Književno-teorijski pogledi Edgara Alana Poa

Abstract

Cilj ove teze je da ispita književno-teorijske stavove Edgara Alana Poa i formuliše poetiku njegove kriticke misli. Kao urednik brojnih casopisa koji su cirkulisali na americkom tržištu prve polovine XIX vijeka Po je imao mogucnost da se upozna sa aktuelnim književnim trendovima i ukusom citalacke publike. On je formulisao svoje književno-teorijske stavove u velikoj mjeri zahvaljujuci radu u casopisima te je stoga bio upoznat sa idejama njemackog transcendentalizma, engleskog romantizma, britanske estetike zasnovane na Loku, savremenim dešavanjima na americkoj književnoj sceni. Pomenuti stav potvrduje i podatak da je sve svoje eseje kao i kritike na racun britanskih i americkih pisaca, „Marginalije“, „Pinakidiju“, „Literate grada Njujorka“, i niz drugih djela, objavio upravo u periodici. Po nije uspio da za života formuliše i sistematizuje poetiku svoje kriticke misli vec su njegovi književno-teorijski stavovi rasuti po mnogim književnim kritikama i esejima. Istraživanje ce pokazati da je kao književni kriticar, „covjek sa bojevom sjekiricom“, odlucno zahtijevao kompetentnost i dostojanstvo profesije, zalagao se za objektivnu kritiku književnih djela koja ce se zasnivati na serioznosti, posvecenosti i neutralnom stavu kriticara te se s pravom može nazvati prvim americkim profesionalnim kriticarem.

The aim of the thesis is to examine Edgar Allan Poe's literary theory and to formulate the poetics of his critical thought. As an editor of numerous magazines which circulated through the American market in the first half of the nineteenth century Poe had an opportunity to become acquainted with current literary trends and readers' preferences. He formulated his literary theory in large extent owing to his work in magazines, therefore he was familiar with the ideas of German Transcendentalism, English Romanticism, British aesthetics based on Locke, contemporary events which marked American literary scene. Aforementioned issue is confirmed by the fact that all of his essays, criticism on British and American writers, “Marginalia“, “Pinakidia“, “The Literati of New York City“ as well as a number of other writings, were published in periodicals. Poe did not succeed to formulate and systematize the poetics of his critical thought during his lifetime. The statements of his literary theory are scattered throughout numerous reviews and essays. Our research will show that as a literary critic “the tomahawk man“ demanded determinedly competence and dignity of the profession, made an effort toward objective criticism of literary works which would be grounded on seriousness, commitment and critics' neutral attitude which means that he can be rightfully called the first American professional critic.