Why does practically EVERY fucking newbie name Poe as a favorite author?

[Apathy's_Child]

Seriously, is there some hidden layer of brilliance in his work that I'm missing? 'Cause the guy did some cool stuff, but let's be honest - he wasn't all THAT.

[Despanan]

Because his stuff is dark and he's required reading in high school.

[Solumina]

The only Poe that was required for me was the Raven and we did that in middle school but yeah I pretty much agree with Desp.

[HumanePain]

Actually only about a third of his writing would be considered "dark". I have read the entire Random House edition of The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe and found a good half of his writing humorous, as it was intended, with the rest in miscellaneous genres. I find it amusing that I too dived into reading him only to discover he had a great sense of humor aligned somewhat with mine. A colleague beyond the grave!
Lionizing is an example of his funny bone.

As is usually the case, the more I read, the more I realize how ignorant I am.

Poe is a definite MUST for any avid reader, but hopefully not just because he is "dark" but because he is entertaining.

[Angelic Dissonance2]

Yeah, Poe rocks. He's interesting. Nobody really touches his unique flavor--some come close, but it's a pretty unique voice he's got. There's only one Poe.

[^^v^^]

I agree with HumanePain, he was a great writer, and wrote of many genres, and had a great sense of humour. I think with goth kids, the only they know of Poe is the darker stuff by him, as that's all most people know. Goths are also suppose to be well read and dark so why wouldn't Poe be an obvious choice. It's like people loving Shakespeare and their favourite story is Romeo and Juliet. It just tells me that haven't actually read the author's work, just a few selected things, normally ones that were selected for them.

Now, when they've taken the time to read Baudelaire in it's original language and do their own translating/understanding instead of some of the bad translations that are given, then they have some brownie points.

[Sinjob]

There are numerous "individuals" at my high school who flaunt in their admiration of Poe thinking they're all so profound.

Then I tell them I read pretty much everything he wrote at age 13.

[Saya]

Originally Posted by HumanePain

Actually only about a third of his writing would be considered "dark". I have read the entire Random House edition of The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe and found a good half of his writing humorous, as it was intended, with the rest in miscellaneous genres. I find it amusing that I too dived into reading him only to discover he had a great sense of humor aligned somewhat with mine. A colleague beyond the grave!
Lionizing is an example of his funny bone.

As is usually the case, the more I read, the more I realize how ignorant I am.

Poe is a definite MUST for any avid reader, but hopefully not just because he is "dark" but because he is entertaining.

And he popularized the detective story! And guessed the answer to Olbers' paradox.

I like him, although I wouldn't list him as my favourite since graduating high school, I will defend his honor to the death, sir.

[Razeal18]

I think his true brilliance lies not with the work itself but the comparison of his work to what kind of man he was. Gambler, drunk, obscene level of oedipus complex. Essentially a depressing human being, but he could still keep his sense of humor and create so much.

[ape descendant]

"The Cask of Amontillado" was a pretty badass story.

[Sir Canvas Corpsey]

Originally Posted by Sinjob

There are numerous "individuals" at my high school who flaunt in their admiration of Poe thinking they're all so profound.

Then I tell them I read pretty much everything he wrote at age 13.

Well aren't you fantastic.

Just because you got a head start on them, doesn't make you special. After all, you don't seem that much more intelligent because of it.

Anyway...


Studying Poe in Literature at Highschool is what got me writing prose and poetry. Thus for a time he was my favourite author.

[Versus]

Originally Posted by Apathy's_Child

Seriously, is there some hidden layer of brilliance in his work that I'm missing? 'Cause the guy did some cool stuff, but let's be honest - he wasn't all THAT.

You might notice that introduction threads are all the same in every regard. People don't seem to realize that they serve as a catalyst for discussion, so when they answer questions as "There are too many to name" or "I don't want to get married" or "I don't miss anything about my childhood," it completely defeats the fucking point.

Anyway. Poe was alright, though I wouldn't say he was particularly inspiring... but I'm not a connoisseur of literature.

[Sinjob]

Originally Posted by Sir Canvas Corpsey

Well aren't you fantastic.

Just because you got a head start on them, doesn't make you special. After all, you don't seem that much more intelligent because of it.

I don't think I'm any smarter or better than any of them, it's just funny. And thanks for the analysis, just where do you gather all that from?

[HumanePain]

Originally Posted by ^^v^^

... It's like people loving Shakespeare and their favourite story is Romeo and Juliet...

