One of the greatest writers of mystery and horror is Edgar Allan Poe. Despite having a short and miserable life, he left us with exceptional writing. Some of his well known literary works include “The Raven”, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”, and many more. His extraordinary works are a great inspiration to the writers and the readers. In fact, it paved a way for the introduction of modern detective stories. Today, his legacy lives on through Edgar Allan Poe quotes.
Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7, 1849 at a young age of 40. He suffered from depression and alcoholism after his wife and parents died. Writing poems has helped him a lot since it can keep him sober. Some of the best Edgar Allan Poe quotes arose from these works. Let’s check out a few of our favorites.
Edgar Allan Poe writes about the dark world. He has his own creative way of writing which inspired several writers of today. Edgar Allan Poe quotes are actually taken from his most notable poems.
Who was Edgar Allan Poe?
Edgar Allan Poe was considered as one of the most prominent and influential American writers during the 19th century. He was the first writer who earned a living through writing. Most often he wrote about the different circ*mstances that happened around him. The literary works of Edgar Allan Poe are filled with mysteries hidden in the darkness. Ironically, his death on October 7, 1849 was also a huge mystery. The cause of his death remained to be an enigma up to this day. Poe seemed to be delirious when he was discovered by Joseph W. Walker in Baltimore, Maryland. He was immediately brought to the hospital and later died.
What made Edgar Allan Poe unique?
Among other writers, Edgar Allan Poe has his own unique mysterious way of writing. His works are filled with emotion, horror, and drama. Poe’s favorite subjects are either death, lost love or a combination of the two.
What can we glean from Edgar Allan Poe quotes?
Edgar Allan Poe quotes enable us to unfold the different mysteries that surround our life. Poe experienced several tragic events in his life. His father abandoned their family, while his mother died of drinking. His brother also died from alcoholism. When Poe was 38 years old, his wife died of tuberculosis. Indeed, Poe’s life was filled with so much tragedy. All of these sufferings became his greatest inspiration in creating the best poems.
Edgar Allan Poe is highly recognized for his extraordinary imagination when it comes to creating short stories and poems. That is why, he was known as one of the greatest authors in the American history. Edgar Allan Poe quotes cover a lot of subjects which includes death, sadness, love, and issues that involve heavy emotions. There’s no doubt, Edgar Allan Poe remains to be one of the finest writers that ever lived. In fact, his literary works including his mystical Edgar Allan Poe quotes are still well known today.
1. “And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all.”
This is one the best Edgar Allan Poe quotes that deals with death. This proverb from “The Masque of the Red Death” talks about the death of Prince Prospero as well as his numerous knights and dames. When it comes to his real life, Poe himself has experienced darkness, decay, and death a lot of times. He lost a couple members of his family including his beloved wife who died of tuberculosis.
This is the ultimate ending of the story. Quite an interesting line to end a story, right? At the start of the story, the presence of Red Death is found in every corner of Prospero’s kingdom. As a result, Prospero decided to make his own place in order to escape from death. Life continues even for the drunken and unscrupulous people. In this place, they can live without fear. In fact, this is considered as the last refuge for mankind. Unfortunately, even in this new place, Prospero was not able to evade death. This only proves that death holds no boundaries.
Hence, the ending of the story shows how foolish Prospero and his friends were. They think they can avoid death, however they did not realize that they could never escape from death. The reality is death is inevitable. It seems that their attempt from the very beginning was destined to fail. Perhaps this is what Prospero deserved for abandoning his people especially during those challenging moments when they needed him the most. If we perceive Prospero to be an artist, then the ending only conveys that he is attempting to create a perfect world where he has the power to control. Nevertheless, this is being condemned by human mortality.
2. “All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.”
This particular line is taken from Edgar Allan Poe’s short poem entitled, “A Dream Within A Dream.” In this literary work, Poe is questioning the human existence and essence of reality. It seems that the basic concepts of reality is not as they appear to be. Is life composed of fanciful circ*mstances that we try to invent? Are we actually living in a make-believe world created by God? Time passes by and there’s nothing we can do to control it. Our thoughts, emotions, and knowledge cannot in any way influence the concept of life. Poe believed that our life is comprised of various experiences created by our innermost thoughts.
Does our dreams exist inside a divine dream? In this poem, “A Dream Within A Dream”, Poe revealed that some people are living in a dream. It seems that they don’t want to live in the real world. Although, some of these dreamers may be conceived as idealists. No matter how we live our life, there is always hope.
The entire poem talks about the mystery of human existence. The question is can people actually control everything they see and do in the real world? Or would they rather choose to live in a dreamlike world?
The first part of the poem describes the parting of two people. In these lines, Poe reflect on his own misery when he lost his wife and left him in delirious. It deals about losing someone and letting go of your love. Does this imply that it does not really matter if you have an unfulfilled life since life is just a fantasy? Edgar Allan Poe quotes are full of mystery.
3. “I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.”
Are you feeling delirious today? Does this describe how you are feeling today? You can never comprehend depression unless you’ve actually feel it. Although, it actually occurs when a person feel too much sadness, but somehow this is just a part of it. This is just how people portrays it, but in reality it goes deeper. People who are depressed sometimes feel that they are worlds away. They can’t feel anything, yet there are times that they do not have any emotions.
