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American Literature: Romanticism research assignment Student Research Submissions 2015 Research Post 2 |
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Niki
Bippen
Many horror writers and film directors attribute both their success and
influence to Edgar Allan Poe. After
all, he is considered the father of horror, so it comes as no surprise to see his
influence lingering around modern works. Lovecraft
acknowledges Poe’s influence when he writes,
“Subsequent
writers may have produced greater single tales than his; but again we must
comprehend that it was only he who taught them by example and precept the art
which they, having the way cleared for them and given an explicit guide, were
perhaps able to carry to greater lengths… To [Poe] we owe the modern
horror-story in its final and perfected state” (Lovecraft, “Supernatural Horror
in Literature”).
Essentially, Lovecraft became a master of horror thanks in part to Poe, who
first introduced his audience to the dark, haunting, captivating world of
horror. This world fascinated Lovecraft who like Poe was incredibly
interested in haunted houses as well as haunted minds, the macabre, gothic
settings, blood, and anything that created an uneasy sensation in the reader.
Both men used the concept of a haunted mind in many of their tales (Poe’s
“Tell-Tale Heart” and Poe’s “Dreams in the Witch-House”) to provide their
readers with a fresh take on the haunted setting. “Today, Lovecraft is
commonly regarded as the greatest American horror writer of the 20th
century, and his only real rival in any century is Edgar Allan Poe. (The
jury is out on Stephen King.)” (Miller, “Master of Modern Horror”). Both
Poe and Lovecraft understood that the haunted house was overdone in a sense so
they latched onto the concept of the mind being overrun with ghosts.
Because of this deep understanding of the gothic and horror, both Poe and
Lovecraft are considered to be at the top of their class in regards to scary
stories.
In some of Poe’s stories, he writes about “a sort of magic dreamland akin to
childhood . . . [And later] Lovecraft explored this theme” (Allen, “Recommended: H.P.
Lovecraft”). A lot of Lovecraft’s
works like “Dreams in the Witch-House” and “The Tomb” are similar in nature to
Poe and heavily reminiscent of his style.
Both of these works are readable, to the point, and take place in a
haunted environment, which is definitely Poesque in nature.
Both authors also tend to incorporate fantasy elements into their works,
which is to say that they add unrealistic elements and the impossible into their
works to create an even darker, more haunting piece of literature.
Rats also tend to appear frequently throughout both men’s works.
When it comes to differences, their professional lives varied immensely.
While both were incredibly eccentric and loners, Poe did enjoy a moderate
amount of success in his life and worked hard for literary fame.
Lovecraft, on the other hand, remained just out of arm’s reach of
success. “Lovecraft, similar in
temperament to Poe, was most unlike him professionally; in fact, he remained a
determined amateur” and in fact “his whole career seems an effective protest . .
.
against genuine scholarship and against literary craftsmanship” (Farber,
“Poesque Doodles”). In other words,
both men started on the same path but along the way Lovecraft fell off and took
a tumble through the brush into near obscurity.
Another clear difference is the fact that Lovecraft tends to rely on fantastical
demons and monsters, whereas Poe tends to personify ideas or use men to carry out
wicked deeds. In the case of Poe,
we have the personified Red Death as well as the guilty mind in the “Tell-Tale
Heart.” Lovecraft on the other
hand presents us with Cthulhu, The Crawling Chaos, and others in an effort to
give his readers a true sense of terror.
While Poe may never reveal the true culprit behind the devious acts in
his stories, we are rarely led to believe that other-worldly forces and
creatures are responsible. The
exact opposite is true of most of Lovecraft’s works; it is almost always some
form of demon or monster.
In short, it is clear that Edgar Allan Poe heavily influenced H.P. Lovecraft’s
works. Lovecraft even went as far
as to call Poe “his God of Fiction” (Allen, “Recommended: H.P. Lovecraft).
While both men were similar in personality, preferring to be loners, Poe
strived for literary success and altered his works accordingly to achieve it.
Lovecraft on the other hand, remained the eternal amateur fiercely
devoted to his craft and mechanics regardless of the criticism it received. In
regards to their similarities, both Poe and Lovecraft share a love of the
gothic, sublime, horror, and haunted houses/minds.
All of these themes link them together seamlessly and help keep Poe’s
legacy alive within Lovecraft’s works.
Works Cited
Allen, Lanny Van. "Recommended: H.P. Lovecraft." The English Journal 75.4
(1986): 73-74.
Farber, Marjorie. "Poesque Doodles." New York Times Book Review (25 Feb.
1945): 16. Rpt. in Literature Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 2015.
Literature Resource Center. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.
Lovecraft, H.P. ""Supernatural Horror in Literature" by H. P. Lovecraft."
"Supernatural Horror in Literature" by H. P. Lovecraft. 20 Oct. 2009. Web.
23 Feb. 2015.
http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/essays/shil.aspx.
Miller, John J. "Master of modern horror." Claremont Review of Books Spring 2014: 64+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.
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