Edgar Allan Poe, Kierkegaard, and Anxiety
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 1 ноя 2021
- #Poe #BookTube
Edgar Allan Poe, Kierkegaard, and Anxiety
In this video, we discuss characters found in a few short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, and what they tell us about Kierkegaard’s concept of anxiety. The primary focus is on the story The Imp of the Perverse-a story by Poe that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. We discuss the psychology in characters such as the unnamed narrator in The Tell-Tale Heart, and Narrative of A. Gordon Pym. Many of Edgar Allan Poe’s characters seem to reflect a particular side of what Kierkegaard called anxiety, often translated to dread.
Full text, The Imp of the Perverse:
www.eapoe.org/works/tales/imp...
Full text, A Tell-Tale Heart:
poemuseum.org/the-tell-tale-h...
And, if you have a lot of time to kill, and don’t care too much about your mental health, here is the full 300 pages of Kierkegaard’s Concept of Anxiety:
lib.stikes-mw.id/wp-content/up...
I love the quote that anxiety is the dizziness of freedom!
That is a good one, for sure. Kierkegaard was full of quotable lines!
@@attention5638 Heck yeah!
It is a great quote. I hadn't thought of it that way, though it is accurate!
Awwww, Poe. Love his work, and that ending breaks my heart.
Can't go wrong with Poe!! His writing, anyway haha😅
Paralyzing anxiety--been there, done that. This was great. I don't completely get Kierkegaard, but Poe is my Man! Love the painting of Poe!
Thank you so much! Kierkegaard can be a bit of a confusing mess, especially with The Concept of Anxiety to which come scholars believe it was just written as a joke on Hegel haha. I like to think that is true. 😅
The painting with the reading is 🙌🏻 "No person with a bad conscience can endure silence" reminds me of a quote I would hear in church about why I need to confess my "sins"
Thank you so much for checking this out! And that is a really interesting connection, I bet a lot can be said upon. 😎
Pae, this portrait of Poe is absolutely stunning! And this is brilliant! I appreciate the why you holistically look at a single idea (or many).
Thank you so much, Shelly! I never paint, so I was okay with how it turned out!😊😊
Is there anything you CAN'T do?! Love the painting with the reading. Would watch/listen to you do that all the day long.
Thank you so much! But yes--there is so way too much I can't do, I just don't do those things haha😅🤣 I think I may start every video with a painting--it actually makes the first two minutes easier to edit haha
These videos always cause me to fall further into a paralyzing anxiety. Thanks! 🙃
Oh, yes! Totally!
Hmm. Food for thought. I reread The Tell-Tale Heart last year and Kierkegaard is on my TBR. A most excellent video.
Kierkegaard can be a complicated read, but definitely worth the time.😊😎
I feel reading Poe os perfect for this season!! For some reason my English teacher felt we never needed to read or discuss anything from Poe. So like all your videos I learned something new great discussion!!
That does not sound like a responsible teacher haha. I can't imagine someone thinking Poe is not worth teaching. 😮
Wow this is a fascinating exploration! I love that Poe wrote a story about the unconscious before there was even a word for it!
He really knew a lot in psychology at a time when it was still in its infancy. It is really interesting to think what he would be doing today.
Poe is a fascinating person to me. I've read that he suffered from both depression and drug addiction, so I wonder if his impulsive characters are inspired by his own feelings. In my own writing, I find myself both consciously and unconsciously putting my own ideas and insecurities of the world into my writing. Poe did similarly, I think. But this is a very fascinating video! Thank you!
Thank you! And yes, Poe definitely diverged from societal norms, but he also had a rough childhood, losing both of his parents at a young age, his brother, and then later his wife. He definitely expressed a lot of this in his work. 😊
Interesting. Truly. the possibility of possibilities is dizzying.
I feel like the anxiety I've encountered is generally at its most terrifying when the possibilities are ones we can't control ('cause everybody else has a bit of freedom as well, and sometimes, their possibilities are ones that will ruin my day).
I could not have said it better. Other people really do get in the way. It is best to just never leave into the outside world. That is where other people's possibilities mingle.
Is this the new lighting setup? Crazy. Brandon’s Bookshelf refers to Kierkegaard yesterday, you today, and we have a video next Thursday on it. Duuude. We’re finally talking about hip stuff! Sample size 3. Irrefutable!!
You guys are getting too hip for me! 😅😎
Oh yes! I meant to send you a photo--I set up the lighting just as you had in the photo, and it does seem to have made a great difference. And Yes! Can't go objectively wrong with Kierkegaard--and I very much look forward to what your channel will have to say!! 😮
how many talents can one person have??? Lol. I am impressed my goodness! One of my favorite quotes is by Edgar Allan Poe. "From childhood's hour I have not been As others were; I have not seen as others saw;...." great video as always!
