Summer Vacation

A long and challenging academic year has come to an end. The Edgar Allan Poe Blog has surpassed any initial expectations receiving hundreds of visits from the United States, Belgium, Spain, and Greece, to name a few countries. I would like to thank you all for your support. This break is much needed; yet it does not signify the absence of hard work.
My upcoming research stay at the Penn State University will undoubtedly aid my research in the field of Poe studies and it will also allow me to delve into new aspects in this field which will be reflected on this blog. Wishing you all a relaxing summer.

D.T.

How Did Edgar Allan Poe Die?

How did Edgar Allan Poe die? This remains a mystery up until this very day. The American author was most certainly a troubled personality. Yet, no apt evidence exists to justify his sudden death nor the lack of clues with respect to the events that led to it days before he was found in a state of insanity. An interesting approach to the topic can be found at the History is Now Magazine. For further details visit here

Poe's Biography [In Spanish]

A large number of the visitors of this blog come from Spain. Spain has been a very active country in the study of Poe; very recently, "The Edgar Allan Poe Spanish Association" was formed under the presidency of Dr. Margarita Rigal Aragon. For all the Spanish speakers who visit my blog, I present you with a splendid video on Poe's biography which has been dubbed and subtitled.   

The Beautiful Yet Dark Mind of Edgar Allan Poe

Nikos Mavrelos: The reception of Poe in Greece and Roidis' perspective

I have recently come across a very intriguing study by Nikolaos Mavrelos, faculty member of  the Democritus University of Thrace. His 2003 publication titled "The reception of Poe in Greece and Roidis' perspective," carefully examines how Poe's works were introduced to the Greeks while reconsidering the similarities and dissimilarities of these translations compared to the original texts as well as to Baudelaire's adaptations. 

It is well known that Baudelaire influenced the majority of European countries when it came to Poe's arrival there. In fact, many have justly argued that the ideal image of Poe in the eyes of the Europeans is owed to the French author. 

In spite of this, Mavrelos uncovers a number of dissimilarities between Rhoides and Baudelaire. There is a general consensus that it was only natural for translators of Poe's works to follow Baudelaire's lead. Yet, after a triple comparison of a number of works, Mavrelos interestingly asserts that "it is not certain that Rhoides had not checked the original work". Mavrelos ultimately concludes that the Greek litterateur's previous works are "forerunners of the way he presented Poe, unveiling a somehow forgotten side of Poe's work". More on that article, and on the reasons why Rhoides opted for a different approach to Poe's works in my future posts.
You may find Mavrelos' article here.

Works Cited

Mavrelos, Nikos. "The Reception of Poe in Greece and Roidis' Perspective." Comparaison 14.1 (2003): 75-99.