Edgar Allan Poe s A Descent Into The Maelstrom - 1394 Words

In Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"A Descent into the Maelstrom,† the power of nature is underestimated. Aspects of the natural world are depicted in an extreme, otherworldly and almost unfathomable form, and serve as indicators for a journey into a world that is within nature, but simultaneously borders on the supernatural. Common elements of the natural world are intensified and serve as symbolic, rather than everyday elements. Their exaggerated forms signify a break from a more familiar, assumed understanding of nature, which man thought he could predict and control, to a more powerful force. The protagonist in â€Å"A Descent into the Maelstrom† attempts to use reasoning and science to prepare to map out nature’s workings, which proves to be unreliable as he encounters natural forces that surround supernatural events. The end result is that a reliance on the principles of science and reason are exchanged for a renewed understanding of the powerful role of natu re and its relation with the cosmic. Through the sailor’s changed perspective after encountering the maelstrom, the reader is able to see the relationship between the nature of the cosmos and man’s place in it. It is through the comparative theme of the cosmic versus the small that Poe challenges the favored prevalence of scientific thinking that stemmed from the Enlightenment. In a time where the complexities of religion and nature were being overwhelmed by a preference for scientific explanation and thought, Poe challenges thatShow MoreRelated The Poetry and Prose of Edgar Allen Poe2196 Words   |  9 Pagesimagery. Poets may be common, but for their poetry to be timeless it must be universally relatable. Edgar Allen Poe is regarded as one of the most famous poets in American history due to his well renowned debauchery, gothic tales of terror, and poems which are taught in schools and still analyzed today. Edgar Allen Poe was born in Boston Massachusetts in the early nineteenth century. It is well known that Poe endured a difficult life, and tragedy began at an early age. At three years old, he witnessed