02-09-2016, 04:48 AM
There are two pieces of fiction that I've read aloud to my class over the years that have generated incredibly insightful discussion. The first is The Little Prince, for obvious reasons. The second is The Telltale Heart. It *must* be read aloud, because the sonic quality of his language is a significant part of the story's impact. The metaphor is rich and astonishingly universal for something so bizarre. My class is full of kids whose parents have never read to them and who wouldn't pick up a book except to beat someone with, but every one of them ends up seeking out more Poe.
I think it's unfortunate that he's attracted a rather disturbingly surface-level fan club, much like Sylvia Plath's; these groupies just see the darkness and think themselves enlightened. They seem to believe it justifies their view of the world as being full of nasty people who are out to get them because it just doesn't understand how deep they are.
Poe's personal life wasn't admirable, but writers are traditionally shitheads anyway, just with varying vices. I am not a Poe devotee, but his place is well-deserved in the canon.
I think it's unfortunate that he's attracted a rather disturbingly surface-level fan club, much like Sylvia Plath's; these groupies just see the darkness and think themselves enlightened. They seem to believe it justifies their view of the world as being full of nasty people who are out to get them because it just doesn't understand how deep they are.
Poe's personal life wasn't admirable, but writers are traditionally shitheads anyway, just with varying vices. I am not a Poe devotee, but his place is well-deserved in the canon.