sorrow, etc. – and it’s really all in how he uses very descriptive and loaded words. For example, a ‘Raven’ usually is incorporated into themes that deal with sorrow, death, murder, etc.; also the bringer(s) of bad luck. “ The Raven”

5. Short Stories The Black Cat Horror story about a cat. The Tell-Tale Heart A murderer’s guilt. The Fall of the House of Usher An old house and it’s secrets. The Masque of the Red Death Horrors of the plague. Silence – A Fable A dream. And many more! Edgar Allan Poe

6. Poems { There are quite a few. Here are three. } Annabel Lee A love lost at sea. Can be seen on the next slide in Poe’s own, original handwriting!! The Raven The lonely room gets too crowded with this new guest… “Nevermore.” Alone This poem had three other names before it was finalized. It’s a typical heart-broken piece of a man who suffers. And Many More! Annabel Lee and The Raven

8. Edgar Allan Poe did not just write poems, stories, etc., he also evaluated others. “ In criticism I will be bold, and as sternly, absolutely just with friend and foe. From this purpose nothing shall turn me.” - Poe From his critic-career, he wrote Criticism ; this was a poem explaining critics and the critique of other works. “ IT HAS been said that a good critique on a poem may be written by one who is no poet himself. This, according to your idea and mine of poetry, I feel to be false–the less poetical the critic, the less just the critique, and the converse.” – From Criticism A Critic & An Editor

9. What “Motivated” Poe Death, personal loss, and sorrow. It is argued that his work is shadowed off of the death of three women: His mother, Elizabeth Poe (when he was about 2 years old) Jane Stanard (idealized mother of a school friend), who died insane at age 28 ("To Helen") Frances Allan (his foster mother)

10. Quotes “ All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” “ All religion, my friend, is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination, and poetry.” “ Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears.” “ I have great faith in fools; self-confidence my friends call it.” “ I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat.” “ I would define, in brief, the poetry of words as the rhythmical creation of Beauty.”

11. Exerpt from The Tell-Tale Heart And now have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over-acuteness of the senses? now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton. I knew that sound well too. It was the beating of the old man's heart. It increased my fury as the beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage. But even yet I refrained and kept still. I scarcely breathed. I held the lantern motionless. I tried how steadily I could maintain the ray upon the eye. Meantime the hellish tattoo of the heart increased. It grew quicker and quicker, and louder and louder, every instant. The old man's terror must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment! -- do you mark me well? I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me -- the sound would be heard by a neighbour! The old man's hour had come! With a loud yell, I threw open the lantern and leaped into the room. He shrieked once -- once only. In an instant I dragged him to the floor, and pulled the heavy bed over him. I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But for many minutes the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall. At length it ceased. The old man was dead. I removed the bed and examined the corpse. Yes, he was stone, stone dead. I placed my hand upon the heart and held it there many minutes. There was no pulsation. He was stone dead. His eye would trouble me no more.

12. Why I Chose Him… I love his work because of it’s dark undertones. I also like it because it’s not the mushy-love stuff that most people write. It usually involves death, murder, illness, loss – something that’s not, “Oh, butterflies followed me home along the path of flowers while the wind sang gay tunes and the sun blessed me with warmth! ♥” Poe usually creates a sense of sorrow, madness or whatever he’s incorporating into the piece right off the bat, immediately pulling the reader in. Take for example the beginning of The Tell-Tale Heart: “ TRUE! nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why WILL you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses, not destroyed, not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How then am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily, how calmly, I can tell you the whole story. ”

13. I can’t really say that I can relate to his stories, because I haven’t lost anybody that dear to me due to death, nor have I killed anyone, etc. But, I have moved several times in my life, and leaving good friends is a hard thing to do, especially after you’ve grown so close to them. In a way, I suppose this could count for ‘losing somebody’. – Emotionalism. Formalism: His poems’ rhyme scheme differs (ABAB, CDCD, or AABB, CCDD, etc.) – I like the various different kinds because it spices things up a bit; his stories usually start and end dramatic, with a high climax somewhere in the body. Any person who loves to read would love that. :P The way he words his stories is also very interesting because they’re so dynamic yet they really help you feel the flow of the plot. They also pitch in a sort of imitationalism. Take for example, another excerpt from The Tell-Tale Heart on the next slide.

14. “ No doubt I now grew VERY pale; but I talked more fluently, and with a heightened voice. Yet the sound increased -- and what could I do? It was A LOW, DULL, QUICK SOUND -- MUCH SUCH A SOUND AS A WATCH MAKES WHEN ENVELOPED IN COTTON. I gasped for breath, and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly, more vehemently but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why WOULD they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men, but the noise steadily increased. O God! what COULD I do? I foamed -- I raved -- I swore! I swung the chair upon which I had been sitting, and grated it upon the boards, but the noise arose over all and continually increased. It grew louder -- louder -- louder! And still the men chatted pleasantly , and smiled. Was it possible they heard not? Almighty God! -- no, no? They heard! -- they suspected! -- they KNEW! -- they were making a mockery of my horror! -- this I thought, and this I think. But anything was better than this agony! Anything was more tolerable than this derision! I could bear those hypocritical smiles no longer! I felt that I must scream or die! -- and now -- again -- hark! louder! louder! louder! LOUDER! – &quot;Villains!&quot; I shrieked, &quot;dissemble no more! I admit the deed! -- tear up the planks! -- here, here! -- it is the beating of his hideous heart!&quot; ” <- yay!

15. The End This picture provides a creepy mood like those in Poe’s stories.