Welcome to my Blog!

I am a young scholar of Edgar Allan Poe as you can take in from the overall image of my blog. I decided to create this blog made up of Poe's quotations to emphasize the deeper meanings of his works. My design scheme is dark and most likely depressing to many much like the content of my blog. Although many may not typically be drawn into reading something representing dark and depressing emotions Poe's works possess these elements, they prove that a good piece of literature doesn’t necessarily have to be a happily ever after fairy tale. The images are gory but reflect the mood of not only the quotations but the overall moods of the story which they have been taken from. Each image represents a different story and most importantly the quote i have chosen them for. I hope that through both my quotations and overall blog appearance I can change the minds of people who would normally shy away from the stories written by Poe. 

I feel that it is important to portray a certain appearance to match the theme of your blog because it adds to the emotions of the blog posts. Since mine are gloomy I wanted the appearance to give off dark emotions which will help people to better understand the emotions and mood within the topics I am discussing. Enjoy!

Sleep With One Eye Open

“Now you may think that I drew back-but no. His room was as black as pitch with thick darkness (for the shutters were close fastened, through fear of robbers).”(139)-The Tell-Tale Heart

Poe is able to cover many different elements within one quotation, which is evident in this quote. While the old man is peacefully and innocently in a slumber someone whom he trusts and welcomes into his home is plotting his very death. Ironically his greatest fear of robbers is the least of his worries and while he is disrupting no one something which he cannot control is deciding the fate of his life. Not only does the attitude of the protagonist make you anxious but the dark atmosphere of the story makes you nervous for both the protagonist and the old man because of the elements associated with darkness, such as death and tragedy. 

Perseverance and Finding our Inner Strength

 “Yet what business had I with hope? It was, as I say, a half formed thought: man has many such which are never completed.”(274)-The Pit and the Pendulum

The reasoning behind liking this particular quotation is that the protagonist which is enduring a series of different forms of torture begins to lose hope and believes he has no reason to be hopeful. Poe gives the reader reasoning to be emotionally invested in the character, this adds to the suspense and empathy you feel making you want to continue reading. The dramatic emotions emphasize the theme of hope and despair felt as the character struggles with not only his enemies but trying to preserve his strength both physically and emotionally. Poe is able to grasp the complete attention of the reader as a series of exhausting struggles leave you doubting a successful fate for our protagonist in distress. 

Angel of Death

 “It was in this apartment, also that there stood against the western wall, a gigantic clock of ebony. Its pendulum swung to and fro with a dull, heavy, monotonous clang.” (43)-The Masque of the Red Death

This quote is very symbolic because not only does it signify the dread associated with the seventh apartment but it brings attention to the harsh aspects of reality. Poe was able to address that there is no escaping death and that we are all trying to avoid the ticking clock. The guests attending the party thought that by pretending that everything was going to be fine they would be able to escape the realization that the angel of death doesn’t care whether you are rich or poor, accepting or in denial. Poe deserves to be credited for the message he is able to draw attention to while adding to the suspenseful atmosphere of the story. 

The Power of a Guilty Conscience

 “Upon its head, with red extended mouth and solitary eye of fire, sat the hideous beast whose craft had seduced me into murder…I had walled the monster up within the tomb.”(20)-The Black Cat

I admire Poe for the way he constructed a story filled with gothic elements of surprise events. He is able to create the awe moment within the reader as they have already read a series of events thinking they’ve heard the worst of it. Leading the reader to believe that the narrator is going to reveal the corpse of his poor wife, the second black cat which had haunted his conscience had been walled up with his wife. Leaving the reader with this shocking ending is a great way for Poe to let the reader explore the different possibilities and interpretations as to why or how the ‘monster’ ended up in the tomb with his wife’s corpse. Personally this quote leaves me wanting to read more of Poe’s work because a great ending is what can either make or break a good story. 

A Man of Multiple Personalities

“The fury of a demon instantly possessed me. I knew myself no longer. My original soul seemed, at once, to take its flight from my body; and a more than fiendish malevolence, gin nurtured, thrilled every fibre of my frame.” (13)-The Black Cat

I find this quotation especially significant in the story “The Black Cat” because it allows the reader to understand the extent of the madness. Poe was able to reveal an image of a mad man who blames alcohol and possession of the devil for his moral decline; the expressions and behavior of the narrator lead you questioning not only every move he makes but his reasoning behind those actions. The mood of the story is also brought out through his spontaneous and malevolence thinking, calmly he addresses the diversity of his personality and how he became enveloped with anger. This gothic darkness adds to the dramatic turn of events that follow due to the mindset of the narrator.