The Question Of Poe’s Narrators

The Question Of Poe’s Narrators

            The critics of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories are impatient with what they term as cheap or rather embarrassing style that he uses which is the gothic style. Most of these critics do not recognize him as a serious writer as they find his work full of turgidity, poetic overemphasis and hysteria. Lowell’s flashy and Henry James both agree that Poe’s work is a showcase of a primitive stage of reflection. In fact T.S Elliot considers Poe as a young person that is gifted and at puberty. Ivor Winters holds condemnation of his incoherence puelity as well as histrionics in the style that he uses. Huxley’s sees Poe’s work as that which suffers from vulgarity of spirit and at the same time has colored those that criticize his work. However Allen Tate is Poe’s defender as he finds various styles in his work. Floyd Stovall, Poe’s admirer suggests that his work should in terms of the artistic intentions that Poe has.

Poe at times suffers at the mercy of his worst qualities event though the contentious issue of whether or not he is a bad or tawdry stylist still remains sophisticated. This is often on the basis that Poe and his narrators are inseparable and hence he should be accountable for his utterances. This is however contrary to what I believe since Poe’s narrators have their own character that is distinct from those that create them. Poe’ s stories are structured in such a way that there is a clear revelation of a comprehensive intelligence and ironical ,that artistically and critically ordering events that leads to establishment of a life vision and character that the inadequacies of the narrator help to prove. In simple terms, the total organization of the form that a completed art takes shows how sensible the author is that report on the characters.

Poe’s stories are structured in such a way that that they compel the realization that they are something more than the narrator’s effusions most of the time ordered mentalities. There is an irony in his characters self betrayal as well as how he develops and arranges the dramatic actions, Poe makes suggestions to his readers to sharpen their analysis power and judgment. Through his technique Poe intends for the readers not to lose themselves in outrageous emotions but see these emotions and people who are obsessed by them in a perspective that is rich and thoughtful. Once one understands the method that Poe uses in his narration the question of the style that he uses will retur.............