Everything about The Poetic Principle totally explained
"
The Poetic Principle" is an
essay by
Edgar Allan Poe, written near the end of his life and published posthumously in
1850 (Poe died in
1849). It is a work of
literary criticism, and one of the most complete (but still far from being truly complete) discussions of Poe's
literary theory. It is based on a series of lectures Poe had given on literary theory late in his life.
Synopsis
The essay argues that a poem should be written
"for a poem's sake" and that the ultimate goal of art is
aesthetic. He also argues against the concept of a
long poem, saying that an
epic, if it's to be worth anything, must instead be structured as a collection of shorter pieces, each of which isn't too long to be read in a single sitting.
The essay critiques, sometimes rather sharply, the works of other poets of his time. His most common complaint is against
didacticism, which he calls a "
heresy". Though Poe is referring to poetry here, it's believed that Poe's philosophy against didacticism extends to fiction.
Origins
The essay was based on a lecture that Poe gave in
Providence, Rhode Island at the Franklin Lyceum. The lecture reportedly drew an audience of 2000 people.
Further Information
Get more info on 'The Poetic Principle'.
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