Edgar Allen Poe - Lenore

[Prunepicker]

Are there any EAP devotees on OKC Talk.

Please, don't Google. I say that because I'd rather discuss this with those
familiar with the literature.

Here's my question:

What is your opinion of the protagonist Guy de Vere? Why doesn't he cry for Lenore?

[ljbab728]

Your are really reaching for topics here, pp. Good luck to you. I'm much more interested in why Cordelia left to marry the king of France before she gets hung in prison and why KIng Lear's daughters have such a dysfunctional life. Why should he play his daughters against each other? Why did Goneril poison Regan before killing herself? Those are the real mysteries of literature. Any ideas from those who are familiar with literature without going to Google? And who was the best Lear? Olivier, McKellan, Plummer?

[kevinpate]

You folk are way too deep for me for this time in the morning. My congested head is more at the who'll stop the rain level.

[ljbab728]

You folk are way too deep for me for this time in the morning. My congested head is more at the who'll stop the rain level.

Kevin, in that case you're allowed to use Google.

[Tritone]

Neat stuff. I'm envious of you folks that know your literature. It's the weakest spot in my education. I know, I know, I can do something about that and maybe I will. Again, good for you!

[Prunepicker]

Neat stuff. I'm envious of you folks that know your literature. It's the weakest spot in
my education. I know, I know, I can do something about that and maybe I will. Again,
good for you!

I liked it and still do. Having teachers who knew how to teach Lit made a good
impression.

[jerrywall]

I felt that Poe was obsessed with death and he has a common theme across his works which seem to long for the eventual happy reunion in the afterlife. So therefore mourning would make less sense than actually celebration death.

[poe]

Love Poe. Love the mystery of the Poe Toaster more.

[Prunepicker]

I felt that Poe was obsessed with death and he has a common theme across his
works which seem to long for the eventual happy reunion in the afterlife. So therefore
mourning would make less sense than actually celebration death.

No doubt. I think that his writing about death were attempts to deal with dying by
by facing it. I don't know.

[Prunepicker]

Love Poe. Love the mystery of the Poe Toaster more.

I can't help but believe there's been more than one toaster since it's been going on
for decades.

[RadicalModerate]

The Pit and the Pendulum . . . The Fall of the House of Usher . . . The Purloined Letter . . . The Masque of the Red Death . . . The Cask of Amtillado (sp?) . . . The Tell-Tale Heart. Had the Classics Illustrated Version of all these, plus actually read the stories in actual book form without illustrations. Still . . . I must admit that when I read "Poe Toaster" I actually thought it was something involved in toasting bread, bagels, whatever. Until I Googled it and realized that I'd actually heard of The Poe Toaster before. Just not by that name. I think Poe drank far too much Absinthe. (wasn't he the Absinthe-Drinking Dude?)

[Prunepicker]

The Pit and the Pendulum . . . The Fall of the House of Usher . . . The Purloined Letter . . .
The Masque of the Red Death . . . The Cask of Amtillado (sp?) . . . The Tell-Tale
Heart.

The Cask of Amontillado is one of my all time faves.

Had the Classics Illustrated Version of all these, plus actually read the stories in actual
book form without illustrations. Still . . . I must admit that when I read "Poe Toaster" I
actually thought it was something involved in toasting bread, bagels, whatever. Until I
Googled it and realized that I'd actually heard of The Poe Toaster before. Just not
by that name. I think Poe drank far too much Absinthe. (wasn't he the Absinthe-Drinking
Dude?)

Here's something from the Poe Society.
Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore - General Topics - Edgar Allan Poe, Drugs, and Alcohol

[RadicalModerate]

That was a very interesting article. It's amazing how much we accept as truth is nothing but legend and rumor. (Of course, The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore may have an agenda of their own to tidy up history . . . =) Still, with all of the contemporary accounts, it was, as I said, interesting reading.

[Jim Kyle]

That was a very interesting article. It's amazing how much we accept as truth is nothing but legend and rumor. (Of course, The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore may have an agenda of their own to tidy up history . . . =) Still, with all of the contemporary accounts, it was, as I said, interesting reading.

Indeed!

I must agree with the Society that his writings could never have been produced while intoxicated. The man had a magnificent command of language, and is generally credited with inventing not only the "short story" as it exists today, but the whole concept of a "mystery story" in which the reader gets all the clues and is challenged to discover the culprit before the fictional detective does so.

[Prunepicker]

Indeed!

I must agree with the Society that his writings could never have been produced while
intoxicated. The man had a magnificent command of language, and is generally
credited with inventing not only the "short story" as it exists today, but the whole
concept of a "mystery story" in which the reader gets all the clues and is challenged
to discover the culprit before the fictional detective does so.

Jim,
I agree and disagree. Many artists have created under a "stimulated" state of mind.
Many of the greatest musicians of the 50's and 60's were abusers of drugs.

Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastic was (supposedly) inspired by opium use. I
was taught that in Music Appreciation. It's a masterpiece and an incredibly
difficult piece to perform while sober. LOL I've had the opportunity to perform
this piece. I'm a Leonard Bernstein fan. He was a marvel.

Leonard Berstein Sypmphonie Fantastic Review

The above site that provides other musical pieces that were (supposedly) inspired
by drug or alcohol use.

I don't believe drug/alcohol abuse hinders the composer/writer. Although I'm
very much opposed to drug/alcohol use. My being opposed to it really means
very little if not anything.

[Jim Kyle]

Perhaps I'm quibbling, but I distinguish between "inspiration" and "creation" and especially so in Poe's case. His mind had to be absolutely clear to create his works, but his imagination could well have been inspired by chemical means. During his final years, I became a fan -- possibly the only one remaining -- of a man quite well known in local music circles who, to put it bluntly, drank himself to death. During the couple of years that I got to know him, he had managed to escape his alcoholism, but it finally took over and made him unable to perform. I consider such happenings to be quite tragic, despite knowing that as you say many of the greatest musicians of the 50s and 60s were habitual abusers. I'm left wondering what they might have accomplished without such "assistance."

[Dubya61]

It's a masterpiece and an incredibly difficult piece to perform while sober.

J.S. Bach's works are incredibly difficult, too, but I don't attribute that to chemical stimulation. I just think he had incredibly high expectations for performing artists.

[Prunepicker]

J.S. Bach's works are incredibly difficult, too, but I don't attribute that to
chemical stimulation. I just think he had incredibly high expectations for
performing artists.

J.S. Bach was straight as an arrow. The man wrote a cantata a week and
had time to write a ton of music. Bach was the culminator of the Baroque
period. That means he wrote within the "rules" of the period. I introduce
Bach to my bass students as early as possible.

[bandnerd]

My band is performing a piece based on The Raven for contest. It's pretty cool. There are some echoes of some of his other works in there, as well. Fun how you can represent the written word with music.