POEtry

Katharine Dix

Dr. Juniper Ellis

Understanding Literature

October 23, 2016

POEtry

Because Poe was born in Boston, I have experienced a lot of Poe lovers. Personally, I still can’t figure out what is so captivating for people. I admire some of his work, trudge through other pieces he has written, but all and all I have had a lot of Poe. That all being said, I decided to go to the Major Edgar Allen Poe exhibit at the Peabody Library at John Hopkins University.  The collection was rather impressive, featuring everything from personal effects of his, such as the engagement ring he once proposed with, to literary works, such as the first book of poems that the had publicized, to some rather intimate things, such as a lock of his hair. I did not realize that Poe had died in Baltimore, which was a bit surprising to me because of my connection to his hometown. Nevertheless, I have been tied to Poe so I might as well embody it.

            From traveling to this beautiful, historic building to learning about how much significance this city truly has, Baltimore has yet to cease to amaze me. There are connections to all parts of the world through this city and, although it may not be the best of places now, I am able to see bright spots all over the city. Especially through hearing about Service-Learning projects that some of my friends are doing for other classes, I see that Loyola wants to play a part in the rejuvenation of the city of Baltimore.

Poe had a very large and encompassing view of literature, as shown through his works. In his lifetime, Poe was able to manifest different genres of literature, one of which being Science Fiction. The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley falls into that category of Science Fiction. Mary Shelley also uses different types of literature in her work Frankenstein. Letters are used to bring in outside characters and to show the relevance of different perspectives. Because of Victor’s desire and curiosity to create life, he is able to create a “monster.” Wondering where life came from stems back to the Science Fiction genre, that wouldn’t have been possible without Edgar Allen Poe.

The poem Theology also has a dark and twisted kind of meaning behind it that could be related to Poe.  Under the surface, Theology shows that you can call it whatever you want, karma or religion, you have to believe that something is going to give us a deeper purpose and that we have a moral compass for a reason. In Tableau, it is a bit harder to understand, much like some of Poe’s work. The poem is more thought through than Theology which is portrayed through the rhyme scheme, multiple stanzas to format and the convoluted wording that can lead the reader to dig deeper.