Right, so Shakespeare is at the other end: Hamlet was pretty dark and even "Goth" in terms of the plot and people and ghostly background and everything but average people may think it some kind of silly or boring play, not realizing how "Poe like" it is.

[Renatus]

If it helps, my intro deliberately doesn't include a favorite author, a wise bit of foresight on my part as I have discovered over the years.
https://www.gothic.net/boards/showthread.php?t=4644

[Still Jack]

Because they google "gothic authors" ?

[Sir Canvas Corpsey]

Originally Posted by Sinjob

I don't think I'm any smarter or better than any of them, it's just funny. And thanks for the analysis, just where do you gather all that from?

Somewhere between the commenting on how profound they think they are because they admire Poe and how you seem to feel compelled to inform them of how you'd read his stuff so long ago. It gave off such a 'I did this before you therefore I'm better than you' vibe.

In fact the point you make to them is stupid, anyway, it completely disregards their circumstances. It's almost like you're assuming that Poe should be readily appearing in everybody's literary periphery when they're 13 and that anyone who comes across him later, enjoys his work and perhaps even flaunts it is somehow behind the eight-ball and thus comic relief for those of you who read him earlier.

[Saya]

Originally Posted by HumanePain

Right, so Shakespeare is at the other end: Hamlet was pretty dark and even "Goth" in terms of the plot and people and ghostly background and everything but average people may think it some kind of silly or boring play, not realizing how "Poe like" it is.

I think the point was that a lot of people like the idea of Romeo and Juliet, it being hyped as a great romantic tragedy, without regard to how its definitely no where near his best. I always thought the story itself was pretty fucking stupid and not at all romantic. Or rather, Romeo and Juliet are some of the most dense characters ever written about.

Macbeth is my favourite, I think.

[Alan]

Macbeth is the favorite of those who have read enough Shakespeare to go beyond a high school level interpretation of him but not enough to really know anything about his works. It's a more pretentious selection than Romeo and Juliet and personally I haven't found that many people who really claim Romeo and Juliet as their favorite Shakespeare play.
It's also my favorite.

[Saya]

I know tons of people who do, despite my "They were 14! They just met! It was infatuation, not love! Why did she have to fake her death?" protests. And I did Macbeth in high school, written for political favor be damned, it was a lot of fun.

[Versus]

This is the only bit of Shakespeare that I have found and liked a little. I'm just not a fan of the language. I can appreciate his work, but it's just not my cup of tea. It was especially irritating, in school, to see the people that Sinjob and Saya described... the kind that read, and appreciated, only what was fed to them.

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red, than her lips red:
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound:
I grant I never saw a goddess go,
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:
And yet by heaven, I think my love as rare,
As any she belied with false compare.

-

Tired with all these, for restful death I cry,
As to behold desert a beggar born,
And needy nothing trimm'd in jollity,
And purest faith unhappily forsworn,
And gilded honour shamefully misplac'd,
And maiden virtue rudely strumpeted,
And right perfection wrongfully disgrac'd,
And strength by limping sway disabled
And art made tongue-tied by authority,
And folly, doctor-like, controlling skill,
And simple truth miscall'd simplicity,
And captive good attending captain ill:
Tir'd with all these, from these would I be gone,
Save that, to die, I leave my love alone.

[CuckooTuli]

Originally Posted by Saya

I know tons of people who do, despite my "They were 14! They just met! It was infatuation, not love! Why did she have to fake her death?" protests.

I always wondered why she didn't just continue to refuse to marry Paris. Her father duly banishes her, as threatened. She joins Romeo. Everyone's a winner.

[Saya]

Originally Posted by CuckooTuli

I always wondered why she didn't just continue to refuse to marry Paris. Her father duly banishes her, as threatened. She joins Romeo. Everyone's a winner.

Exactly! Its like she went out of her way to find the most difficult solution to her problem.

[CuckooTuli]

Originally Posted by Saya

Exactly! Its like she went out of her way to find the most difficult solution to her problem.

Maybe all those "greatest love story ever told" camp are reading Shakespeare's intentions all wrong. I reckon the guy sat down and was like, "Okay kids, here's how NOT to approach a relationship reasonably and with a modicom of maturity. And just to drive the point home, I'm gonna kill the dipshits for being so fucking annoying."

[Saya]

If only!

Never was there a tale of more woe, my ass. The Jurassic Bark episode of Futurama had more woe in the last two minutes than the whole play wished it had.