Sunday, November 13, 2011

Poe Discussion

After you have completed the biography activity and the poetry explication, please use this post to get a discussion going regarding Edgar Allan Poe.


To do this, begin by responding to one of the prompts below. Then, after you have responded, take some time to read the responses posted by your fellow classmates. Choose a response written by someone else to respond to.


Here are the prompts:


  • How do you feel about Edgar Allan Poe's poetry? Do you like it? Why or why not?
  • What seems different about Poe's writing when we compare it to the writing of the Transcendentalists? Explain.
  • If you've read something by Edgar Allan Poe other than the four poems for this activity, what did you read? Did you like it? Why or why not?
  • If you had to describe Edgar Allan Poe's writing by using only three adjectives, which adjectives would you use? Please explain why these adjectives describe his writing.

57 comments:

  1. Example comment for this post:
    Name: Mrs. Sampson
    Prompt: If you've read something by Edgar Allan Poe other than the four poems for this activity, what did you read? Did you like it? Why or why not?

    I have read "The Tell Tale Heart" and "Black Cat." I really liked reading "The Black Cat" even though it is very creepy and somewhat eerie. I think the reason I like it is because it is one that is easily read through a psychoanalytic reading lens. You can literally understand how twisted Poe's mind was as you read it. Even though I'm not really into creepy or scary things, there is something so interesting and intriguing about Poe's crazy and dark writing style.

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    Replies
    1. Example reply to this comment:
      Name: Mrs. Sampson's classmate :-)

      I haven't read "The Black Cat" but I have read "The Tell Tale Heart." Just like you said, Poe's writing is kind of interesting because it's creepy and dark which is different than the other types of writing that come from the 1800s. He seemed to be into the spooky state of mind year round, so it makes for an interesting read!

      Delete
  2. Erin Kleber: Edgar Allen Poe Facts

    Edgar Allen Poe was very interesting. First, I thought it was weird how his mother left his father, because at that time this was very unusual. Also, he joined the army but purposely ignored his duties and broke the rules. In the army was probably where he experienced the blood and gore found in his poems. Even though he managed to obtain and succeed at many jobs, he always left them for something better. Finally, the mystery around his death is very eerie, especially considering the subject matter and style of his writing

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  3. Braden Wallenkamp- Edgar Allen Poe Facts

    Edgar Allen Poe was adopted by Mr and Mrs Allen after his mother died. Also Poe was often out of a job because of many reasons like, too low of a salary, and wanting to start his own newspaper. Finally Poe’s death has lead to many urban legends and myths because it is unexplained.

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  4. Name: Tyler Madden
    Prompt: How do you feel about Edgar Allan Poe's poetry? Do you like it? Why or why not?

    Answer: I dislike Edgar Allan Poe's poetry. The main reason I dislike it is because his writing is mainly dark and creepy. I like the more positive writing that the Transcendentalist do over the American Gothic negative writing.

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  5. Edgar Allan Poe was an interesting man who had many jobs, including; being in the army, magazine publisher, poet, editor of a journal and also sold booklets that contained his work. He ended up leaving all of these jobs because he either didn't get enough pay or he was fired.

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  6. Name: Toni Bonds
    Prompt:What seems different about Poe's writing when we compare it to the writing of the Transcendentalists? Explain.
    Answer: Poe's writing is different then the transcendentalist writing for many reasons. One reason is that it's much more realistic and easier to connect with then the other poems. Another difference is that with poe's writing he cares about being accepted by society that being different is hard for him to cope with. Lastly, unlike the transcendentalist, Poe had many hardships in his life, he had more bad experiences in life

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  7. Olivia Storey
    1. I enjoy Poe's poems because they seem more realistic than some of the Transcendental poems we've been reading. He discusses how dark and disturbed the world can be, and in some cases people need to remember that. The entire world is not perfect, it has it's dark corners and bad people.

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  8. Name: Clay Dietrich
    I was surprised to hear that Edgar Allan Poe was in the military and did quite well reaching the rank of Sergeant Major. I also was surprised to find that Poe was married to to his younger cousin who was well over 10 years younger than he was. And finally, I was surprised to hear that he died mysteriously and that still, to this day, that the truth about Poe’s death has never been revealed or discovered.

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  9. Marlee Kuhtz
    -What seems different about Poe's writing when we compare it to the writing of the Transcendentalists? Explain.

