How Edgar Allan Poe became the darling of the maligned and misunderstood
Scott Peeples, Professor of English, College of Charleston
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Edgar Allan Poe, who would have turned 214 years old on Jan. 19, 2023, remains one of the world’s most recognizable and popular literary figures.
His face – with its sunken eyes, enormous forehead and disheveled black hair – adorns tote bags, coffee mugs, T-shirts and lunch boxes. He appears as a meme, either sporting a popped collar and aviator shades as Edgar Allan Bro, or riffing on “Bohemian Rhapsody” by muttering, “I’m just Poe boy, nobody loves me” as a raven on his shoulder adds, “He’s just a Poe boy from a Poe family.”
Netflix has sought to capitalize on the writer’s popularity, recently releasing the mystery-thriller “The Pale Blue Eye,” which features Poe as a West Point cadet, where he spent less than a year before being court-martialed. Netflix also has a Poe-inspired miniseries, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” set to be released sometime in 2023.
But as a Poe scholar, I sometimes wonder whether Poe’s appeal is less about the power and complexity of his prose and more about an attraction to the idea of Poe.
The degenerate characters whose perspectives Poe invites readers to inhabit don’t exactly align with a cultural moment characterized by the #MeToo movement, safe spaces and trigger warnings.
At the same time, the conception of Poe the writer seems to tap into a cultural affection for outsiders, nonconformists and underdogs who ultimately prove their worth.
Could the pugnacious writer ever have imagined that he would one day become a cult hero?Nick Lehr/The Conversation via DALL-E 2, CC BY-SA
A character assassination that misfires
The idea of Poe the underdog began with his death in 1849, which was greeted by a cruel notice in the New York Tribune: “This announcement will startle many, but few will be grieved by it.”
The obituary writer, who turned out to be Poe’s sometime friend and constant rival Rufus W. Griswold, claimed that the deceased had “few or no friends” and proceeded with a general character assassination built on exaggerations and half-truths.
Strange as it seems, Griswold was also Poe’s literary executor, and he expanded the obituary into a biographical essay that accompanied Poe’s collected works. If this was a marketing ploy, it worked. The friends that Griswold claimed Poe lacked rose to his defense, and journalists spent decades debating who the man really was.
During Poe’s lifetime, most readers encountered his work through magazines, and he was rarely well paid. But Griswold’s edition went through 19 printings in the 15 years after Poe’s death, and his stories and poems have been endlessly reprinted and translated ever since.
Griswold’s defamatory portrait, along with the grim subject matter of Poe’s stories and poems, still influences the way readers perceive him. But it has also produced a sustained reaction or counterimage of Poe as a tragic hero, a tortured, misunderstood artist who was too good – or, at any rate, too cool – for his world.
While translating Poe’s works into French in the 1850s and 1860s, the French poet Charles Baudelaire promoted his hero as a kind of countercultural visionary, out of step with a moralistic, materialistic America. Baudelaire’s Poe valued beauty over truth in his poetry and, in his fiction, saw through the self-improvement pieties that were popular at the time to reveal “the natural wickedness of man.” Poe struck a chord with European writers, and as his international stature rose in the late 19th century, literary critics in the U.S. wrung their hands over his lack of appreciation “at home.”
Poe’s underdog story takes off
By the turn of the 20th century, the stage was set for Poe to be embraced as the perennial underdog. And Poe often did appear on stage around this time, as the subject of several biographical melodramas that depicted him as a tragic figure whose lack of success had more to do with a hostile cultural and publishing environment than his own failings.
That image appeared on the silver screen as early as 1909 in D.W. Griffith’s short film “Edgar Allen Poe.” With Poe’s wife, Virginia, languishing on a sick bed, the poet ventures out to sell “The Raven.” After meeting rejection and scorn, he manages to sell his manuscript and returns home with provisions for his ailing wife, only to find that she has died.
Later films also depict Poe as being misunderstood or underappreciated in his lifetime. A wildly inaccurate biopic, “The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe,” released in 1942, ends with a voice-over commenting, “…little did [the public] know that the manuscript of ‘The Raven,’ which he tried in vain to sell for $25, would years later bring the price of $17,000 from a collector.”
