The Poetics of Transcendence in Edgar Allan Poe's Poetry

Abstract

The title of this thesis is “The Poetics of Transcendence in Edgar Allan's Poe's Poetry”. This thesis is mainly concerned with the poetics of transcendence in Poe's poetry. It focuses on how Poe theorizes and envisions transcendence through his critical views and essays, and how he practices it in his poetic world, both thematically and technically. The circumstances of Poe's life are considered to justify his aspiration for transcendence. The concept of transcendence is used as a tool of analysis. The main objectives of the study are to explore the theme of transcendence in Poe's poetry, to highlight Poe's vacillation between success and failure in his quest for transcendence, and to show Poe's wavering between escapism and transcendence in his poetry. The study attempts to find answers to the following questions: What is the concept of transcendence in general and as Poe understands and practices it in particular? Why is transcendence a topical theme in the poetry of Poe? What is the poetic code that Poe follows thematically and technically to achieve this state of transcendence? What type of transcendence does Poe employ in his poetry? How does Poe transcend his suffering? Why does Poe achieve only temporary transcendence? What type of reality does Poe attempt to transcend? What is the moral vision that Poe communicates by advocating transcendence? What are the obstacles that sometimes make such transcendence inaccessible in Poe's poetry? How is Poe's escapism developed to be a step for transcendence? How is transcendence turned out to be a state of escapism and defeatism?