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That Dupin was a precursor to Sherlock Holmes and other
latter-day detectives becomes clear when we find he often has a
companion who acts like a sounding board for his various
observation-based theories. The imagination of the creators of
subsequent fictional detectives appears to be touched by such
qualities of Dupin’s as his contempt for the local police and
their methods; his eccentricity and preference for solitude with
only one person as companion; and his ability to easily discover
the clues that others can’t even recognise. Of course, after
the murder, he loves to expand on the case with emphasis on its
uniqueness and the methods employed by him to solve it. In other
words, Dupin is almost the psychological profile, or prototype,
on which several other, if not all, fictional detectives are
based.
Poe certainly
deserved the title ‘the father of the detective story’. Some
famous examples of his detective fiction are The Gold Bug
(1843), which tells the tale of a treasure hunt, The Murders
in the Rue Morgue (1841), The Mystery of Marie Rogêt
(1842-1843), and The Purloined Letter (1844) that are
regarded as forerunners of the modern mystery, or detective
story. Many of his plots reveal peerless grotesque ingenuity and
magnificently imaginative plot construction. Among his renowned
tales The Pit and the Pendulum (1842) tells a
spine-tingling tale of cruelty and torture, The Tell-Tale
Heart (1843) has a demented murderer who is psyched into
confessing his guilt, in The Fall of the House of Usher
(1839), concentrated murkiness of the atmosphere is accentuated
by the scenario and characterization, and The Cask of
Amontillado (1846) is an eerie tale of revenge.
Among his
memorable poems are The Bells (1849) known for
exceptional orchestration of rhythm and sound, making the poem
echo with metallic resonation, The Raven (1845) confounds
the poet and the reader alike with melancholy and omens of
death, and The Sleeper (1831), which portrays the state
of ennui. Lenore (1831) and Annabel Lee (1849) are
compositions that mourn the death of a beautiful young woman.
His poetry corpus shows the influence of the Romantic concern
with the occult and the satanic. The cadence of some of his
poems dwelling on haunting themes is impeccable.
In the course of
his editorial work, Poe functioned largely as a book reviewer,
producing a notable collection of criticism in the process. His
essays were famous for their sarcasm, wit, and exposure of
literary dishonesty. His assessments have withstood the test of
time and earned for him a high place among American literary
critics. Poe’s theories on the nature of fiction and, in
particular, his writings on the short story have had a lasting
influence on American and European writers.
Born in Boston on
January 19, 1809, his was a turbulent life. Orphaned when he was
just a toddler, he was adopted by a rich businessman named John
Allan. He was barely six when his foster parents took him to
England where he studied in a private school. He returned to the
USA in 1820 and studied in the University of Virginia after
completing school.
In 1827 he was
forced to work as a clerk as his foster father refused to foot
the bills incurred by him on drinking and gambling. Dissatisfied
with the job he left Richmond for Boston where he anonymously
published his first book of poems titled Tamerlane and Other
Poems (1827). Thereafter he joined the US army for two
years. In 1829 he published another book named Al Aaraaf.
This was also the year when he made up with his adoptive parent
who got him into the US Military Academy. But shortly thereafter
he was thrown out on disciplinary grounds. His third book titled
Poems was published in 1831. Thereafter he moved to
Baltimore where he worked as editor for various publications.
His marital life
was unhappy, as his wife remained perpetually sick. He died on
October 7, 1849. The gifted invariably die young.
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