In Defense of the Genius of E.A.

Poe of Richmond Upon close examination of the evidence provided us about one Edgar Allan Poe, of Richmond, one is forced to decide if he was a literary genius, writing to force his readers to think about and act based on the way they perceive reality, or was he a madman, writing only those things that his paranoid, alcohol and possibly opiate laden psyche drove him to put on paper. ("American Literature Volume I" 786-787) In my opinion, although he may have descended into a depressed, alcohol fueled hell at the end, for the larger part of his career, this master of perception could, and should, be perceived himself, as a genius of the highest order. First, we must look at the obvious, as I think Poe would, by way of his detective stories. In this genre that he created, perception is everything. Poes Dupin not only looks at everything and how it is perceived, but at how those perceptions can be used to obscure or illuminate reality. In The Purloined Letter, (Poe 814-830) Dupin uses the manner in which a letter, stolen from the royal apartments, should be perceived to demonstrate how it can be hidden by its true appearance, and that by looking for a letter in opposition to the perception one would have of how a royal document should appear, can reveal its whereabouts. Could logic this precise have come from a mind working on the fringes of reality? Next, we should look at his writings on etiquette. (Poe 87-88) Poe uses a great deal of wit, and some sarcasm, to describe proper manners that young men of that day should exhibit. The text, through its use of humorous sarcasm, shows that although manners should be followed, that they can be carried a bit too far and can become rather silly. Would someone as depressed as Poe is supposed to have been, even bother with instructing others on proper manners, especially while using humor to do so? Thirdly, look at his travelogue of Harpers Ferry, Virginia. He describes one of the most stupendous scenes in nature, the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers at the town of Harpers Ferry. (Poe 73) Going on to explain how that Americans should visit domestic natural wonders, rather than going abroad to see those in other countries, Poe again uses sound logic in his defense of his position. Although not impossible, it would be very difficult for a man with even mild mental impairment to do this. Now, take a look at the stories of the macabre that Poe penned. In The Fall of the House of Usher, Poe again uses what we perceive from the language used to describe the house, the relationship of the Usher twins, and the narrator to pull us into the story and make us face the prematurely buried Madeline right beside Roderick and the Narrator. (Poe 793-809) These Gothic stories from Poe, serve as the foundation of the argument opposing mine, that Poe was insane. When one reads them, they can see where this opinion originates, but, if examined closely, looking past the fright and gore, one sees the same perception driven genius that Poe uses in his other, less frightening works. His behavior outside his profession must be factored in as well. In order to do this, we must look at how the tragedies Poe faced would have been perceived in the context of the U.S. at that time. Tales of his drinking binges are very well documented. The losses that he suffered at the hand of the Consumption would be enough to drive a man to drink, but then again, death at a young age was much more common than it is now, especially from tuberculosis. (Panati 392-394) Poe, himself, was an old man for the time that he

lived, dying at the age of 40. This being said, and bearing in mind the feelings he had for those he lost, Poe may not have taken these losses as hard as someone would today. Other issues that Poe faced that we would see as tragic today, did not carry the same connotation at that time. The adoption of Poe by the Allans and the harshness of Mr. Allan toward him, although seen, to an extent, like we would see it today, were not viewed as negatively as now. The marriage of Poe to his first cousin would have been seen as commonplace, as would have been his courting habits after her passing. Men were expected to remarry as soon as possible after becoming a widower. After a time though, the hardships Poe has faced begin to show more and more. He does begin to drink more heavily and he seems to become more paranoid and depressed, with his mysterious death becoming the culmination of this downward spiral. Was this a true representation of Poe at the end of his life, or was this just another exercise in perception, designed by a masters hand? This is a mystery that Dupin himself could not solve. Edgar would have loved the irony.

Works Cited "Edgar Allan Poe (biography)." Trans. Array American Literature Volume I. William E. Cain. New York: Pearson Longman, 2004. 786-787. Print. Panati, Charles. Panati's Extraordinary Endings of Practically Everything and Everybody. 1st. New York: Harper and Row, 1989. 392-394. Print. Poe, Edgar A.. "The Purloined Letter." Trans. ArrayAmerican Literature Volume I. William E. Cain. New York: Pearson Longman, 2004. 814-830. Print. Poe , Edgar A. . "The Fall of the House of Usher." Trans. Array American Literature Volume I. William E. Cain. New York: Pearson Longman, 2004. 793-809. Print. Poe, Edgar A. "A Few Words on Etiquette." Gode'ys Lad'ys Book. 1846: 87-88. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. <www.eapoe.org>. Poe, Edgar A. "Harper's Ferry." Graham's Magazine. 1842: 73. Web. 8 Nov. 2012. <www.eapoe.org>.