Death and Occultism

Term Paper # 99268

English > Analysis
Literature > American

Death and Occultism

An analysis of the theme of death in Edgar Allan Poe's "Ulalume" and "The Imp of the Perverse".

1,068 words () | 5 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines Poe's poem "Ulalume" and the short story "The Imp of the Perverse". The paper explains that Poe's life as a writer was steeped in the occult; a human reaction to what we cannot know, to the mysteries that still persist despite the advances of science and knowledge. The paper portrays Poe's characterization of death in these two works.

From the Paper:

"No one who has read Edgar Allan Poe would suggest that the author does not deal in the macabre. Poe's famous writings--such as "The Raven" or "The Cask of Amontillado"--are classic examples of the manifestation of the occult in literature. The occult, contrary to popular misconception, isn't a word that is simply interchangeable with devil worship or witchcraft. The occult references the darker, less rational, side of the human condition. All of man's experiences that escape the ability of science and logic to explain can fall into the realm of the occult (Hart). Thus, Poe's life as a writer was steeped in the occult, as his work routinely dealt with subjects and themes that extended beyond the reach of mortal rationality. In particular, Poe is well known for intimate, if bleak, portrayals of death."

Sample of Sources Used:

Brown, Arthur A. "Death and Telling in Poe's 'The Imp of the Perverse'." Studies in Short Fiction 31.2 (Spring 1994): 197-205.
Hart, Richard H. "The Supernatural in Edgar Allan Poe." E.A. Poe Society of Baltimore. 19 Jan. 1936. 15 Aug. 2006 <http://www.lfhosting.com/eapoe/PAPERS/psblctrs/p119361.htm>.
Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Imp of the Perverse." Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library. 15 Aug. 2006 <http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/PoePerv.html>.
Poe, Edgar Allan. "Ulalume." The Enigma of Poe. Eds. Warren Ober, Paul Burtness, and William Seat. Boston: D.C. Heath and Company, 1960. 10-12.
"Symbol and Sense in Poe's 'Ulalume'." American Literature 35.1 (Mar. 1963): 22-31.