The Influence of Edgar Allan Poe’s Writing Style
Throughout Edgar Allen Poes life. many factors have contributed and influenced his writing style. He lived a difficult life, because he was raised in a dysfunctional household. He was raised by a step father who did not love him, or he dictated his values so much that it warped Poes impressmnable mind. But the product of Edgar Allen Poes mind is printed in his short stories and poems. Edgar Allen Poes stories have similar motifs and composition that would suggest suppressed emotions from life experiences and are being let out through his writings. Three main motifs that can be related back to his life are the old man/father figure. his obsessions on an object. and his relations to death. Throughout his life he tries not to be like his step-father, and be a better person than his stepfather. He wanted all the memories of him and his ways out of his life.
He oppressed the memories and when the subconscious pan of his mind is working on writing this motif appears(Schopper). In the case of The Tell Tale Heart the captain was the old man/father figure. Guiding the people in the boat closest to the edge of existence, into the maelstrom. And Poe makes it the captains fault that they are caught in the outer ring of the maelstrom and are coming closer to the center shopper). In the Black Cat. the husband in the story was cruel and unjust to the cats. The cats were probably representing Poe when he was defenseless and young. Poes child hood played a key factor exposing the evil old man figurelSchopper). Most of Poes stories have a motif of obsessive-compulsive behavior(Edgar Allen Poe web page). this would be expected of Poe when taking a look at his life.
He was kicked out of West Point for gambling. This was a very addictive form of recreation. He would have this personality trait from a certain element in his childhood. This characteristic is also present in Poes writing like the obsessive attitude the narrator has towards many things. For instance in The Tell-Tale Heart he was obsessed with the beating of the hideous heait!(EdgarAllen Poe web page) Or in the Black Cat he was obsessed with the killing of the cat. Many of his stories have this attribute, making it more common and less noticeable This obsessive/compulsive attitude is part of Poes personality, and is expressed through his writing. The most prominent feature in Edgar Allen Poes writing is his obsession with death. He is afraid to die, but he doesnt think much of his life. Poe was always under the control of his step-father. and when he was independent, he did not know what to do, there fore he did thing like drinking and doing drugs. He needed structure in his life and did not receive this so he did not spend his life meaningfully.
The only thing Poe obsesses about in his stories is death, and facmg death, because he wants to invade it but he feels that is all he has to wait for. Every story contains either a direct mention of death. Even in The Bells. Poe talks about all bells, ajourney through life, until the sound of those wretched bellsi(Schopper) Even a story called The Premature Burial shows the extent of his obsessive behavior towards death(5chopper). Edgar Allen Poes memories of his life are let out through his writing in many ways. It gives an eerie feeling to his stories how he is obsessed with the memories of his stepfather, and death. Poes writing does more than entertain the reader. It can be an insight into the dark world of Edgar Allen Poe
