Edgar Allen Poe's Gothic Literature

Edgar Allen Poe is one of the most influential authors of gothic literature. His short stories leave readers with a sense of uneasiness. This uneasiness is due to his vivid descriptions of horrifying, supernatural and psychological stories. Poe had a different feel for gothic literature and expressed it through his writings.

Gothic literature has elements that set it apart: the setting should take place near some sort of castle. In modern gothic stories the castles are transformed into large, old houses or mansions. The setting should also seem gloomy: rain, storms, etc. The tone and the felling of the story should be mysterious—resulting in suspense and fear. The setting of the story can also be based on or about an ancient prophecy. This gives the story more mystery, influencing readers to ask as to why this legend exists.

There can also be a character that sees prophecies or has omens that hint at what might happen. For example, in Sherlock Holmes, ravens are omens for a future death. Supernatural events are a must: having events that cannot be explained gives the story a more frightening setting. Supernatural beings—ghosts, ghouls, monsters—are so unusual, it easily frightens readers. Emotions are abundant in the characters to the point that it may overwhelm readers: overwhelming emotions influences readers to feel similar emotions, engulfing themselves in the characters plight. The vocabulary should also be complex enough to pin point a specific emotion, feeling, and image.

Poe did this and more . . . Poe used psychological thought processes as part of his stories. Characters usually think about their surroundings and themselves. One character may seem insane, while others seem confused. Readers begin to think about the possible motives and reasons for events and actions connected to a single person. This not only frightens readers because of the images but also scares them at the psychological level. Readers’ thinking and analysis of the stories frighten them because there is no clear answer to any question that arises from reading Edgar Allen Poe’s short stories and poems.

Poe’s stories also do not end with a satisfactory, happy ending—rather the end is usually gruesome, unnerving, surprising and never seems to give the reader closure. Poe wants to veer away from ideals of transcendentalism: his characters are usually evil and never innately good. The setting—castles, storms, dark nights—the intense expression of emotions—anger, madness, sorrow—and the overpowering, psychological characters—murderers, desperate victims—all make up the deadly and horrifying stories written by Edgar Allen Poe.  

Vanessa and Ivan