In ‘The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe,’ Poe’s talents are overlooked, as ‘men scoffed at his greatness.’LMPC/Getty Images
In real life, while an early draft of “The Raven” was declined by one editor, Poe had no trouble selling the poem, and it was an immediate sensation.
But here “The Raven” becomes a stand-in for Poe himself, something dark and mysterious that, according to legend, people in Poe’s time failed to appreciate.
Poe is an obscure writer and amateur detective in the 1951 film “The Man with a Cloak,” which ends with a saloonkeeper allowing the rain to wash away the ink on an IOU that Poe gave him. On the reverse side of the note is a manuscript of the poem “Annabel Lee,” as its bearer declares, “That name’ll never be worth anything. Not in a hundred years.”
Of course, the audience watching this film almost exactly 100 years after Poe’s death knew better.
The most interesting plants grow in the shade
Which brings us to “The Pale Blue Eye,” in which Henry Melling portrays Cadet Poe, an outcast with a keen crime solver’s intellect. In a refreshing change, this younger Poe is not a tortured artist or a haunted, brooding figure. He is, however, picked on by his peers and underestimated by his superiors – yet again, an underdog viewers want to root for.
In that sense, the Poe in “The Pale Blue Eye” fits well with his contemporary image, which also permeates the early episodes of “Wednesday,” Netflix’s Addams Family spinoff set at Nevermore Academy that’s chock full of Poe references.
The headmistress of Nevermore Academy – a Hogwarts-like school for outcasts – refers to Poe as “our most famous alumni,” which explains why the school’s annual boat race is the Poe Cup and why there’s a statue of Poe guarding a secret passage.
The delightfully antisocial protagonist, Wednesday, played by Jenna Ortega, is an outcast among outcasts – the Poe figure at a school whose name evokes Poe. In one scene, a sympathetic teacher urges her not to lose “the ability to not let others define you. It’s a gift.” She adds, “The most interesting plants grow in the shade.”
When John Lennon sang “Man, you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allan Poe” in “I Am the Walrus,” he didn’t have to say who was kicking him or why. The point was, Poe deserved better; the most interesting plants do grow in the shade, unlovely and unloved.
And that’s exactly why so many people – aspiring writers and artists, but also everyone when they’re lonely and misunderstood – see a little bit of themselves in the weary-but-wise image of Poe.
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Scott Peeples does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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There is nothing quite like settling into a book you love. But finding a real page-turner can be challenging and has only gotten more difficult as of late, as the amount of choices has grown exponentially. In 2022, roughly 542.6 million print books were sold in the U.S., according to Publisher's Weekly. Walking through a bookstore as you seek your next read can be frustrating if you don't know what you're looking for.
Book popularity year by year can offer a fascinating insight into what topics occupied the minds of Americans over the last century. Many stories that captivated the country explore such topics as race, class, and the changing cultural roles of different people. While many books reflect the biases of their time, providing a window into outdated mindsets, some narratives pushed back on the cultural limitations of the era, providing a place where the hypothetical or even futuristic can become tangible.
Running the gamut from political memoir to fantasy, Stacker used data from Publisher's Weekly to compile a list of the most popular books in America each year since 1920. From John Steinbeck classics to modern memoirs, browse the list below for a look into what was popular the year you were born—you might even find your next favorite.
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During its publication, Grey was traveling and going on outdoor excursions frequently. He often contributed to Outdoor Life magazine, which may explain why his connection with the wild manifested itself vividly in his work.
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A. Hamilton Gibbs was a London-born citizen who moved to the U.S. in 1920. "Soundings" follows a young girl from England as she grows and travels abroad, where she falls in love with her American roommate's brother. The novel raised new ideas about women's freedom and sexuality when it was published.
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"The Bridge of San Luis Rey" is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that begins when a bridge in Peru breaks, and five travelers fall into the gulf to their deaths. The protagonist aims to determine the underlying cause of the tragedy, uncovering deep mysteries along the way.