Thank you so much! That is a great quote! From the poem "Alone," one he wrote very young.😊😎
Pae, I can't even handle you anymore. Far too talented. 😁 That happens to me: the compulsion to lean forward over an abyss. Poe's poems are riddled with anxiety. That's probably why I like him. 🤣
I thought you would like Poe. He is definitely an inspiration of King's. 😊😁
Će magnifique 👏 I've only read 7 or 8 of Poes stories but I'm really enjoying them! Love the art too 🎨
Thank you so much! Poe never wrote a bad story!😊
It’s always fascinating to see the exploration of those deep dark concepts or sci-fi before things happen, i.e. the people who are ahead of their times either in execution, topics explored, or even style. It’s curious because for the 19th century, it would seem to me people would be firmly set in the “shake it off” mentality in regards to anxiety and depression. Interesting comparison though not sure if I’d dive into a 300-page essay on anxiety. Life is giving enough on that front lately so I’m good lol. Do think there’s a LOT to learn about anxiety via fiction and explorations on characters with these types of affliction.
Hey, JD! Always good to hear from ya! And it is really interesting to be able to read about the evolution of thought in regard to things like anxiety and depression through fiction. Though some of the terminology has changed through better understanding, it seems that it was better understood around this time that originally believed.
@@attention5638 Likewise, my friend. I do think that beyond terminology, some concepts were pretty well thought out and explained. I think it has to do with people having focus and no cell phones to distract :D
Anxiety! Hurray! Finally a relatable topic! haha. That painting is really incredible - you are a man of many talents.
I am a man of one talent, and that is making people think I have many haha 😅
@@attention5638 Haha!
The painting is so good! 👏🏻 I'm not familiar with Kierkegaard but I love these comparisons! Great video!! There's a lot of paranoia and anxiety in Poe's work for sure 🤣 and people not actually being dead. The Victorian age was tough! My favorite is The Fall of The House of Usher! I was just at the Poe Museum last week for an "Unhappy Hour" everyone was dressed as ravens 😂
Oh really? That is really cool! I have been wanting to go to the Poe museum! If I am ever around there, i will definitely go!😎
Coming back with a killer! Damn man, seriously this was a masterpiece. The painting, the editing, the analysis! So soo good. Funny we both did Kierkegaard this week! Loved every second.
He never disappoints.
Thank you! And yes! I hear Codex will be doing a video on Kierkegaard soon. We are all tuned in to the universal!😂🤣
@@attention5638 Oh I cant wait! lol love it. Tuned in!
This was awesome! I loved the intro. Poe is one of my favorites, The Fall of The House of Usher really freaked me out when I first read it. I think that actually how I started getting interested in darker, gothic horror type books, now that I think back. I liked how Poe slowly revealed the mind state of the narrator sometimes like in the Tell-Tale Heart. His writing and ideas were so different and unique for his time. Nice discussion!
Absolutely! He had so many original ideas and approaches that seem so common today. Though mainly recognized as the initiator of the modern detective, the horror/psychological/and philosophical approaches where something altogether his own as well.😊😎
My interest in Poe keeps on growing. I knew next to nothing about him before starting booktube but the more I hear about him the more he seems to be an interesting writer especially after learning about his influence on the crime genre. I was always under the impression that Conan Doyle was the Crime Father but learning about Poe's detective stories has peaked my interest. I had never heard The Raven before JeremyFee did his reading recently but I actually quite enjoyed it. A question about the nature of anxiety though: If it arises from the fear of ultimate freedom i.e the reason we are scared of being on a precipece is because we know we could jump how does that account for outside influence? For example if we have anxiety about walking the streets at night do these psychological theories mean that we secretly want to be robbed or is that a gross oversimplification? If so I apologise for not quite graspin the concept. I'm just curious as to how the theory works when applied to anxiety about things that we can't control.
I had to wait until I had my laptop to reply to this haha. But great question! Kierkegaard had a somewhat distinctive idea of anxiety, and a lot of it stems from what he believed to be its origin. What you describe here, in the example, Kierkegaard would not say is anxiety, but a fear. Fear and anxiety are distinct in a few ways, but the primary reason is, fear is always directed toward something known--like, being robbed. Anxiety is "fear of something not yet known." Anxiety is really the fear of nothing--when one recognizes their potentiality through experience, anxiety is the result. Anxiety is simply a natural reaction to possibility. Though our will is capable of deciding, we are anxious due to the inability to weigh two diametrically opposed alternatives without feeling concern for an inevitable outcome exclusively predicated upon the decision we make.
I will watch this video again and again! Thanks, Pae!