Each person is filled with emotions which can arise in all types of relationships whether its friendship or romantic. It is the certain feeling that you feel when you love, hate, enjoy, or get motivated. When someone feels depressed, they think about the things that they’ve taken for granted. And it is during these moments that you feel insane. It seems that there’s nothing sane that exists within yourself. You will feel furious, frustrated, and other types of emotions.
Becoming insane gives you a feeling of unbearable sadness. It feels like all your energy has been drained and there is an emptiness inside you. Your mind is entirely blank and you don’t want to do anything or see other people. Feeling lonely can be awfully bad. The worst is when you get frustrated towards yourself. This can definitely drove you insane.
You illness can make you feel insane, but soon it will be gone. Although it hurts as you look back but the most important thing is you are still here today. Hold on to this hope and don’t let depression grab it away from you.
4. “We loved with a love that was more than love.”
This is one of the most immortal Edgar Allan Poe quotes that is part of the love poem “Annabel Lee”. It talks about the deep love of the speaker towards Annabel Lee. It is a kind of love that is eternal and genuine. If you will read the entire poem, then you might find that it is quite intricate that it seems to be. For instance, part of the poem reveals that the cause of Annabel Lee’s death is the envy of their love. The speaker reiterates that the angels killed Annabel Lee by sending the wind from the cloud. This is found in the fourth stanza which reads,
“The angels, not half so happy in heaven, Went envying her and me–Yes!–that was the reason (as all men know, In this kingdom by the sea)That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.”
It seems that the reliability of the speaker is being questioned here. Also, the entire poem implies that the speaker is very possessive of Annabel Lee. For instance, “ I was a child and she was a child”, “Coveted her and me.”, “And bore her away from me”, and a lot more. Keep in mind that too much possessiveness can result to absolute control of the person. It’s seems as if Annabel Lee’s existence has been wiped out,
“And this maiden she lived with no other thought, Than to love and be loved by me”
The speaker arrogantly proclaimed his love to Annabel Lee by saying, “But we loved with a love that was more than love–”. Perhaps a love that is more than “love”, is not considered as “love” anymore.
5. “Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears.”
Throughout his entire life, Edgar Allan Poe was deeply moved by the splendid beauty of a woman. He does not only focus on the beauty of woman, but goes beyond. This can be perceived from one of the greatest Edgar Allan Poe quotes, “Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears.” This incredible passage is taken from “The Philosophy of Composition”. Not only does he admired a woman’s beauty, but he was also moved to tears. But what kind of woman’s beauty can actually bring him to tears?
One of the most well known Edgar Allan Poe quotes on this same article states that, “I asked myself-‘Of all melancholy topics, what, according to the universal understanding of mankind, is the most melancholy’? Death-was the obvious reply. ‘And when,’ I said, ‘is this most melancholy of topics most poetical?’ From what I have already explained at some length, the answer, here also, is obvious-‘When it most closely allies itself to Beauty : the death, then, of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world…”
It is quite obvious from this passage that Poe recognized beauty through death, and at the same time, he also recognized death through beauty. Most often he was moved by the beauty of a woman, to the point that is can bring him to tears. From this point of view, we can confirm that indeed Poe does not only admire their physical beauty but rather these women provided him with inspiration in his literary works. Edgar Allan Poe quotes are inspired by the beauty of women.
6. “If you wish to forget anything on the spot, make a note that this thing is to be remembered.”
This is probably one of the most hilarious Edgar Allan Poe quotes that seems to be true. What do you usually do if there is something that you don’t want to forget? Most probably you would write it down so there’s no need of remembering it over and over again. However, after writing it down, you must also remember where you put that piece of paper. Aside from using a piece of paper, you can also use a planner, notebook, or diary. You can also save it on your cell phone, tablet, laptop, or computer.
Why should we wrote down reminders? Do you always forget things? Some people are good at remembering things while others are not. Reminders will help us remember some of the important things that we need to do and when to do it. Can you rely on your brain to remember all the important things that you need to do as well as the important dates in your life? Can you remember all the details of your meeting even if you do not write it down. Writing down reminders can help us remember all the necessary things in our life.
Reminders can help you keep track of the things that you should be doing. Using social media apps can help you keep track of birthdays, anniversaries, appointments, and other important dates. If you don’t want to write down reminders, then you can save them on your computer, laptop, tablet, or cell phone. Choose which one works best for you.
7. “And, Guy de Vere, hast thou no tear? – weep now or never more!”
This is the question that the narrator asked Guy de Vere. Lenore’s sudden death was tragic and Guy de Vere should feel sad about it since he loves her so much. Nevertheless, de Vere did not grieve at all. Does this mean that he did not love her at all? Well, de Vere did not grieve at all because he has a different understanding of death. His interpretation of death contradicts to what the narrator believes. The narrator believes that de Vere is frigid since he did not cry at all. That is why, he directs him to look at Lenore so he will shed a tear. However, De Vere still remains quite and insolent.