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Erich Maria Remarque is a German novelist whose works centered around war. This novel is a story of a German soldier who joins the army during World War I and describes the horrifying trenches and mental anguish of warfare that marked a generation of soldiers.
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Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for best novel in 1932, "The Good Earth" is a work of historical fiction that has become a renowned modern classic. It provides an image of 1920s China through the protagonist, a farmer during the rule of the last emperor.
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"The Silver Chalice" is a historical novel that incorporates first-century biblical historical figures into a fictional story about how the silver chalice, holding the Holy Grail, is made. The actual archeological discovery of the silver chalice inspired it.
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"Not As a Stranger" details the world of a young doctor who sacrifices everything for his career. The novel became a film in 1955.
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"Valley of the Dolls" tells the story of three girls in show business in New York City. As they strive to make it to the top, the novel explores themes of sex and drugs. It was inspired by Jacqueline Susann's personal journey on Broadway.
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A story of two opposites that attract, "Love Story" was released on Valentine's Day and became one of the top-selling works of fiction. Erich Segal based the book partly on Al Gore's life, whom he met at Harvard University.
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"Ragtime" details one family's interesting life in New York. The novel is set in the early 1920s and is recognized for incorporating historical figures and important ideas in American history.
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A science fiction novel set in Haven, Maine, "The Tommyknockers" is about residents who come under the influence of an object buried in the woods. Stephen King, a native of Maine, sets many of his stories in his home state.
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Tom Clancy, known for his military-science storylines, wrote this novel as a sequel to "The Hunt for Red October" about the Strategic Defense Initiative development. Like many Clancy books, the systems in the book are based on real life.
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"The Plains of Passage" is another novel that features the character Ayla, who appears in several of Jean M. Auel's books, as she journeys west. This novel is the sequel to "The Mammoth Hunters" and follows Ayla on a long journey.
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A sequel to Margaret Mitchell's "Gone with the Wind," this work made The New York Times Best Seller list and was adapted into a television miniseries. It begins where "Gone with the Wind" leaves off, with Scarlett at the funeral for her former sister-in-law Melanie Wilkes.
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Stephen King strays from his usual writing style with this novel with this first-person narrative. The book reads like a spoken monologue, with no breaks or double spacing. Dedicated to King's mother, the novel centers around a 65-year-old woman suspected of murdering her wealthy employer.
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"The Bridges of Madison County" is a bestselling novel centered on an Italian American married woman's life. Set in the 1960s, the protagonist lives in Madison County, Iowa, where she engages in an affair with a photographer who has traveled there to photograph the city's bridges. With more than 60 million copies sold, it is widely read and was even adapted into a feature film and musical.
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"The Rainmaker" is another legal novel about an inexperienced lawyer facing one of the largest cases of his career. The novel was later adapted into a film, with Matt Damon playing the lead as attorney Rudy Baylor.
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John Grisham's seventh novel is about a jury for a tobacco trial suspected of being controlled by someone with ulterior motives. Set in rural Mississippi, this mystery dives into a small town where corporate interests compete with a fair-and-balanced trial.
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"The Partner" is a story about a law partner who fakes his own death and steals millions from his firm, only to be found years later by his disgruntled former associates.
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John Grisham's ninth novel, "The Street Lawyer," is about a lawyer whose career is on the rise until his life changes after a violent encounter with a homeless person.
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The ninth book in a series, "Desecration" was on The New York Times Best Sellers list for 19 weeks and centers around the end of the world and the fate of humankind.
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"The Da Vinci Code" is a thriller about a Harvard professor's business trip to Paris, where he discovers hidden messages in the works of Leonardo da Vinci. Later adapted into a feature film with Tom Hanks as the lead, this was the edition to become one of the bestselling series in history.
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"The Broker" is a suspense novel about Joel Backman, a disgraced Washington D.C. power broker forced to hide in Bologna, Italy, after a presidential pardon places him out of jail and into the crosshairs of enemies who want his secrets. An international espionage thriller, "The Broker" takes the reader through a world of CIA agents, deception, and conspiracy.
