More Supernatural Elements

Welcome to Celebrate Poe - This is episode 380 (getting on up there) called More Supernatural Elements.

Mr. Bartley: I have the Ghost of Mr. Poe here, and would like to dive right into Mr. Poe’ s  basic belief about his character’s struggles.

Mr. Poe: Ah, Mr. Bartley - permit to emphasize that it was important to frequently examine the duality of human nature—the conflict between rationality and irrationality or good and evil—through my characters’ subconscious struggles:  for example, In William Wilson, the protagonist is tormented by a doppelgänger who represents his conscience. This internal conflict aligns with Gothic themes of moral ambiguity and self-destruction.  The duality in my works echoes earlier Gothic explorations of divided selves (e.g., Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) but with greater emphasis on psychological complexity.

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Transcript

Welcome to Celebrate Poe - This is episode 380 (getting on up there) called More Supernatural Elements.

I have the Ghost of Mr. Poe here, and would like to dive right into Mr. Poe’ s  basic belief about his character’s struggles.

Ah, Mr. Bartley - permit to emphasize that it was important to frequently examine the duality of human nature—the conflict between rationality and irrationality or good and evil—through my characters’ subconscious struggles:  for example, In William Wilson, the protagonist is tormented by a doppelgänger who represents his conscience. This internal conflict aligns with Gothic themes of moral ambiguity and self-destruction.  The duality in my works echoes earlier Gothic explorations of divided selves (e.g., Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) but with greater emphasis on psychological complexity.

Yes, Mr. Poe - I believe you tended to use rich symbolism to convey subconscious fears and desires. For example, the decaying mansion in The Fall of the House of Usher symbolizes both physical deterioration and mental collapse.

Ah, yes, Mr. Bartley do not forget The Raven.  One might say that the bird  serves as a manifestation of grief and despair, reflecting the narrator's inability to escape his mourning.

Yes, Mr. Poe, and in true Gothic fashion, it seems that you often use external settings to mirror your characters’ inner turmoil:

Ah yes, Mr. Bartley, the oppressive atmosphere in stories such as The Pit and the Pendulum reflects not only physical danger but also psychological torment. The interplay between external threats and internal fears creates an immersive exploration of the subconscious.

Ah, yes, Mr. Poe, and it seems as though you enjoy blurring the line  between external events and internal perceptions, often leaving readers uncertain about what is real. 

And Mr. Bartley, Such ambiguity is central to works such as Ligeia or The Fall of the House of Usher, where supernatural phenomena may be projections of disturbed minds rather than actual occurrences.

And Mr. Bartley, by focusing on subjective experiences rather than objective reality, I aligns with Gothic literature’s interest in exploring how fear distorts perception.

Mr. Bartley, I believe that my exploration of the subconscious mind fits seamlessly into the Gothic genre by emphasizing psychological horror over physical threats. My use of unreliable narrators, repressed guilt, dreams, hallucinations, and symbolic imagery creates a sense of unease that resonates deeply with readers' own fears and anxieties. By turning inward to examine human psychology, I found that I expanded Gothic literature beyond external terrors to explore the complexities—and darkness—of the human soul. Olom the ash the skies  haunted Woodland of where here once  and I said she is warmer than Diane she rolls through an ether  

Very well said, Mr. Poe.

Ah, but Mr. Bartley - but do not forget about the role that the supernatural plays in my Gothic works.

Please elaborate, Mr. Poe.

Ah yes, the supernatural plays a central role in my Gothic works, serving as a vehicle to explore themes of madness, death, guilt, and the blurred boundaries between reality and imagination. My use of supernatural elements is multifaceted, often blending psychological and metaphysical dimensions to heighten the atmosphere of dread and mystery.

Mr. Poe, what about your habit of blurring reality and imagination.

Ah, Mr. Bartley, I DEFINITELY used the supernatural to obscure the line between what is real and what is imagined - in fact, I used this technique quite frequently. This ambiguity is often tied to unreliable narrators whose perceptions are distorted by madness or guilt. For instance, in The Tell-Tale Heart and The Black Cat, the narrators claim to experience supernatural phenomena—such as hearing a dead man's heartbeat or seeing a spectral image of a cat—that may be hallucinations stemming from their psychological torment.

What about the use of madness - that is quite characteristic of Gothic stories.

Ah yes, Mr. Bartley - The supernatural is intricately linked to themes of madness in Poe's stories. Characters often interpret their deteriorating mental states through supernatural lenses, as seen in The Fall of the House of Usher and The Masque of the Red Death. This connection underscores how disturbed minds perceive reality in distorted, otherworldly terms.

Especially, Mr. Poe, if those minds are mired in guilt.

What about your use of supernatural elements?

Ah, Mr. Bartley - I tended to regularly employ supernatural elements to create an atmosphere steeped in mystery and fear. Ghostly apparitions, ancestral curses, doppelgängers, and eerie settings—such as decaying mansions or darkened chambers—are hallmarks of his Gothic style. I have learned that these elements not only unsettle readers but also deepen the psychological complexity of his characters.

Well, Mr. Poe - what about any philosophical reflections on life and detain your works?

