Why was he such a dark man? Better yet, how was he such a dark man?
"The Fall of the House of Usher" is a classic of his. Like most (or all) of his writings he is drawn into explaining his story through vivid detail; right down to the color of the floor. And although the details can be tiresome to read, it sets up such a vision that it's basically a movie in your head- which is how a story is intended to be. For instance, when Poe is describing a room he doesn't just say it was big and eerie, instead he says the room was "very large and lofty. The windows were long, narrow, and pointed, and at so vast a distance from the black oaken floor as to be altogether inaccessible from within." Initially when reading this excerpt I imagined myself being in The Haunted Mansion; you know... the Disney film from 2003 featuring Eddie Murphy? It's silly, I know, but the fact that Poe's writing from years and years ago can make me imagine something I've seen from the 21st century is an art/super power in itself and is a great example as to why after so many years we are still studying the writings of Poe.
His writings transcended through centuries because he was able to make those small connections with the audience- the connections of an eerie sight, sounds, and feelings. So yes, looking at Poe's writing from afar looks of a different world, but coming back to the core of his writings is basic principles that Gothic stories are built on.
Which leads me to ask, was William Byrd a southern Gothic writer?
In my opinion, no, he wasn't. But for arguments sake I will say that I think he thought somewhat Gothic-ally. Meaning he had a twisted way about him and how he carried things out.
To my knowledge, there's 3 of his writings published.
1) The History of the Dividing Line
- Meant for public consumption. Literary. Professional. Explains the line he drew.
- "Was written for private circulation, offering tales of scandalous behavior and political misconduct, peppered with rakish humor and personal satire," according to Berland.
- Why was this published?
First off, he's political, and his Secret History of the Line does a brilliant job of letting us know he is corrupt. Maybe not corrupt in the sense of business, but in the sense of hey, he's not a nice guy because he sleeps with everyone he meets- literally.
Secondly, William Byrd is so conceited that he has his diary published. Like... why?
He reminds me of someone that is so in love with themselves that they want everyone to know everything they've done. Maybe he should have been born in the 21st century, I'm sure he would have done a hell of a job with Facebook.
But hey, maybe that is too mean. I didn't know the guy.
Sources: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/POE/fall.html
http://uncpress.unc.edu/books/12026.html