    -When I compare Poe's writing to the Transcendentalist writing i think Poe's has more of an eerie, dark tone, while the Transcendentalist poems seem to have a more positive tone because they talk about nature and individualism and good things in life, while poe focuses on the negative aspects of life such as the feelings you get when you are lonely.

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  10. Katie Fruendt--
    -He had originally gone to school, but became addicted to alcohol and became in debt. He had no money, no job, and his brother, John Allan, had shunned him. He went to Boston and joined the U.S. Army in 1827, when he was 18.

    -He married his cousin Virginia, in 1836. He was 27, and she was 13. Virginia later died in 1847.

    -He never really had a job for very long. Most of them lasted for less that two years. One job he had was when he joined George R. Graham, as an editor. There, he published his first detective story, which was called “The Murder in the Rue Morgue”.

    -He died on October 7, 1849. No one really knows how he died...

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  11. Jaelynn Franklin-
    Edgar Allen Poe lead a mysterious life. He never lived in one place for too long because of the death of his mother when he was two years old and his adopted parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Allan. He also married his cousin at age 27 while she was only 13 but she later died. Lastly he inexplicably died in 1849 in the hospital. No one quite knows what lead him to his death.

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  12. If you've read something by Edgar Allan Poe other than the four poems for this activity, what did you read? Did you like it? Why or why not?
    -I have read "The Raven" and "The Tell-Tale Heart". I liked it because it was kinda spooky and dark yet it was very different than other things that i have read before
    Name: Liz Martin

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    Replies
    1. Sarah Jensen
      I agree, I liked the Tell-Tale heart because it was interesting and also scary and it really showed what was going on in Poe’s mind

      Delete
  13. "Eldorado"
    GAILY bedight, The knight is happy in his
    A gallant knight, work and he has been
    In sunshine and in shadow, working for a long time to
    Had journeyed long, find “Eldorado”- a place of
    Singing a song, happiness/wealth
    In search of Eldorado.

    But he grew old -- As he grew older, he
    This knight so bold -- became tired of searching
    And o'er his heart a shadow for something and never
    Fell as he found finding any clues. It broke
    No spot of ground his spirit/his happiness
    That looked like Eldorado.

    And, as his strength As he grew older he
    Failed him at length, became less and less
    He met a pilgrim shadow -- capable- asked for help
    "Shadow," said he, because he was ready
    "Where can it be -- to give up
    This land of Eldorado?"

    "Over the Mountains If you want
    Of the Moon, to find heaven, you can find
    Down the Valley of the Shadow, it on Earth but you need to
    Ride, boldly ride," be confident
    The shade replied, --
    "If you seek for Eldorado!"
    SOAPSTone:
    Subject: Life/pursuit of heaven
    Occasion: Poe’s struggles throughout life
    Audience: people seeking redemption/heaven
    Purpose: to find redemption/ a break from all his struggles
    Speaker: Edgar Allen Poe
    Tone: about to give up, restless

    Erin Kleber

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  14. Sarah Jensen
    Three adjectives I would use to describe Poe’s poems are sad, dark and disturbing. This is because most of his poetry symbolizes or relates to his dark childhood, and he writes his poetry on sad things that have happened in his past, which causes a disturbing tone.

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  15. I feel that Edgar Allan Poe's poetry is extremely dark and depressing. I like it because it's very interesting to see the dark perspective on life. It's just another way to take life in.
    Jack Sveum

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  16. Jaelynn Franklin-
    In three words, I'd describe Poe's writing as eerie, depressing, and personal because he most always bases his writing on his on personal life. Because of his depressing life he almost always makes his writing eerie and dark.

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  17. Another thing that I have read by Edgar Allen Poe was The Tell Tale Heart, and yes I did like it. It was very detailed and well written. It was faced paced and very eerie, so it was a very interesting story.
    Sam Kodzik

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  18. Max Benzinger- Edgar Allen Poe facts

    Poe had a hard life. He was sent to the military and after school he was always losing jobs. He became an alcoholic and then married his cousin. She died at a young age and made him even more depressed and even more an alcoholic. He died in a mysterious way and nobody knows how.

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  19. Prompt: How do you feel about Poe’s poetry - Erin Kleber

    I don’t like the violence and gore of some of Poe’s poems. At the same time, I sometimes like how is outlook in unique and there really aren’t any poems quite like his, even if they are a little dark. Occasionally, his poems are a little too dark and disturbing for me.Overall, while I don’t love his poems, I don’t hate them either.

