Elements Of American Gothic Literature: Edgar Allan Poe

This story is considered as Gothic. Gothic literature includes elements that include Horror and Humanity. The high level of literary horror in ‘A Rose for Emily’ is so monstrous it is magnificent, presenting a purity of unreasonableness that no reader can resist. Miss Emily is a mysterious monument of the town of Jefferson: a mystifying remainder of a bygone family and a bygone era. An unnamed narrator describes the strange circumstances of Emily’s life and her strange relationships with her father, her lover, and the horrible mystery

Along with the start of the Gothic period in the 1760s, came many stories and poems inspired by this theme. This includes “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelly, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robbert Louis Stevenson, and “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. These stories and poem come to mind as representations of gothic literature as they are all monumental breakthroughs during its time. This is shown in the darker tones and theme that is used in each story and poem. They all shared common elements such as gloomy settings, intense emotions, and somehow always involving sadness or death.

While Edgar Allan Poe is indisputably referred to as the ¨Father of the Detective Story,¨ he could also be referred to as the ¨Father of Gothic Fiction.¨ He commonly used dark plots and themes to journey readers into the disturbed minds of his characters, and elements such as symbolism, metonymy of horror and a fascination with the past are prevalent throughout the great works of Edgar Allan Poe. Among his most popular pieces, ¨The Tell-Tale Heart” is no exception to his eerie and mysterious way of writing. This plot of this piece is focused around a mentally mad narrator who tries to convince the reader of his sanity while detailing a murder he committed. Poe´s short story, ¨The Tell-Tale Heart,¨ is a prime example of a gothic story because it includes an atmosphere of mystery and suspense, the theme of death and the sense of madness and emotional distress. The location of this tale is not set in a stereotypical haunted castle or old mansion, which is a staple of gothic literature.

I felt creeping upon me, by slow yet uncertain degrees, the wild influence of his own fantastic yet impressive superstitions." So we are left hanging with the question, does he lives only to tell the tale? Moving on to the characteristic of genre, „The Fall of the House of Usher” can be considered as a gothic or horror fiction. The metonymy of gloom and horror, an atmosphere of mystery and suspense, high, even overwrought emotion are also part of characteristics of the story. In this case we have a creepy house, dark atmosphere and awful weather and also a tomb.

An air of gloom, anguish and despair, with a hint of melancholy and a feathery apparition haunting the mind of a young scholar who is burdened by bereaved love and has secluded himself behind his chamber door, in a room full of bittersweet memories. Such is the work of Edgar Allan Poe, specifically, that of The Raven. Published on the 29th of January 1845, The Raven instantly became a hit and Poe’s most famous work. Oftentimes when discussing the gothic genre, many may immediately think of Poe, but in which sense is his work truly gothic? In the Raven, Poe conforms to a plurality of conventions characterised as typically gothic in order to effectively illustrate what effect the loss of a loved one can have on the mind.

What is Goth? Goth can be many of things, teenagers dressing in all black, movies like Coraline and even architecture, but when it comes to literature what makes it Gothic? Gothic literature can be defined as, writing that employs dark and mysterious settings that include elements of death, insanity, revenge and the uncanny. In the short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe, the narrator has committed a murder but claims that his insanity is not a disease that cripples his mind but is quite the opposite and is capable to narrate just how cleverly he murdered an old man. In the second short “The Cask of Amontillado” also by Edgar Allen Poe, the narrator Montresor feels he is in power to make justice and gives himself the idea to seek revenge and kill Fortunato a wine enthusiast after he insulted his honor.

The readers are just like Mr. Lockwood curious and enthusiastic to reveal the mystery. There are hints here and there in the first chapters which arouse suspicion in Mr. Lockwood towards Wuthering Heights and its inhabitance. So, as many gothic novel it starts with a secret from the past.44 Emily does not only narrate gothic events but she powerfully uses her descriptive ability in expressing emotions, characters, and the simplest details. For instance, when Heathcliff visits Catherine on her death bed, Nelly gives an odd, fearful description the

The author Edgar Allen Poe was born in 1809, he is a well-known and spoken author, known for the portrayal of gothic and morbid writing techniques. Understanding the world view and living conditions Edgar Allan Poe experiences while writing the Cask of Amontillado, helps with the readers appreciation and understanding of the writing. According to, Biography.com, Poe had a hard life of trials but found joy in his writings also making most of his stories about personal life situations and hardships. Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “A Cask of Amontillado,” portrays foreshadowing through irony, Montresor leading Fortunato to the catacombs, and the trowel that Montresor kept in his coat. The first literary technique that Poe utilizes in, “A Cask of Amontillado” to portray foreshadowing is irony.

Throughout his life, he had bad luck and heartaches that continued till his death in 1849. This dark style can be seen in short stories like “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Cask of Amontillado”. In many different short stories and poems, Poe is known for the strange and unreasonable reasons for murder, isolation, betrayal, insanity, and guilt. Edgar Allan Poe’s life more than likely influenced his distinctive gothic writing style. Poe’s most well known written short story is named “The Tell-Tale Heart” in light of the fact of the significant meaning it has behind it.

Born in Boston in 1809, Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most influential American writers of his age. He died in mysterious circumstances in 1849 and, even though he dedicated himself to both fiction and poetry, he is mainly remembered for his revolutionary novels. Although Poe’s short stories are considered gothic stories, they go beyond the convention of this genre. In fact, while in most of the gothic stories mystery comes from the outside world, in Poe’s stories the causes of horror and misfortunes spring from the mind of the characters themselves and are the result of the complex nature of man. In fact, by using an inner and limited point of view, the writer analyses in depth the psychology of the perverse and contradictory protagonists of his stories and exposes a kind of madness that induces readers to think of them as unreliable narrators.