Transatlantic Poe

Poe's works have indubitably affected Literature at a global scale. One cannot overlook similarities in terms of form, structure and amusing elements in works that have been written in Europe, Russia and Asia during the 20th century. The presence of Edgar Allan Poe outside the United States was thoroughly covered in a volume edited by Lois D. Vines, Poe Abroad (1999). This meticulous study examines the influence of the American author in Europe (Britain, Spain, France, Estonia, Russia, Italy, Romania, Hungary, among others), South America (Brazil, Spanish America), Asia (Japan, China or India). Quite surprisingly, one can find no indication regarding Poe’s presence in Greece in this work.

Scott Fitzerald was indeed among the most renowned authors that was influenced by Poe. Kopley and Hayes (2002) remind us of Fitzerald's The Side of Paradise which seems to imitate "Ulalume", and their arguments are convincing in my view. Yet, Fitzerald was not the sole author that Poe inspired: Kopley and Hayes barely scratch the surface of Poe's transatlantic impact by pointing out that the Spanish poem of Francisco Villaespesa, Antonio Machado, and Ruben Dario “embody their enthusiasm for ‘Ulalume’". In Russia, the works of Konstantin Balmont and Valery Bryusov also seem to bear similar characteristics to Poe's ouevre (2002: 197). For an interesting reading of another imitation of Poe's "The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether" in Spain see Dr. Jose R. Ibanez Ibanez's 2009 essay here. 

Works Cited

1. Ibáñez, José R. “Poe’s Maison de Santé Revisited. A Spanish Imitation of ‘The System of Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether’”. The Edgar Allan Poe Review. Volume X, no. 2 (Fall 2009): 63-69.
2. Kopley, Richard and Kevin J. Hayes. "Two verse masterworks: 'The Raven' and 'Ulalume'", collected in The Cambridge Companion to Edgar Allan Poe, edited by Kevin J. Hayes. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002: 197–198.
3. Vines, Lois D., ed. Poe Abroad: Influence, Reputation, Affinities. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1999. Print.