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    Replies
    1. I agree- I enjoy getting a different view on things. Even if the view is dark and creepy, it still is interesting!

      ~Sarah Dempsey

      Delete
  20. I feel that Edgar Allan Poe's poetry is dark and depressing, mostly because he started out with a sad and trauma filled childhood. It's interesting to see another persons view of life in this way. Than Poe gets happier at times through life as he has thing to look forward to, but than gets sad again as he fails constantly throughout his life.
    ~Faisal Bartlett

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  21. Name: Tori Yentz
    I do not like Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry, it is too dark and confusing to even enjoy, and after awhile it just get old and depressing.
    Poe’s and the Transcendentalists types of writing styles are very different. They both didn't really believe in religion, government, or people with money and power were corrupt, but Edgar’s poetry is very dark, eerie, and spooky, where transcendentalism very hopeful, and optimistic.
    I have read “The Tell Tale heart” in class and i didn’t like it, i like more upbeat poems over dark depressing poems.
    If i have had to describe Poe’s writing in three adjective they would be dark, spooky and depressing. Poe’s work is usually about an unusual sad topic, often leading to depressing realizations and dark thoughts.

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  22. Katie Fruendt--
    I choose to paraphrase the poem called "Alone".
    He is saying that he had a very different childhood, compared to what the other children had when he was growing up.
    From things that have happened to him in the past, it left him with such sorrow that he couldn't get over. And for everything he ever loved, he loved it alone.
    He explains how his childhood wasn't the greatest, and that there was a mysterious sickness going around in his family, and this mystery continues to “haunt” him.
    He is talking about different places that describes how he feels.
    He talks about the passing of a storm and how he doesn't seem to notice it.
    He explains how that everyone else was happy and “seeing Heaven”, he was depressed and was “seeing the demon in front of him”.

    SOAPSTone
    S: Edgar Allan Poe writes about how he felt different and alone.
    O: During the American Gothicism and Transcendental period.
    A: Towards himself, his family, and other people he might have known.
    P: To write about how he felt alone, and possibly how no one seemed to notice.
    S: Edgar Allan Poe.
    Tone: Sad, “distant”, “reflecting”, depressed.

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  23. Sadie O"Neil
    “Alone”
    From childhood's hour I have not been
    As others were -- I have not seen
    As others saw -- I could not bring
    My passions from a common spring --
    From the same source I have not taken
    My sorrow -- I could not awaken
    My heart to joy at the same tone --
    And all I lov'd -- I lov'd alone --
    Then -- in my childhood -- in the dawn
    Of a most stormy life -- was drawn
    From ev'ry depth of good and ill
    The mystery which binds me still --
    From the torrent, or the fountain --
    From the red cliff of the mountain --
    From the sun that 'round me roll'd
    In its autumn tint of gold --
    From the lightning in the sky
    As it pass'd me flying by --
    From the thunder, and the storm --
    And the cloud that took the form
    (When the rest of Heaven was blue)
    Of a demon in my view -
    Ever since he was a child he knew he was different than everyone else
    he didn’t do things the way everyone else did
    he had a passion for things that other people didn’t care for
    The events that happened in the worst time of his life (his childhood) affected him greatly and thats why he is the way he is today
    even though he has lived a long life he still can’t figure his emotions out.
    all of the different problems/obstacles that happened in his life affected him
    everyone else is happy while he is in a dark and miserable place.

    S: how his childhood was difficult
    O: gothicism
    A:the people who didn’t think that everything had a silver lining
    P: to explain why he is a dark person
    S: Edgar Allan Poe
    Tone: dark and questioning

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  24. Sarah Dempsey

    Prompt-If you've read something by Edgar Allan Poe other than the four poems for this activity, what did you read? Did you like it? Why or why not?

    I've read the "Tell Tale Heart" by Edgar Allen Poe several times. I really enjoyed reading this story because it is creepy and eerie. I tend to gravitate towards these types of writing because they interest me, and make me think. The story is creepy, eerie, and mysterious- like most of Poe's writing, perfect for Halloween.

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  25. Name: Hailey Sgarlata
    I read "Tell Tale Heart". Like his other writing it is really dark and creepy and very different from how most people write. He has a much different tone and a tone that not every reader likes. When I read tell tale heart I was kind of intrigued but it was very strange and not something I would normally read.

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  26. “Alone” Noah Riley
    since he was a kid he was never a normal child.
    He was a special person.
    he wasn't interested in things that others were interested in.



