His life was filled with pain upon pain—some brought about by the cruelties of life, others by his own hand. He was a literary genius, but many believe that he was truly mad and that it was a miracle that he was not committed earlier..
Why is Poe so great?
Edgar Allan Poe's stature as a major figure in world literature is primarily based on his ingenious and profound short stories, poems, and critical theories, which established a highly influential rationale for the short form in both poetry and fiction..
Orphaned at age two, Poe grew up in the Richmond, Virginia home of a childless couple, merchant John Allan and his wife Frances. His foster parents treated him well, though Frances was Poe's primary source of affection.
Poe's critical writings, notably those on the relationship between philosophical principles and artistic style, also influenced the aesthetic theories of Charles Baudelaire, Stephane Mallarme, and other members of the French symbolist movement.
Poe believes that God himself is diffused into our souls, and that “The Universe is but his present expansive existence”. When the material Universe will reach its final Unity and will annihilate, our souls will come to Unity with God.
While starting from metaphysical assumptions, Poe develops an evolving Newtonian model of the Universe which has many and non casual analogies with modern cos- mology. Poe was well informed about astronomical and physical discoveries, and he was influ- enced by both contemporary science and ancient ideas.
The cosmology of poe
Depictions of ravens in literature and cultures
Many references to ravens exist in world lore and literature. Most depictions allude to the appearance and behavior of the wide-ranging common raven. Because of its black plumage, croaking call, and diet of carrion, the raven is often associated with loss and ill omen. Yet, its symbolism is complex. As a talking bird, the raven also represents prophecy and insight. Ravens in stories often act as psychopomps, connecting the material world with the world of spirits.