Ah, Mr. Bartley, The supernatural in my works often invites philosophical contemplation about mortality and the afterlife. Stories like Eleonora and poems like The Raven delve into existential questions through their depiction of otherworldly phenomena, suggesting an ongoing tension between human longing for transcendence and fear of oblivion.

An interesting observation, Mr. Poe.

Ah, Mr. Bartley, in my Gothic literature, the supernatural is not merely a tool for horror but a profound narrative device that explores human psychology, moral dilemmas, and existential fears. By intertwining supernatural elements with themes like madness, guilt, and death, I believe that I creates stories that are both terrifying and thought-provoking, leaving readers questioning the boundaries between reality and the unknown.

And lest I forget - I do want to mention my poem Ulalume -  in this work, I attempted to capture a deep sense of longing and melancholy as the speaker wanders through a dreamlike landscape, drawn toward the grave of a lost love. 

Ulalume 

The skies they were ashen and sober;
The leaves they were crisped and sere—
The leaves they were withering and sere;
It was night in the lonesome October
Of my most immemorial year:
It was hard by the dim lake of Auber,
In the misty mid region of Weir—
It was down by the dank tarn of Auber,
In the ghoul-haunted woodland of Weir.

Here once, through an alley Titanic,
Of cypress, I roamed with my Soul—
Of cypress, with Psyche, my Soul.
These were days when my heart was volcanic
As the scoriac rivers that roll—
As the lavas that restlessly roll
Their sulphurous currents down Yaanek
In the ultimate climes of the pole—
That groan as they roll down Mount Yaanek
In the realms of the boreal pole.

Our talk had been serious and sober,
But our thoughts they were palsied and sere—
Our memories were treacherous and sere,—
For we knew not the month was October,
And we marked not the night of the year
(Ah, night of all nights in the year!)—
We noted not the dim lake of Auber
(Though once we had journeyed down here)—
Remembered not the dank tarn of Auber,
Nor the ghoul-haunted woodland of Weir.

And now, as the night was senescent
And star-dials pointed to morn—
As the star-dials hinted of morn—
At the end of our path a liquescent
And nebulous lustre was born,
Out of which a miraculous crescent
Arose with a duplicate horn—
Astarte's bediamonded crescent
Distinct with its duplicate horn.

And I said: "She is warmer than Dian;
She rolls through an ether of sighs—
She revels in a region of sighs:
She has seen that the tears are not dry on
These cheeks, where the worm never dies,
And has come past the stars of the Lion
To point us the path to the skies—
To the Lethean peace of the skies—
Come up, in despite of the Lion,
To shine on us with her bright eyes—
Come up through the lair of the Lion,
With love in her luminous eyes."

But Psyche, uplifting her finger,
Said: "Sadly this star I mistrust—
Her pallor I strangely mistrust:
Ah, hasten! —ah, let us not linger!
Ah, fly! —let us fly! -for we must."
In terror she spoke, letting sink her
Wings until they trailed in the dust—
In agony sobbed, letting sink her
Plumes till they trailed in the dust—
Till they sorrowfully trailed in the dust.

I replied: "This is nothing but dreaming:
Let us on by this tremulous light!
Let us bathe in this crystalline light!
Its Sybilic splendour is beaming
With Hope and in Beauty tonight!—
See!—it flickers up the sky through the night!
Ah, we safely may trust to its gleaming,
And be sure it will lead us aright—
We safely may trust to a gleaming,
That cannot but guide us aright,
Since it flickers up to Heaven through the night."

Thus I pacified Psyche and kissed her,
And tempted her out of her gloom—
And conquered her scruples and gloom;
And we passed to the end of the vista,
But were stopped by the door of a tomb—
By the door of a legended tomb;
And I said: "What is written, sweet sister,
On the door of this legended tomb?"
She replied: "Ulalume -Ulalume—
'Tis the vault of thy lost Ulalume!"

Then my heart it grew ashen and sober
As the leaves that were crisped and sere—
As the leaves that were withering and sere;
And I cried: "It was surely October
On this very night of last year
That I journeyed—I journeyed down here!—
That I brought a dread burden down here—
On this night of all nights in the year,
Ah, what demon hath tempted me here?
Well I know, now, this dim lake of Auber—
This misty mid region of Weir—
Well I know, now, this dank tarn of Auber,
This ghoul-haunted woodland of Weir.”

Mr. Poe - it appears that you are attempting to describe deep emotions, but I can’t help but admit that the poem sounds like something you might hear at Halloween.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion

Mr. Poe - you have been most helpful - but I would like to ask you one more question - How does the theme of helplessness against the past manifest itself in your Gothic works

Ah, Mr. Bartley - a most intriguing question.  One must realize that The theme of helplessness against the past is a recurring motif in my works, often explored through psychological torment, haunting memories, and the inevitability of decay.

For example - In The Raven, the narrator is consumed by grief over the loss of his beloved Lenore. The raven, a symbol of "never-ending remembrance," embodies the inescapable nature of his sorrow and past. Despite his desperate attempts to find solace or hope for reunion with Lenore, the raven's repeated refrain of "Nevermore" reinforces his helplessness. The bird becomes a physical representation of the narrator's inability to move beyond his memories, trapping him in a cycle of mourning and despair. This psychological entrapment exemplifies Gothic themes of helplessness and the haunting power of the past.

