Introduction
The period of Early America began before such memorable and meaningful events in the history of America, such as the Civil War and the Wild West. This period refers to the first settlements of Native Americans and appears to be interesting to explore as well. Shortly before the mentioned events, the romantic period of literature was popular, as it conveys the beliefs shared by the population.
For instance, an individual was dominant over a group, emotions over logic, and the subjective over the objective. A significant figure in romanticism was Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), as he manages to create classic detective and phycological prose genres (Poe, 2009). The paper contains three of his life episodes, which reveal the personality and creativity of the writer and may be informative about the mentioned historical period.
Economic Crises
In 1837, economic crises in the United States emerged, which regarded publisher companies as well. A range of newspapers and journals were closed, and mass downsizing of the workforce was conducted (Campbell, 2021a; Campbell, 2021b). Poe had to cope with this challenging situation when he did not have employment for a long time. However, in his case, this fact benefited his creativity considerably, as he could focus only on his literary activity. A range of poems was created by the writer during the period of economic crises: “Ligeia,” “The Devil in the Belfry,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and “William Wilson” (“Poetry Foundation,” n.d.). Composition and poem of this period are predominantly gloomy:
“But evil things, in robes of sorrow,
Assailed the monarch’s high estate;
(Ah, let us mourn, for never morrow
Shall dawn upon him, desolate!)
And, round about his home, the glory
That blushed and bloomed
Is but a dim-remembered story
Of the old time entombed” (Campbell, 2021b, para. 15).
Lack of financial resources for living prompted Poe to search for ways of earning money (“Biography,” n. d.). He managed to conclude his contribution with the “American Museum” journal, which published his works. However, the writer still did not have sufficient sums of money, which stimulated him to start another work. The result of that became him the most commercially successful book on conchology. Moreover, Poe worked for “Lea & Blancard,” which introduced his album “Histories extraordinaries,” which become the beginning of his fame (Poe, 2009). This episode of Poe’s biography illustrates life during crises and how it changed the lifestyles of all people.
Poe’s Wife
A significant figure in Poe’s life was his wife, Virginia Clemm Poe. According to National Park Service (n. d.), “described as having bright eyes, and dark brown hair, Virginia’s face was “always animated and vivacious” (para. 1). The couple was married in 1836 when Poe was 27 years old, and his wife was 14 years younger than him. They were together till her death from tuberculosis in 1834 (“Wife of Author Edgar Allan Poe,” n. d.). This appeared to be a tragedy for the writer, and he could not recover from it fully. Poe wrote: “Kindest—dearest friend—My poor Virginia still lives, although failing fast and now suffering much pain” (Virginia Clemm Poe, n.d., para. 5). He faced a serious emotional burden, which aggravated his health problems as well.
His feelings to his wife are expressed in his poems “Valentine to Her Husband,” “My Little Darling Wife,” “My Poor Virginia Still Lives,” and “Her Life was Despaired of.” These works help understand the perception of love in this period and attitude to a spouse in general. Poe wrote:
“Ever with thee I wish to roam—
Dearest my life is thine.
Give me a cottage for my home
And a rich old cypress vine,
Removed from the world with its sin and care
And the tattling of many tongues” (Virginia Clemm Poe, n.d., para. 3).
Publication of “Raven”
An important stage of Poe’s creativity was the publication of the poem “Raven” on January 29, 1845, in the “New York Evening Mirror.” The work was introduced by Poe at the period of his crowning glory and helped the writer recognition of broad public (Poe, 2021). Poe took the process of creating “Raven” seriously and did his best in order to impress the readers and critics (Poe, 2021). The creator marked that the poem appeared to be an experiment on the way of presenting a work, which will be highly evaluated by critics and ordinary people.
He intended to make “Raven” both interesting for professionals in literature and poetry and easy to understand for the broad public. According to Young (2020), “It’s widely believed that Poe “composed, or at very least, perfected” the poem in New York” (para. 2). There is no precise answer, how much time the writer spent on creating the poem: some researchers assume that it took no more than a week, and others argue that the creating process involves several years (Young, 2020). Poe managed to achieve roaring success after publishing “Raven,” and his work was actively discussed in literary circles. The poem illustrates the beliefs shared by people of Early America and their tastes:
“Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
“Surely,” said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore—
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;—
‘Tis the wind and nothing more!”
Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door—
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door—
Perched, and sat, and nothing more” (Young, 2020, para. 17).
What does Poe teach us about Early America?
Since the beginning of human history, literature appeared to be a mirror of the population and the historical period they live. It reflects the thoughts of people, their beliefs, values, and lifestyle. Consequently, the works of Poe may be helpful for understanding the period of Early America profoundly. For instance, his poem “Raven,” which gained popularity, may convey the tastes of readers and critics at that time. The works devoted to his lovely wife transmit his pure love and sincere feelings, which were important values in Early America. Moreover, his life path and creativity reflect how people cope with economic crises, which regarded every citizen.
References
Biography. (n. d.). The Poe Museum. Web.
Campbell, S. (2021a). The Panic of 1819: America’s first Great Depression. The Economic Historian. Web.
Campbell, S. (2021b). Panic of 1837. The Economic Historian. Web.
Poe, E. A. (2009). E. A. Poe to G. W. Eveleth (January 4, 1848). Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore. Web.
Poe, E. A. (2021). Review of Longfellow’s poems (text-02). Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore. Web.
Poetry Foundation. (n.d.). Edgar Allan Poe. Web.
Virginia Clemm Poe. (n.d.). National Park Service. Web.
Wife of Author Edgar Allan Poe. (n. d.). History of American Women. Web.
Young, G. (2020). “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe was published 175 years ago today. The Bowery Boys: New York City History. Web.