The main purpose of this paper is to trace Edgar Allen Poe’s influence on H. P. Lovecraft, to prove coincidences or expose differences, whether it is of style, topic, literary concepts or biographical respectively personal similarities.
As Howard Phillips Lovecraft’s life and work are less known than it is the case with Edgar Allen Poe, the paper is divided into two main parts, one of them exclusively dedicated to Lovecraft, the other one trying to draw the above mentioned comparison.
Table of Contents
1. Preface
2. Howard Phillips Lovecraft – An Introduction
2.1 A Biographical Sketch
2.1.1 Early Years
2.1.2 Later Years
2.1.3 Teutonic Aryan – In HPL’s Behalf
2.2 Calling forth Cthulhu – Lovecraft’s Mythology
2.2.1 The Necronomicon
2.2.2 The Old Ones
3. H.P. Lovecraft and E.A. Poe
3.1 Literary Concepts
3.2 Literary Style
3.3 The Outsider
3.4 Biographical and Personal Similarities
4. Synopsis
Objectives and Core Themes
This academic paper aims to provide a biographical overview of H.P. Lovecraft and to conduct a comparative analysis between his literary work and that of Edgar Allan Poe, specifically examining stylistic influences, thematic coincidences, and personal parallels.
- The life and upbringing of Howard Phillips Lovecraft.
- The construction and functionality of Lovecraft’s personal mythology.
- Stylistic and theoretical influences of E.A. Poe on Lovecraft’s writing.
- Comparative analysis of specific stories, notably "The Outsider".
- Biographical and professional similarities between the two authors.
Excerpt from the Book
3.3 The Outsider
The Outsider is a story written in 1921, and with its length of approximately five pages a short story in the truest sense of the word. Despite not being one of his very first stories, it can be placed amongst the early stories, since HPL did not consider writing fiction as late as 1917. Lovecraft himself later wrote about this story that “[it is] too glibly mechanical in its climatic effect, & almost comic in the bombastic pomposity of its language…It represents my literal though unconscious imitation of Poe at its very height.”
The story, written in first person just like most of Poe’s work, is the account of a lonely person, devoid of any memory of his past, living in an ancient and dark castle. The castle is uninhabited and desolated save for the obligatory rats, bats and spiders, yet he never leaves his tomb-like home. The person’s only company are the multitudes of moldy books, from which he learns everything about life. Having no conception of time, he lives on in his seclusion. One day, however, his longing for light becomes so unbearable that he attempts to climb the single ruined black tower, which alone reaches above the gloomy forest. In the chamber atop the tower, he finds a stone trapdoor, which he finally opens. Believing himself at a considerable height and expecting to see the treetops of the forest, he is soon shocked by the discovery that he is at one level with the ground.
Summary of Chapters
1. Preface: This section introduces the literary legacy of H.P. Lovecraft, contextualizing his initial obscurity and his subsequent recognition as a pivotal figure in Gothic and Horror literature.
2. Howard Phillips Lovecraft – An Introduction: Provides an overview of Lovecraft's life, covering his childhood, adult years, and the development of his controversial racial ideologies.
2.1 A Biographical Sketch: Offers a chronological look at Lovecraft’s upbringing and the factors that shaped his personality and worldview.
2.1.1 Early Years: Examines Lovecraft's sheltered childhood in Providence, the influence of his grandfather, and his early exposure to classical literature.
2.1.2 Later Years: Details Lovecraft’s struggles with health, financial stability, his brief marriage, and his eventual return to his ancestral home.
2.1.3 Teutonic Aryan – In HPL’s Behalf: Analyzes the roots and nature of Lovecraft's intense xenophobia and anti-Semitic views in the context of his era.
2.2 Calling forth Cthulhu – Lovecraft’s Mythology: Discusses the invention of Lovecraft's internal mythos as a means to achieve intertextual coherence in his fiction.
2.2.1 The Necronomicon: Investigates the creation and function of Lovecraft's most famous "pseudobiblia" and its role in establishing an atmosphere of dread.
2.2.2 The Old Ones: Describes the nature of the fictional deities in Lovecraft’s pantheon and their cosmic indifference toward humanity.
3. H.P. Lovecraft and E.A. Poe: Explores the direct and indirect impact of Edgar Allan Poe on Lovecraft’s literary development.
3.1 Literary Concepts: Compares the authors' shared emphasis on "atmosphere" and "effect" over didactic social themes.
3.2 Literary Style: Analyzes Lovecraft’s archaic prose and his deliberate mimicry of Poe’s stylistic excesses in his early work.
3.3 The Outsider: Provides a critical analysis of a specific short story as a case study for Poe’s influence on Lovecraft’s style and themes.
3.4 Biographical and Personal Similarities: Identifies non-literary parallels between the two authors, such as their regional ties and shared scholarly interests.
4. Synopsis: Concludes the paper by synthesizing the findings regarding the relationship between the two authors and their place in American fantasy literature.
Keywords
H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, Cthulhu, Gothic Literature, Horror, Biography, Literary Theory, The Outsider, Necronomicon, Atmosphere, Style, Mythology, Xenophobia, Literary Influence, American Literature.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this paper?
The paper explores the literary relationship between H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe, analyzing how Poe influenced Lovecraft’s writing style and themes.
What are the central thematic fields?
The work focuses on biographical history, literary criticism, the evolution of horror literature, and the construction of fictional mythologies.
What is the central research question?
The study aims to trace the influence of Poe on Lovecraft by identifying similarities and differences in their literary concepts, stylistic choices, and personal backgrounds.
Which methodology is applied?
The author uses a comparative literature approach, utilizing biographical data and literary analysis of Lovecraft’s essays and short stories.
What is covered in the main section?
The main section covers Lovecraft's biography, the development of his "Cthulhu" mythology, his specific stylistic debt to Poe, and a comparative study of the story "The Outsider".
Which keywords define this work?
The work is defined by terms such as Lovecraft, Poe, Cthulhu, Gothic, Mythology, Literary Influence, and Atmosphere.
How did Lovecraft's childhood affect his literature?
His early reclusive life, access to a vast library, and his mother's influence are presented as foundations for his obsession with the unknown and his archaic writing style.
Why is "The Outsider" significant in this study?
It serves as a primary example of Lovecraft's early, conscious imitation of Poe’s style, making it a critical point of analysis for determining the extent of that influence.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding the similarity of the two writers?
The author concludes that while early similarities suggest a direct emulation, Lovecraft eventually developed his own unique style, yet both remain pillars of American fantasy literature.
- Quote paper
- Sebastian Langner (Author), 2007, Edgar Allen Poe’s influence on Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Their personalities, literary styles and concepts, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/281411
