Similarities Between Poe And Irving

The literary approach Implemented by both Poe and Irving were in their ways similar. Poe’s technique can be modelled by his essay, “The Philosophy of Composition.” Though Irving didn’t have an essay like Poe’s, he exemplified these approaches in his literature. An emphasis on the importance of shortness in length of a literary work was expressed by Poe, who was considered the creator of the short story. “It appears evident, then, that there is a distinct limit, as regards length, to all works of literary art - the limit of a single sitting . . . “ (Poe). Poe’s approach to the lengths of his literary works is very uniform since the approach is based solely off of his personal literary ideologies. He believed that a piece of literature should …show more content…
The works of Edgar Allan Poe contained a melancholiness atmosphere, which is one of the possible traits that deem a work as Romantic. “In the Romantic Era, melancholy haunts idealism as its shade of disillusion” (Wolfson). Poe embodies traits of the Romantic Period that were not necessarily completely defining of the era.. Melancholy was a trait that applied to the stylistic manner of his literature and happens to be a Romanticism trait. This and the shortness of his stories are what contribute to him being deemed as a Romantic literary composer. History is a big characteristic that is embodied in the Romantic Era and can be seen in the writings of Washington Irving.”Washington Irving is one of our very best historians. His “Life of Christopher Columbus” is equal to anything of its kind ever written” (Anonymous). Irving exemplified the trait of historical application in his writings. History was one of his primary foci and is what made him unique as a writer. This was the characteristic that primarily made him a writer of the Romantic Period. Supernatural elements are common in Romanticism and can be found in abundance in the individual works of Poe and Irving. “ . . . the spectre known . . . by the name of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow” (Irving). “Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore”’ (Poe). Irving’s Headless Horseman and Poe’s talking …show more content…
The “Irving Effect” is the manner in which Irving’s works coerced the readers into feeling positive and having a good tone. “There are two peculiar effects of Mr. Irving 's writings . . . The first is the pure philanthropy he breathes into your feelings. His benevolence is really contagious. Wherever you read him, he perfectly imbues you with it . . . The other trait in his works is not less happy in its effects. It is the good tone he imparts to the domestic affections. Whenever he treats upon these subjects, he touches, with almost a magic power, the family ties” (Anonymous). The “Irving Effect,” due to its infectiousness, created a strong attraction between the works of Irving and the readers of these works. The atmosphere of positivity and liveliness created a craving in his readers for more stories. He used this knowledge of positive manipulation to bring in consumers of his stories which contributed to his renowned success. Similarly, Poe had a conscious effect that caused the reader to feel a discomfort and fear that was the result of the ominous and often brooding detail in the context of his works. “Poe 's theory of literary creation is noted for two central points: first, a work must create a unity of effect on the reader to be considered successful; second, the production of this single effect should not be left to the