Comparing Stephen King And Edgar Allan Poe
Hill 1
To analyze and compare and contrast the writing styles of Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe you must look at each one of their backgrounds and forms of writing. Stephen Edwin King is one of the most popular and best selling writers of today. Stephen King 's horror can be appealing, as it strikes everyone from Edgar Allan Poe to Chuck Berry (Stine Vol. 26 238)
King is a prolific and popular author of horror fiction. In his works, King blends elements of the traditional gothic tale with those of the modern psychological thriller, detective, and science fiction genres. His fiction features colloquial language, clinical attention to physical detail and emotional states, and realistic contemporary settings that help make supernatural elements …show more content…
During this time King wrote "Misery" and "Tommyknockers", both were about psychotic
people and the taking over of ones mind, which was what the alcohol and drugs were doing to Stephen. However, King 's wife and friends supported him and helped him to come clean. With the help of his friends and family, King was able to give up the drugs and alcohol. Poe didn 't have anyone to help him get through his problems.
King and Poe both share an interest in horror, death, murder, and terror. Some of King 's story 's deal with death but Poe takes death to the next step by going into the processes of death. "The Fall of the House of Usher" is the one best known for death. Poe used so much description that he forced the reader to comprehend what he was trying to reveal. "He uses paintings and writings to describe his inner thoughts" (American Literature Research and Analysis Web Site).
In several of King 's earlier stories the characters seldom overcame their fight with evil. However, in his later writings he often used the theme of struggling to survive, which Poe didn 't use. "The Masque of the Red Death" by Poe is very comparable to "The Stand" by King. Both stories deal with an entire population being …show more content…
One came from a wealthy but unsupportive home, while the other came from a family struggling just to try and put dinner on the table. Both fought their addiction of drugs and alcohol, although only one of them was successful in becoming sober before it controlled his life. They both dominated the profession of writing with commendable success. Even though Poe 's method of writing and usage of words may be hard to comprehend, his topic is just as apt as Kings. They have both valued their society and their era, although their subjects don 't hold to society 's ethics. However, that is what makes them stand out.
Works Cited
"American Literature Research and Analysis Web Site." (April 2000): n.pag. Online. Internet. 3 April 2002. Available http://itech.fgcu.edu/faculty/wohlpart/alra/PoeFall.htm#third
Beacham, Walton. Beacham 's Popular Fiction. Vol. 2. "Stephen King." Washington D. C.: Beacham Publishing, 1986. 747-757.
Gmoser, Stefan. "Poe, Edgar Allan." (10-February-2001): n.pag. Online. Internet. 3 April 2002. Available http://bau2.uibk.ac.at/sg/poe/Bio.html
Hegarty, Emily "The Fear that Fame Will Fail: Stephen King 's Canonical Anxiety." (1996): n.pag. Online. Internet. 3 April 2002. Available http://members.aol.com/Eahegarty/king.htm
Magill, Frank N., ed. Magill 's Survey of American Literature. Vol. 3. "Stephen King." New York: Marshall
To analyze and compare and contrast the writing styles of Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe you must look at each one of their backgrounds and forms of writing. Stephen Edwin King is one of the most popular and best selling writers of today. Stephen King 's horror can be appealing, as it strikes everyone from Edgar Allan Poe to Chuck Berry (Stine Vol. 26 238)
King is a prolific and popular author of horror fiction. In his works, King blends elements of the traditional gothic tale with those of the modern psychological thriller, detective, and science fiction genres. His fiction features colloquial language, clinical attention to physical detail and emotional states, and realistic contemporary settings that help make supernatural elements …show more content…
During this time King wrote "Misery" and "Tommyknockers", both were about psychotic
people and the taking over of ones mind, which was what the alcohol and drugs were doing to Stephen. However, King 's wife and friends supported him and helped him to come clean. With the help of his friends and family, King was able to give up the drugs and alcohol. Poe didn 't have anyone to help him get through his problems.
King and Poe both share an interest in horror, death, murder, and terror. Some of King 's story 's deal with death but Poe takes death to the next step by going into the processes of death. "The Fall of the House of Usher" is the one best known for death. Poe used so much description that he forced the reader to comprehend what he was trying to reveal. "He uses paintings and writings to describe his inner thoughts" (American Literature Research and Analysis Web Site).
In several of King 's earlier stories the characters seldom overcame their fight with evil. However, in his later writings he often used the theme of struggling to survive, which Poe didn 't use. "The Masque of the Red Death" by Poe is very comparable to "The Stand" by King. Both stories deal with an entire population being …show more content…
One came from a wealthy but unsupportive home, while the other came from a family struggling just to try and put dinner on the table. Both fought their addiction of drugs and alcohol, although only one of them was successful in becoming sober before it controlled his life. They both dominated the profession of writing with commendable success. Even though Poe 's method of writing and usage of words may be hard to comprehend, his topic is just as apt as Kings. They have both valued their society and their era, although their subjects don 't hold to society 's ethics. However, that is what makes them stand out.
Works Cited
"American Literature Research and Analysis Web Site." (April 2000): n.pag. Online. Internet. 3 April 2002. Available http://itech.fgcu.edu/faculty/wohlpart/alra/PoeFall.htm#third
Beacham, Walton. Beacham 's Popular Fiction. Vol. 2. "Stephen King." Washington D. C.: Beacham Publishing, 1986. 747-757.
Gmoser, Stefan. "Poe, Edgar Allan." (10-February-2001): n.pag. Online. Internet. 3 April 2002. Available http://bau2.uibk.ac.at/sg/poe/Bio.html
Hegarty, Emily "The Fear that Fame Will Fail: Stephen King 's Canonical Anxiety." (1996): n.pag. Online. Internet. 3 April 2002. Available http://members.aol.com/Eahegarty/king.htm
Magill, Frank N., ed. Magill 's Survey of American Literature. Vol. 3. "Stephen King." New York: Marshall