Oh! Thank you so much! This is probably my favorite video I had done thus far 😊 thank you so much for checking it out.😎
Great Painting. 👍😁👍
In the T.T. Heart I always thought it was His Guilt that played upon His already fragile mind.🤷♂️
Great Video 👍😁👍
Oh, definitely! With every story Poe wrote, there are so many sides to it, one could pick apart meaning after meaning, and still there will be more to look at haha
@@attention5638 Agreed 👍
Love the Tell Tale Heart!🤗 I have not read anything by Kirk... but you are making me want to revisit Poe!
Poe is always worth a reread!😊😊
Raskolnikov couldn't keep quiet either, even when he could have gotten away with murder! 🤔 You always make me want to read things that intimidate me. Thank you!
I just heard a booktube friend say they HATED The Imp of the Perverse! Only on booktube would an obscurish short story come up twice in a week 😂
Oh! I wish I had thought about Raskolnikov! Great example!😊 Imp of the Perverse is a bit less of a story and more an essay, so I can definitely understand someone not liking it, going in with different expectations. But it is still my favorite Poe story haha😅😎
Wonderful introduction, and perfect art. I've seen quite a bit of Poe art and that sorrow, that look on his face, so many nuances are brought out by artists. Love this piece. Not read 'Pym' so I will have to get to it sooner than later.
Oh! Thank you so much. I don't usually paint, and I almost didn't put it up, but it was close enough!😅 Thank you so much for checking this out! "Pym" is a great little novel--wish he had written more!😊
Ah! Yay! You did this video! Pairing the quote about the hardened criminal and the tell-tale heart was glorious. 😎😊 I am planning on starting The Concept of Anxiety soon…I say soon but fear and trembling took me a good three weeks to get through and I still want to reread it 😂
I wonder if Chris Hemsworth will be writing a book anytime soon...hmmmm.😀😈😀
Oh boy! Going from Fear and Trembling to Concept of Anxiety may be a bit much haha😅 it is largely considered his most complicated work, while some scholars believe it was written as a complete joke played on Hegel. I like to believe that is true hahaha
Poe and Anxiety. You're speaking my language. Fabulous video.
Oh, and that painting of Poe? SO good!!
It is an interesting concept, for sure! One could go days analyzing a single work of his and never get to the main point. 😅😎
@@ShannonsChannel Oh! And thank you so much! 😊😊
@@attention5638 You are very welcome!! I'd love to see more of your artwork! My mother was a wonderful artist (painter) but my talent came in different forms, so I'm fascinated by people who can draw/paint as well as you (and my mom).
@@attention5638 That is the best kind of writing, isn't it? When it makes you think and ponder and analyze.
Wow. that painting! Multi-talented, that's what you are, Sir! Great video. Although, I have to read "Imp of the Perverse" and watch this video multiple times to understand it fully.
Thank you so much! It is a really great story, and see what you typically read, I think you would really like a lot of Poe's more unknown stories. 😎😊
RUclips did me dirty by not notifying me of this video. Great stuff as usual. I've not gotten into Poe yet but really want to next year. Anxiety is a great source of horror hey, very much expertly applied in _Rebecca_ that I just read this month.
Oh! I just saw that you read Rebecca with Rosie. I am definitely going to have to make time for that this coming year!
There's a saying, that apparently wasn't around during the days of Poe, or he was never told, "get out of your head". LOL Great video! And for some reason the song Jumper kept coming to my mind.
Thank you for checking this out. I do not believe I have heard that song, but I will look it up! The title does seem to fit for this haha.
@@attention5638 What kind of music do you listen to Pae? Jumper is by Third Eye Blind. It was popular in the late '90's early 2000's.
You would 100% be the most popular English prof at any university - at least with the students who’s opinions matter 😂
Hahaha, Oh, I don't know, but possibly one day. Thank you so much! =)
It's not enough that your videos alternate between proving you're the smartest and funniest person on BookTube, you can do claymation, keep duckish secrets and play musical instruments, but now you can paint too! I hope you're a terrible juggler. 😉
You're analysis of this was great, even if I haven't read Poe in years.
Hahaha, you are going to hate me....but I can indeed juggle haha but not well! And I definitely cannot juggle and paint at the same time 😅 thank you so much for the kind words-- definitely came at a much needed time. 😊
Surprisingly, in hindsight, Poe was well represented in my elementary school years. The Tell Tale Heart is the one one I remember the most clearly both reading and a class field trip to watch the play, more than once...seems odd for whatever age range I was.... Your video makes me realize I haven't even thought about him since I was a young kid. I barely remember anything from before I was 12, but I do remember Tell Tale Heart and The Raven pretty clearly. Im not familiar with the other titles you mentioned. The stories are short so they wouldn't be tough to revisit. Ill give the Imp a look. Great video.