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"For One More Day" is a touching novel about protagonist Charley, who deals with losing his parents. On a night he plans to take his life, he ends up back in the house he grew up in only to find his mother (who has been dead for many years) waiting for him. Spending one last day with his deceased mother helps put a new spin on life for Charley.
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The finale to the bestselling children series of all time, "Deathly Hallows" follows Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger as they prepare for a final showdown with Voldemort's army.
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The finale of the Millennium trilogy, "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" follows protagonist Lisbeth Salander as she fights for her life while potentially facing trial for three murders.
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"The Litigators" is a novel about two partners who operate a small firm and take on an unexpectedly successful lawyer facing rock bottom as they all team up to tackle a large case.
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"Fifty Shades of Grey" took the nation by storm, bringing erotic fiction to the mainstream. The story follows a literature student who becomes attracted to a mysterious millionaire with whom she interviews and quickly becomes entwined, introducing deep fantasies that soon become her own. The Fifty Shades franchise was adapted into three films starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan in the leading roles, culminating with 2018's "Fifty Shades Freed."
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Part of a series of bestselling books with over 80 million copies sold, "Hard Luck" details the protagonist's experiences in middle school after he must find new friends.
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"Go Set a Watchman" is the much-anticipated follow-up to Harper Lee's classic "To Kill a Mockingbird," focusing on a grown-up Scout as she returns home to visit her father. Set in the civil rights era, the protagonist returns to find uncomfortable truths about her family.
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"The Girl on the Train" caught the world's attention in 2016 with its first-person narrative and mysterious plot. Following the disappearance of a young woman, this emotional novel deals with relationships, trust, and the mysterious ways our lives are connected.
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In the 12th book of the "Wimpy Kid" series, instead of Christmas at home this year, the protagonist's family decides to spend the holiday at a resort out of town. However, the holiday isn't as relaxing as the Heffleys expected.
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"Becoming" is former first lady of the United States Michelle Obama's memoir, in which she discusses her early life and the experiences that led her to be the woman she is today. From growing up on the South Side of Chicago to arriving at the White House, Obama's memoir is described as deeply personal.
"Where the Crawdads Sing," a novel that is at once a coming-of-age tale and murder mystery, nudged out former first lady Michelle Obama's "Becoming" for the distinction of the bestselling book of 2019. Author Delia Owens is also the co-author of three internationally bestselling nonfiction books that detail her experiences living in Africa while working as a wildlife scientist.
In 2022, upon the release of the film adaptation of "Crawdads," an explosive article in The Atlantic exposed Owens and her husband as potentially involved in their own real-life murder mystery decades earlier.
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Former president Barack Obama's memoir "A Promised Land" details his life from college through the beginnings of his political career and his first four years as president of the United States. The book also gives an account of the raid of Osama bin Laden's hideout and his assassination in 2011. Intended to take a year to write, Obama's book ended up being a three-year, almost 800-page undertaking, written entirely by himself rather than a ghostwriter.
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Written and illustrated by the creator of the "Captain Underpants" series, "Dog Man" is set in the same universe and features a half-dog, half-man cop. This installment of the series finds Dog Man protecting his neighborhood against forces of darkness and explores themes like acceptance and love. The book's success came amid backlash from racial justice advocates and police brutality protestors against media glorifying police.
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Blending memoir-style personal anecdotes with advice for getting through difficult times, "The Light We Carry" is Michelle Obama's follow-up to her highly successful memoir "Becoming." The book details Obama's tendency toward worrying and her experiences of feeling like an outsider, both in her young adulthood and during her husband's presidency. Published during the COVID-19 pandemic, she offers tools for navigating fraught spaces and times by drawing on her own history.
Could the pugnacious writer ever have imagined that he would one day become a cult hero? Nick Lehr/The Conversation via DALL-E 2, CC BY-SA
Rufus W. Griswold penned the first draft of Poe’s life and legacy. raveler1116/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images
In ‘The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe,’ Poe’s talents are overlooked, as ‘men scoffed at his greatness.’ LMPC/Getty Images
