The Politics of Poe :: Essays Papers

The Politics of PoeEdgar Allen Poe is known as the pioneer of the American short story, as well as a brilliant artist in poetry. His whole kit and caboodle are often tragic, or have a dark theme. Two often overlooked facets of Poe as a writer, however, are the political aspect of his works, and how uttermost ahead he was of his time, with some material being applicable to present day situations, as exemplified by Sonnet to comprehension, The City in the Sea, and The Masque of the inflamed Death.The City in the Sea tells of a great city, with shrines and palaces and towers which resemble nothing that is ours (6-8). This may be a representation of metropolises at the time, for instance Philadelphia or immature York City, or more likely Baltimore, where he lived at the time the poem was originally published, 1831. The description given of the city, with the good and the bad and the worst and the best(4) and Up domesup spiresup kingly halls(17) along with multiple descriptions o f a dismal atmosphere and the sea, are reminiscent of present day Manhattan Island, or Seattle. A narration of doom warns of Hell, rising from a thousand thrones/ Shall do it reverence.(52-53) for the city. This is how many people today feel about New York City, Los Angeles, and other megalopolises. This could be a specimen to the nineteenth century cities. The proverbial calm before the storm is vividly, yet tragically depicted when no ripples curl, alas(36), No swellings tell of winds may be/ on seas less hideously serene.(38-40). But lo, a stir is in the air/ The wavethere is a movement there(42-43). The storm has finish The repeated use of exclamation marks in an otherwise relatively serenely punctuated poem gives an even more dramatic effect to the storm, strengthening the mentation of peril. Though the era of good feelings was still prevalent during the time when the poem was first written, the civil war was beginning to brew. A division was beginning to t hrow over the issue of slavery. This calm before the storm, and the storm that hits, as well as the built up city depicted, sings a premonition of the civil war.The Sonnet-To Science not only tells of the dangers in Poes time, but could easily be applied today.