Mr. Bartley - perhaps many of the concepts I am attempting to communicate can be best expressed my poem The Conqueror Worm - a work I have also utilized earlier in this series. You see, this poem portrays humanity as powerless against larger, incomprehensible forces, such as fate and death. The imagery of humans as puppets manipulated by "vast, formless things" underscores their lack of agency. The cyclical nature of existence described in the poem reflects humanity's futile attempts to escape its destiny, highlighting a sense of helplessness against both time and mortality. This aligns with my broader Gothic exploration of existential despair.  One might even refer to it as my ultimate Gothic expression.

The Conqueror Worm

Lo! ’t is a gala night
   Within the lonesome latter years!   
An angel throng, bewinged, bedight
   In veils, and drowned in tears,   
Sit in a theatre, to see
   A play of hopes and fears,
While the orchestra breathes fitfully   
   The music of the spheres.
Mimes, in the form of God on high,   
   Mutter and mumble low,
And hither and thither fly—
   Mere puppets they, who come and go   
At bidding of vast formless things
   That shift the scenery to and fro,
Flapping from out their Condor wings
   Invisible Wo!

That motley drama—oh, be sure   
   It shall not be forgot!
With its Phantom chased for evermore   
   By a crowd that seize it not,
Through a circle that ever returneth in   
   To the self-same spot,
And much of Madness, and more of Sin,   
   And Horror the soul of the plot.

But see, amid the mimic rout,
   A crawling shape intrude!
A blood-red thing that writhes from out   
   The scenic solitude!
It writhes!—it writhes!—with mortal pangs   
The mimes become its food,
And seraphs sob at vermin fangs
   In human gore imbued.

Out—out are the lights—out all!   
   And, over each quivering form,
The curtain, a funeral pall,
   Comes down with the rush of a storm,   
While the angels, all pallid and wan,   
   Uprising, unveiling, affirm
That the play is the tragedy, “Man,”   
   And its hero, the Conqueror Worm.

Mr. Poe - I have a favor to ask

Yes, what is it Mr. Bartley?

Could you comment on your poem, The Raven?

My poem The Raven epitomizes the bird as a harbinger of grief and despair. The raven's repeated utterance of "Nevermore" emphasizes the narrator's descent into sorrow over his lost love, Lenore. Here, the raven becomes a symbol of "mournful and never-ending remembrance," embodying death's permanence and the inescapability of loss.

As you know,  At its core, "The Raven" delves into the overwhelming power of grief. The narrator's sorrow over Lenore's death dominates his thoughts, and the raven's refrain, "Nevermore," reinforces the permanence of his loss. Each repetition extinguishes any hope he clings to—whether it is the possibility of forgetting Lenore, reuniting with her in the afterlife, or finding solace in his anguish. The poem illustrates the fragile boundary between reason and madness. Initially, the narrator attempts to rationalize the raven’s presence as an ordinary bird that has learned a single word. However, as he projects deeper meaning onto its responses, his rationality deteriorates. By the end, he succumbs to despair and irrationality, symbolized by the raven sitting atop the bust of Pallas Athena, which represents wisdom and logic. The raven itself is laden with symbolism. Traditionally associated with death and darkness, it served as a physical manifestation of the narrator’s grief and subconscious torment. Its repeated utterance of "Nevermore" mirrors the narrator’s internal despair and inability to escape his sorrow. Additionally, its perch on Pallas Athena suggests that emotion and irrationality have triumphed over reason.

The poem also. emphasizes the irrevocability of death through its Gothic atmosphere and haunting refrain. The narrator’s questions to the raven about Lenore’s afterlife highlight his desperate search for meaning in her absence, but each "Nevermore" underscores that death offers no answers or reprieve.

Mr. Poe - you are most astute. 

The Raven" is a profound meditation on human suffering and mortality. It explores how grief can consume an individual’s rationality and sense of self. The poem’s haunting refrain, "Nevermore," encapsulates not just the narrator’s despair but also the universal finality of loss that all must confront. Through vivid imagery, Gothic symbolism, and psychological depth, I attempted to create an enduring work that resonates with readers' own experiences of sorrow and longing.

Ah, but Mr. Bartley - do not forget that the raven in my poem serves as a powerful symbol of the narrator's subconscious, embodying his grief, despair, and inner turmoil. Its role goes beyond that of a mere bird, functioning instead as a reflection of the narrator's psychological state and his struggle with loss.

Well, Mr. Poe - on that note, we better bring this podcast episode to a conclusion.  Join us for episode 381 of celebrate poe - a podcast called ashen and sober.

Sources include: Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography by Arthur Hobson Quinn, The Poe Log: A Documentary Life of Edgar Allan Poe by Dwight R. Thomas and David K. Jackson, The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Poe, Evermore by Harry Lee Poe, and the online site of the Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore.

Thank you for listening to Celebrate Poe.