Why is Poe considered to be a Dark Romantic? Was it because of his bad habits or his family conditions?

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2000

Answers

Partially it has to do with the tragic details of his life, but probablly more because of the Gothic themes in his work, which other Romantics, Coleridge and Byron in particular, also indulged in.

-- Anonymous, May 11, 2000

Poe lived during the time period known as the "Romantic Age" in american liturature. The "Romantics" were authors who were optomistic, cheerful, and believed in the human race. Poe however believed in quite the opposite, so he is known as a dark romantic

-- Anonymous, May 17, 2000

really romanticism isn't all flowers and cheer as the person about has implied...instead it is very parallel with idealism. Idealism is good and bad and can go both ways, for example, we have an antagonist who is perfect, correct? He is perfectly evil. There is no strain of good in him. he is the ideal villain. Romantisism, as i have learned it, has much to do with extreams. The hero is perfectly good, almost saintly, the villain is exquisitely evil. therefore your definition is invalid!

-- Anonymous, June 24, 2000

Right on Chelsey

-- Anonymous, July 04, 2000

right on ashley! i believe in every syllable that you mentioned.

-- Anonymous, September 12, 2000

I'm writing a paper about the romantic beliefs apperent in Poe's work, in the poem "Annabel Lee" specifically. Some romantic beliefs that Poe made use of were that he believed that emotion/intuition/imagination overruled reason. Also an intrest or idealization of nature, and the supernatural (unexplainable)like the "moon never beams without bring me dreams of the beautiful annabel lee". Another belief is a distrust of city life. Hope I could help somebody!

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2001

Edgar Allan poe is concidered a Dark Romantic not only because he lived in a era where romantisism was in effect, he also used the most intimit, dark, and most imaginable scenarios and images in his writing. This led to a sort of pshycoligical emanation in staraight contact with the reader.

-- Anonymous, September 11, 2002

Poe is a dark romantic for the pure fact that is work is twisted and about lost loves and he is really gay who like little gurls who are related to him.

-- Anonymous, December 17, 2003

You probably need to look up the meaning of gay, darling. although, yes, Poe did marry his younger relative (I want to say cousin, but I'm not entirely sure) that doesn't make him gay. Oscar Wilde, now there is a different story.

Anyway, I believe someone already said this but Poe created the opposite of the Romantic movement - which was a lit movement based on imagination and intuition and opposed the Realist movement. Romantics believed that humans were basically good and that all things happen fro a reason (Realist thought you could change things based on reason and that humans were neither pure nor evil). Poe was a dark romantic, beacuse his writings expressed the darker side of romantic views on human nature.

-- Anonymous, June 12, 2004