I think you would really like some of his stories. He was a huge influence on H.P. Lovecraft, and a lot of his stories showed up years later in pulp magazines that would eventually kick off the golden age of sci fi!😊
Wonderful exploration, and great painting! I'll pass on the fall into paralysing anxiety. Been there done that 😜
A short period of panic attacks and nearly two years worth of sleep paralysis during a difficult time in my life. Do not recommend 😅
Hahah, yeah, that is probably a good call. I do not recommend it either hahah😅
Fantastic, your knowledge and perspective is so valuable
Thank you so much!
Knew I’d get round to some of these videos eventually.
And of course you can paint an amazing portrait.
Do we draw the line between guilt and angst? Fascinating and thought provoking as always.
Hey Attention this analysis is lit,
Hey Evan! Thank you so much! I am glad you liked it! 😊😊
@@attention5638 🤓🤓
What a great video. I’ve only read his Tell-Tale Heart. Love these videos. I’m woefully unread in classics. I also only recently learned that the fear of heights is usually the fear of the underwhelming urge to jump. Something I never articulated to anybody before because I thought it was something wrong with me. So hearing it was super common was incredible.
What’s up with the little ducks, by the way? :)
It is funny you say that, because I thought the same thing when I was younger. I thought there was something wrong with me, because the urge would contradict what I would actually want to do. But no, we are not alone! haha And though there is a reason for the ducks, it is a very long story--one day it will be revealed, I am sure haha😂😅
@@attention5638 haha, very mysteriooooouuuus
Another amazing video. As a Philosophy major and poetry lover, you hit all the good spots. Plus, I think the rubber ducks are multiplying. 😃💙
I forgot you are a philosophy major! I remember you telling me that. Always good to hear!😊 And yes, they are. It may be getting out of hand hahah
Loved the opening and the drawing! I have read some Poe but not this one!! Great video☺️
Thank you so much, Sandy! This is a great story, for sure! 😊
Probably not the best thing to watch with Covid-induced brain fog. But your voice was strangely soothing and did not generate paralysing anxiety.
Maybe I just need to lay here watching you paint whilst kistening to you read aloud.
Oh no! I am so sorry to hear, Ros!! That is terrible--I hope you start to feel better soon. I am glad the painting, and reading Edgar Allan Poe can be of some comfort! 😊
@@attention5638 I am definitely improving. And brain fog clearing a bit thank heavens.
you're a painter as well! amazing :-)
I try, but it is one thing I wish I could be better at. Thanks for checking this out!😊😎
Very interesting, Pae. Really dig this exploration... Why people love Hieronymus Bosch 😉
I am sure I could have fit some of Bosch's work in this, and it would have made perfect sense haha😅
Well i don't know what to say xD you paralyzed me xD
Great job!
Hahah, Thank you for checking it out! Hope you are well! 😊
PAE...if these incredible authors lived today, what do you think they would write about? Do you think they would put in the effort on grammar, style, theme and symbolism?...just curious.😀
That is a very good question, and a sad one to answer--if these authors were alive today, I would be surprised if they would write at all. And if they did, we would probably never know about it--and the reason for that is because they probably would include all those things. The great novel of our time will never be read, as it will probably never be published haha.
@@attention5638 Good point. So much censorship and political correctness now.
Oh boy. Now I’m stuck.
We all are! haha😅
Awesome content
Thank you so much! 😎
Never read “The imp”. I will do now! Great painting btw. If he was an X-man he would be Forehead-Man, with a superpower having to do with the immensity of his forehead.
HAHAHA You win that--he did have an accentually huge forehead, which made that painting much more difficult than expected 😅
Like me ...not a fore head, a 5 head. I say it shows Intelligence. LoL. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
oh this is a cool vid! and informative
Thank you! 😊
have you experienced that feeling standing on the edge of a cliff yourself?
It is a constant feeling, if I am at the edge of a cliff or not 😅
@@attention5638 Same. Yes, that cliff is always there for me as well. I am teetering, always, on the edge.
Just remember, you’re really upping the ante for your JFK production. 🤓 I often get dizzy when I’m anxious, but I try to steer clear of cliffs.
Don't you mean DJT?....Just kidding. Ignore me, everyone else does.👶
@@stevencorey1278 🤣
The JFK one will be great! I may need your expertise!😅 I have been staying away from the Voxer group, because I still don't have it! But, will this week--it won't take long to catch up, as I have a feeling I am going to just keep going with this one hahah
I dont get it!! Haha what does DJT stand for! What am I missing!! Haha😂
@@attention5638 Donald J Trump...my humor misses at what is for me 0330 in the morning. I am a new subscriber to Kari's channel. Thought it time to introduce her to my sarcastic side.😀
1 like 👍❤️👍❤️