Edgar Allan Poe
Great American
Writer of the 19th
Century
Brief Biography
Popular Works:
Poems
Short Stories
Essays
Biography
Biography Cont.
Edgar Allan Poe was born to
two actors on January 19, 1809.
Edgar Allan Poe Biography
Traveled with family to Europe,
where he studied in various
schools, but later came back to
the states to study in the
University of Virginia.
During college years had
gambling problems, and would
later turn to alcoholism.
Poe was first published in 1827
under the name of Henri Le
Rennet, the work “Tamerlane
and Other Poems.”
Due to poverty, Poe joined the
United States Army and served
for two years.
Married his thirteen
year old cousin (who
died from
tuberculosis), and
started writing
prose short stories.
In 1839 worked for
Burton’s
Gentleman’s
Magazine as an
assistant editor.
On October 3, 1849
Poe was found
delirious on the
streets of Baltimore,
and he died in a
hospital four days
later.
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The Tell-Tale Heart
Quotes
“Deep into that darkness peering,
long I stood there wondering,
fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams
no mortal ever dared to dream
before”
Quotes
“I made up my mind to take the life of the old
man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever.”
“Never before that night had I felt the extent of
my own powers --of my sagacity. I could scarcely
contain my feelings of triumph.”
“All in vain; because Death, in approaching him
had stalked with his black shadow before him, and
enveloped the victim. And it was the mournful
influence of the unperceived shadow that caused him
to feel --although he neither saw nor heard --to feel
the presence of my head within the room.”The TellTale Heart - Edgar Allan Poe
Response
The eye represents the window to a
persons soul, and in this story it reveals
the madness within. The old man is a
human embodiment of the main
characters fears and inner struggles. By
committing the murder the main
character feels a sense of empowerment
and freedom from the power of the eye.
Except in the end his evil actions catch
up to him through his own conscious,
which means the presence of the eye
migrated into his own being.
“Tell me what thy lordly name is on
the Night's Plutonian shore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'”
“Leave no black plume as a token of
that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit
the bust above my door!”Edgar Allan
Poe: The Raven
Response
The raven is a representation of
the inner turmoil and loneliness
of the man. The raven never
leaves, because the sadness and
death will never lift from the
man’s heart.