The End of the World in Poe: The Nineteenth Century Sociological Context of Adventism in Selected Works of Edgar Allan Poe

The End of the World in Poe provides the sociological circumstances in which certain works of Edgar Allan Poe were composed. The selected works are "The Conversation of Eiros and Charmion" (1839), "The Colloquy of Monos and Una" (1841), "The Power of Words" (1845), and "Review of Stephens' 'Arabia Petraea'" (1837). Dr. Yeagley's analysis of these works offers authentic literary criticism based on detail afforded only by intimate understanding of the sociological circumstances in which the works were written. Though Poe is not generally associated with genuine religious sentiment, the three short stories and one essay examined in Dr. Yeagley's text demonstrate that Poe was in fact deeply familiar with the theological and apocalypitcal trends of the mid-19th century. Poe was in fact sincere in his respect and response to the Biblical world view.