الفهرس 
Chapter OneOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
Abstract
e current study explores the poetics of transcendence in the poetry of Edgar Allan Poe. It shows how Poe theorizes and practices the quest for transcendence in his poetry. The circumstances of Poe’s life are considered to justify his aspiration for transcendence. The main objectives of the study are to tackle the different types and manifestations of transcendence in Poe’s poetry, to highlight Poe’s vacillation between success and failure in his quest for transcendence, and to show Poe’s wavering between escapism and transcendence in his poetry . Furthermore, this study investigates the mechanisms Poe utilizes in his persistent attempt to go beyond physical reality. It describes the type of reality Poe aspires to transcend and the moral vision he communicates by advocating transcendence. It also attempts to find out if this state of transcendence is always attainable. The study attempts to find answers to the following questions: What is the concept of transcendence in general and as Poe understands and practices it in particular? Why is transcendence a topical theme in the poetry of Poe? What is the poetic code that Poe follows thematically and technically to achieve this state of transcendence? What type of reality does Poe attempt to transcend? What is the moral vision that Poe communicates by advocating transcendence? What are the obstacles that sometimes make such transcendence inaccessible in Poe’s poetry? How is Poe’s escapism developed to be a step towards transcendence? How does Poe strike a balance between the elements of logic, imagination, and rhetoric in his poetry? How does Poe draw boundaries between reality and fantasy? What controls Poe’s imagination? The complexity and universality of Poe’s poetic production call for an interdisciplinary approach that can encompass the formal, aesthetic, biographical, psychological, cultural and social aspects shaping and informing the poems selected for analysis and discussion. The study draws on the critical studies of a number of major scholars who dedicate much of their critical effort to reviews and analyses in defense of Poe’s poetry. It also primarily draws on the critical essays, letters, and other primary sources authored by Poe in order to acquire a comprehensive view of his poetics. This study mainly focuses on Poe’s poetry for one reason: Critics produced dozens of analyses of Poe’s fiction, but almost none of his poems have been analyzed. Transcendence is often a major theme in Romantic poetry; however, no study explored Poe’s poetics of transcendence. A close analysis of Poe’s poems shows that he describes experiences of transcending ordinary reality on all levels. More importantly, the study also tackles all Poe’s poetry not just specific selected poems.
Key Words: Edgar Allan Poe, Escapism, Poetics, Transcendence.