Poe

After researching Poe's life, the subjects and tones of his stories make much more sense. Edgar Allen Poe had a very sad life, he suffered the death of his mother and wife in a very short period of time. The circumstances of his life lent to his poems, for example, the Raven. There are several different meanings that can be found within this story. On one level, the Raven is simply about a bird who comes through the narrator's window and speaks to him. There are also deeper meaning and themes within the story. Poe addresses the idea of life, or lack there of, after death. The narrator asks the raven if he will see Lenore again, who is presumed dead. The raven says "nevermore", this challenges the reader to ask the question, what happens when you die? Earlier in the poem, when the narrator opens the door, he sees nothing but black, it is completely empty. I think this could symbolize Poe's idea of life after death. He puts forth the idea that there may not be anything but nothingness after we die. After dealing with so much death and loss in his life, it is understandable why death and mortality is a theme in the Raven, as well as other stories. I see this as a way for Poe to try and understand his own loss and come to terms with missing his deceased loved ones, like the narrator with Lenore. 

What is an American?

What is an American? This is a difficult question to answer. Though America has been its own country for nearly 250 years, many "Americans" still indentify with the countries their ancestors came from. I think a lot of this is because our country is still very divided. Although America is supposedly a "melting pot", which is true to some extent, it is still very segregated. I don't really think America has its own unified culture, religion or general way of life. People still identify with the cultures of their country of origin. However, there are some things that all Americans share. No matter someone's background, ethnicity or religion, certain American values, like freedom, are appreciated by everyone. Freedom is one of the most important foundations in American society. This virtue is something that seperates American citizens from the rest of the world and also unifies us. I think an American is someone who believes in freedom.