After reading Oscar Wilde’s, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), I was struck by how much his theme about the value of art resembled the one found in Poe’s 1842 short fictional work, “The Oval Portrait.” Both stories focus on the relationship between the artist, his subject, and the viewer, or, in the case of literature, the reader. In Poe’s story, the young artist is driven to paint the ultimate portrait of his beautiful new wife. His goal was to produce a masterpiece that would portray a symbol of youth and vitality that would last an eternity. Poe writes, “As a thing of art, nothing ...
literature
The Critic Who Burned “Fairy-Land”
Editor Nathaniel Parker Willis once burned a manuscript of Poe's "Fairy-Land." That seems like pretty harsh treatment from a literary editor; and we wonder why such atmospheric lines as "Dim vales-and shadowy floods- / And cloudy-looking woods" might receive such severe critical feedback? The answer lies in comparing the poem we commonly know with its alternative publishing in Poe's anthology of poems in 1831.
It was no secret that Poe was always at work altering lines and switching words-"Fairy-Land" was no exception.
Our readers may be familiar with the classic verse, which reads,
Dim ...
Poe Scholar Decodes Poe’s Gold-Bug
Poe was much more than the Master of the Macabre. He was also the Master of Mystery, the inventor of detective fiction, and an avid cryptographer who introduced puzzles and codes into his poems and short stories. His short story “The Gold-Bug” features an encrypted treasure map and a search for clues and codes that set the standard for such popular films as National Treasure and The Da Vinci Code. This spring the Poe Museum planted a new Gold-Bug Garden modeled after this setting of this important story. In honor of the opening of the new Gold-Bug Garden at the Poe Museum in Richmond, on ...
Did Poe Really Say That?
There are many popular Poe quotes circulating the Internet, quotes that are even printed on merchandise. Unfortunately, a majority of Poe quotes are falsely attributed to the literary genius. Some quotes are so bad Poe would be rolling in his grave! Take a look at our list and see which quotes you recognize as being falsely attributed to Poe.
1) “I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat.” This is, frustratingly, one of the most misattributed quotes. If you look at the context, the grammar, the style of the quote, it most definitely is not “Poe-esque.”
2) “Believe only half of what you see ...