    He was never happy anymore and there was nothing that could make him happy.
    He never had anyone that he loved or loved him.
    In the worst times of his life he had to use every ounce of good that he had in him to keep him sane.
    through all the seasons and everything going on he is still unhappy.

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  27. Sadie O’Neil
    Question:
    If you had to describe Edgar Allan Poe's writing by using only three adjectives, which adjectives would you use? Please explain why these adjectives describe his writing.
    -If i had describe Edgar Allan Poe i would describe him as troubling,sad, and and he is the type of person that dwells on things. I used the adjectives troubling and sad because he struggles with sadness from his childhood and doesn’t understand why he can’t but he has accepted the fact that he can’t. But at the same time he dwells on his troubled childhood.

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  28. Amara Green
    How do you feel about Edgar Allan Poe's poetry? Do you like it? Why or why not?

    I personally am not a fan of most writings that are written in old english, so I don't really like it that much. I also don't really like it because it is so depressive, although I haven't read anything other than Alone I feel as if I don't like any of his writings that much because theyre just not my type of writing.

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  29. Claudia Deflieze
    I have read “The Tell Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe in the eighth grade. I actually did like it, but it was very dark and scary. I liked how it was mysterious and all of the figurative language in it. It was very odd to me because his writing is unlike anybody else’s. The poem was really creepy but very intriguing overall.

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  30. How do you feel about Edgar Allan Poe's poetry? Do you like it? Why or why not?

    I enjoy Edgar Allan Poe's poetry as he gives incites into the dark and depressing areas of the world as well as the human mind. My favorite is one called Annabel Lee

    -Riley R

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  31. Sarah Jung
    How do you feel about Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry? Do you like it? Why or why not?
    -I feel like his poetry is so dark and strange. I don’t really like it because the only meaning he has in the poems is to describe the horrible world that he is living in. He had a bad life and that reflects in his dark poetry.

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  32. Name: Sam Zanowski

    Prompt: How do you feel about Edgar Allan Poe's poetry? Do you like it? Why or why not?

    I like Edgar Allen Poe’s poetry. It is very interesting and different than other poetry I have read. The subject matter is usually intriguing, and it is fascinating that a lot of his poems are about himself and his own mental health.




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  33. If you had to describe Edgar Allan Poe's writing by using only three adjectives, which adjectives would you use? Please explain why these adjectives describe his writing. Dark Unthankful Confused because his writing is unhappy he complains about his life and he doesn't understand why things happen

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  34. Name: Jack Sullivan
    If you've read something by Edgar Allan Poe other than the four poems for this activity, what did you read? Did you like it? Why or why not

    I have previously read the poem "The Tell Tale Heart". I enjoyed it, and although it was a pretty dark story, it was interesting to read. This seems to be the same for the other poems that I have read, by him, and I would enjoy reading more.

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  35. -How do you feel about Edgar Allan Poe's poetry? Do you like it? Why or why not?
    I think Poe's writing is really interesting and sometimes hard to understand. I really enjoy reading his writing because it is a lot more interesting and different than a lot of other poetry that I've read in the past.
    Izzy Gallagher

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  36. Name: Gabby Procopis
    I don’t really think that I am such a fan of Edgar Allan Poe’s writing because his tone is so sad and dark in most of them and id rather read a happy and up going poem.

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  37. Noah Riley
    I am not a fan of Poe's writing because it is just way to dark and negative for me to find it enjoyable.
    Poe's writing is greatly different from the Transcendentalists because they think everyone was good and enjoyed nature and Poe just talked about bad things in life.

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  38. Katie Fruendt--
    Overall, I find Poe's poetry interesting. I don't like the fact of how it can be very dark, as it gets quite depressing. However, at the same time, I find it to be unique and different, and sometimes I believe that the darkness in things should be brought out, as it is apart of life, and can't always be ignored. Poe's poetry helps to bring out that "dark" factor. I have read "The Tell Tale Heart" and "The Raven", and I have actually enjoyed reading them. They are quite interesting, along with the rest of his poetry. Compared to how the Transcendentalists, as they wrote up-beat and happy poems about life and nature, the American Gothicism tends to focus on much more negative, dark, depressing, etc. things , and tend to write about death and nature being spooky. If I had to describe it in only three words, those words would be; unique, different, and dark. I'll admit, it is dark, and in a way personal as it reflects Poe's life and how he felt at a certain time, but overall I would have to say that I actually do like Edgar Allan Poe's poetry.

