By Melissa Garza
It is a difficult task to find a name that is more synonymous with horror than Edgar Allan Poe. Though he died more than a hundred and fifty years ago, his work still impacts and inspires today. From films based directly on his writings to ones that are merely influenced, his presence continues to be felt.
It isn’t just the intricate plots that continue to haunt nor is it the dynamic and detailed characters that he created. Both are without a doubt brilliant and timeless in their own right, but it’s more than that. The way he used the words he chose, the repetition of letters and phrases, and the declarations of the narrator, compound to ensure that his work will never be shelved or forgotten.
While reading “The Raven,” for example, the reader isn’t simply a witness to the rants of a man in fear, but he/she experiences the intensity and insecurity with him. The panic in the writing, the desperation in the tone and emphasis in every explanation forces the reader into the same level of paranoia that is felt by the storyteller.
The continuous rationalization of “nothing more” only intensifies the paranoia. In a movie it is easy to see when a character states something that he doesn’t necessarily believe. The actor can offer a look of doubt that relays this message clearly to the audience, but for Poe to do the same in written form is a level of genius that is unsurpassed.
In the short story, “The Tell Tale Heart,” we are faced with something slightly different. The narrator truly believes that he is sane. Poe makes it clear that he is not in the very argument that is made for his sanity. When the storyteller describes his actions, the fact that he killed an old man for having the eye of a “vulture,” isn’t surprising. Considering his mental state it makes sense. Even so, it remains disturbing. The description and rationale that is made creates an eerie unsettling atmosphere that sits with the reader.
It is no wonder that such classics as “The Facts in the case of Mr. Valdemar,” “The House of Usher,” “The Black Cat,” and many other masterpieces have found their way to film production. As good as some of these pictures may be, the only true way to experience the greatness of Poe is through his written word.
A Pioneer of Horror in every sense of the title, his understanding of things macabre, and the way in which his words still radiate the same emotions in his readers today as when he was alive, is no small feat. Unparalleled in his ability to convey hysteria, psychosis, and unbridled fear, he has earned a place of recognition all his own. Edgar Allan Poe will forever be remembered, respected, and reflected on for insight into what makes for a great horror experience.
