Edgar Allan Poe
Poe holds a singular place in American literary history. This is partly the result of a critical disagreement.
Where¬as his reputation has always been at its highest in Europe (especially in France), in his own country and England his status as a serious writer has often been ques¬tioned.
Basic assumptions of Poes Poetics
Of the bulk of his critical writings, particular notice should be taken of his review of Hawthornes Twice Told Tales (also known as The short Story 1842, as well as of “The Philosophy of Composition”, 1846 and “The Poetic Principle”
All these critical writings, help to outline his theory of poetry and that of short story.
The, kind of effect it produces, defines the poem or the short story as genre. It was Poes
belief that literary genres should be kept distinct from one another.
Effect, or rather unity of effect is a key term in Poes aesthetics. The raison detre of each
province of writing lies in its capacity to arouse in the reader a certain emotional response.
Poe followed Kant (his mediators were Coleridge and A.W. Schlegel -Dramatic Lectures) – in the belief, that the world of the mind is divided into pure intellect, taste, and moral sense. The poetic sentiment is referred to taste. Intellect concerns itself with Truth while the moral sense is regardful of Duty,” (PP, 572)
Poe sets the poetic sentiment in opposition to passion which is the excitement of the heart”. Passion is at variance with, the poetic sentiment, and as such it should be forbidden access to the province of writing ruled by poetry. The effect associated with that province is the pleasurable elevation of the, soul which is found in “the contem¬plation of the Beautiful” (PP, 575). Passion, like truth, is congenial to the short story. Not only truth and passion fall within the boundaries of the abort story, but horror and terror as well.
Not only Poetry is productive of the poetic sentiment but other arts are apt to generate it: painting, sculpture, dance, and above all, music. The alliance between words and music appears to him as most promising for the poetic development. The next step is to define “the poetry of words as the Rhythmical Creation of Beauty with Taste as its sole arbiter” (PP, 574). Poe considers that pleasure is the “immediate object ” of both poetry and fiction (romance) but whereas the latter is concerned with definite pleasure, a poem, aims a creating “indefinite pleasure”.
Poe places the short story next to the poem. The impression on the reader can be destroyed unless unity or totality is ensured. The effect upon the