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  39. Julia Wulff-
    I am not that much of a fan of Poe's poetry because it is very dark and about death. It is interesting and is different than a lot of poetry though. The tone overall is saddening and it is hard to enjoy with that depression tone to it.

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  40. Jack Wieland-
    I feel like Poe's Poetry was driven by his dramatic childhood and drinking problems. His Poetry is more dark than others, and I guess thats why I like it, its different than most poems. Other Poems are up beat and "cute", but Poe wrote about his issues and thoughts in his own way.

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  41. Prompt: How do you feel about Edgar Allan Poe's poetry? Do you like it? Why or why not?

    I personally enjoy his poetry, because I find it interesting how the mind works, and why things scare us. Also, I like that Edgar Allen Poe shares about his crappy childhood, without complaining, but letting you understand it was hard and affecting him well into his adult years. Which happens to be another reason I’m interested in his poetry because I believe that every event you live through will affect you until the day you die.
    Luci Hovel

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  42. Josh Erdtmann
    How do you feel about Edgar Allan Poe's poetry? Do you like it? Why or why not?
    Personally, I dislike Poe's writings. I enjoyed the transcendentalists writing much better because it was more upbeat and happier. The goths writings are very downing and creepy. That i why i dislike Poe's writing.

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  43. Gretchen Meyer
    Prompt: How do you feel about Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry? Do you like it? Why or why not?

    I personally don’t really care for his poetry because it’s really dark and depressing. It’s interesting how he writes but his depressing tone doesn’t really make it enjoyable to read. It’s interesting though how he explains his horrible childhood through poetry but it really isn’t something I would choose to read.

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  44. Nate Bahr
    “Eldorado”
    A very showy Knight
    in light and dark
    looked for a long time
    singing a song
    Looking for Eldorado

    Even though he was bold he got old
    and started to lose hope
    wherever he looked he couldn’t find Eldorado

    He started getting weak
    he saw a man
    and asked if he knew where Eldorado was

    A very long way away
    and hard to reach
    if you still want to try
    go and go strong
    If you seek for Eldorado

    Subject: The knight in search of Eldorado

    Occasion: written during the gothic era but could be place anywhere in time the Knight suggests in the middle ages

    Audience: The audience could be anyone but it seems more geared to younger children.

    Purpose: To teach the audience that if you don’t give up even when it seems impossible you will find what you’re looking for.

    Speaker: The speaker of this poem is a narrator, this could be Poe but is not specified.

    Tone: The tone of this poem is somewhat down but not sad and then in the end it turns up.

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  45. Edgar Allan Poe's writing is dark and goes back to his terrible childhood, personally im not a fan of it just because of how dark it is. I can however appreciate that his poems really mean something to him. Cody.K

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  46. Name: Cassidy Komp
    Prompt: How do you feel about Edgar Allan Poe's poetry? Do you like it? Why or why not?
    I don't not like Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry because, I am not dark like he is. His poetry appeals to people who share the same dark views as he does, and I do not.

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  47. How do you feel about Edgar Allan Poe's Poetry? Do you like it? Why or why not?

    I don't care very much for his poetry much, but sometimes I can relate to what he is talking about. For example, I can relate to the poem "Alone" that he wrote, but I don't want to get into that.

    Tylon Neal

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  48. Charlotte Utschig
    I really like Poe’s poems. The ideas and concepts are unlike my own, but not so different that I can’t understand him. His poems make me melancholy. While that may seem like a bad thing, I rarely get melancholy from a piece of writing or even a song, so kudos to Poe!
    Other than Alone, I read Annabelle Lee once. I sort of stumbled across it by accident, but I love it very much. I used to have it memorized. It made me feel sad, and lonely. Which, again, isn’t normally good, but it’s so rare.

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  49. Spencer Kuether

    How do you feel about Edgar Allan Poe's poetry? Do you like it? Why or why not?
    I feel that his poetry is reflected by his life and that its kind of dark and not that happy. I didn’t like it because it made me feel sympathetic for all that he had to go through in his lifetime. And all of the creepy stuff that he writes about.

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  50. Sam Hantzsch

    How do you feel about Edgar Allen Poe’s poetry? Do you like it? Why or why not?

    I don’t particularly like it because for me its just to sad. When I read it I think of depression and sad thoughts which I do not like to think about. I prefer more happy and upbeat sort of poetry where I can think of happy thoughts. Though Poe’s poetry is good, it is just not for me.

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