Guy de Vere did not weep because he believes that when a person dies he will go to Heaven. De Vere understands that he will be seeing Lenore again after his death. Moreover, life after death is one of Poe’s favorite subjects in his poems and short stories. However, this is contradictory of what happened in “The Raven” wherein a woman named Lenore also died. But it has an opposite concept of Heaven and life after death.
One of Lenore’s mourner praised her for being pious and criticized de Vere for not grieving. On the other hand, de Vere also alleged that Lenore’s mourner and friends are hypocrites since they only love Lenore for her wealth. De Vere is furious over Lenore’s death since he was not able to marry her before she died. But he will not mourn rather he will rejoice because Lenore is now in heaven with God.
8. “The true genius shudders at incompleteness — imperfection — and usually prefers silence to saying the something which is not everything that should be said.”
Most people believe that introverts are shy. Fear prevents them from being known in the world. But this is absolutely not true. A quiet person has his purpose. He knows his place in this world. This person does not want to trouble anyone. Although, he does not talk a lot, yet when he talks everyone is interested in listening to what he says. Despite having a soft voice, the words that he used are very powerful. He makes sure that he has a purpose every time he speaks. But considers listening to the quiet ones because he believes that they are telling the truth.
Sometimes the truth can only be found in a quiet place. A quiet person would prefer to live in a quiet place since it is harmonious and nurturing. Living in solitude will make you discover the truth and ponder upon them. It calms your heart and nurtures your soul. A quiet place is the best place for anyone.
We should not judge the quiet ones for their lack of appeal yet we should learn from them. When it comes to searching for truth, knowledge, and peace, they are fearless. Although, they seldom talk yet they have open hearts. They always ensure that their voice will be heard by everyone. However, they feel cautious when someone starts to get close to them. A quiet place is the best place for listening and contemplating. The quiet ones are the ones who has the greatest minds. This includes great writers, poets, and artists.
9. “And so being young and dipped in folly I fell in love with melancholy.”
What makes sadness so fascinating? Sometimes when we see a sad person we always wonder what makes them sad. We try to understand their suffering. Sadness itself is a great mystery however, there is also some beauty in it. What is really the cause of sadness? Sadness does exist but it seems that it has no real cause. It is an inevitable darkness that can only be seen and felt by you. It keeps you away from the rest of the world. Sadness makes us feel anxious and it keeps taunting us. You can see it in everyone’s eyes and feel it wherever you go. It steals everything away from you.
Although, sadness hurts yet we cannot feel anything. For every moment of happiness, there’s also pain. Just like any other beautiful things, sadness does not exist forever. Since if it does, then there won’t be any beauty in it after all.
Edgar Allan Poe was well known for his dark and ghastly writing. And ironically, he also died in a very mysterious way at the age of 40. His strange death remained an unsolved mystery. Edgar Allan Poe’s body was discovered in a Baltimore gutter, but some people say that it was in a park bench. He was brought to the hospital but perished four days later. There are several theories regarding his death. Perhaps he died of alcoholism, heart disease, drug overdose, or any other type of illness. Regardless what it is, we will never know.
10. “Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.”
The words that the writers usually use in their works originate from their basic principles, morals, and other elements. Consequently, they are influenced by the principles and morals of the people around them. In this quote, Poe is trying to imply that genuine writing can be deceiving since it comes from the suffering, desolation, and confusion from this world that we live in.
This is one of the most memorable Edgar Allan Poe quotes from his famous poem, ‘The Raven’. An extremely captivating and thought-provoking narrative poem from Poe. It was published in January 1845 and is probably one of the greatest masterpieces ever made by Poe. All throughout this poem, you might observed that he used his personal conflicts as will as other imagery elements in order to resolve the inexplicable. The characteristics of the man in the poem is quite the same with the author. He is depressed, bizarre, and perhaps a bit mad about the things that happened to him. What makes this piece unique is that it shows Poe’s misery. A horror poem that haunts the readers.
Overall, “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe is quite an intriguing piece of poetry. By making use of imagery, the readers were greatly captivated by the details of the poem. It seems like they are sitting in the same room with Poe. Since he also used suspense, then it makes the poem darker and malevolent. Afterall, Poe’s main reason for writing this poem is to reveal his personal conflict. He believed that writing won’t hurt you. Poe revealed, “If a poem hasn’t ripped apart your soul; you haven’t experienced poetry.”
Sometimes reading Edgar Allan Poe quotes can make you feel strange since it involves delusion and death. These are dark subjects which most people are trying to avoid. But having an excellent writer like Edgar Allan Poe write about these subjects can make it less fearsome. In fact, he made it seem mysterious. Truly such a great legacy that Poe left for us.
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Anna Parsons
Anna works as a full-time writer and editor and has devoted the last ten years of her career to assisting readers in improving their perspective on life. She is a Cultural Studies graduate and now contributes to Good Morning Quotes by sharing her traveling experiences and social knowledge with our readers. When she is not typing up her next article, Anna enjoys spending time with friends, visiting new places, and supporting a healthy lifestyle.
