“With me poetry has not been a purpose, but a passion.”
- January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849
- American
- Novelist, poet, critic
- A pioneer of Gothic and detective novels, he wrote works such as “The Black Cat,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.”
Quote
“With me poetry has not been a purpose, but a passion.”
Explanation
In this quote, Edgar Allan Poe distinguishes between creating poetry as a deliberate goal and doing so as a deep, inherent passion. He implies that for him, poetry is not just a means to an end or a tool for achieving recognition or fame, but rather an expression of personal drive—something that he is compelled to do because it is a central part of his very being. The idea of poetry as a passion reflects his view of art as something that arises from the heart and soul, not just a mechanical or external pursuit. For Poe, the act of writing is fueled by an intense internal need, a desire to express the depths of human emotion and the mysteries of life.
Poe was a writer who felt deeply and whose works often explored emotional extremes such as grief, madness, and obsession. He was part of the Romantic Movement, which celebrated intense personal expression and the idea that art should come from a place of emotional urgency rather than rational calculation. His works, such as “The Raven” or “The Tell-Tale Heart,” show that poetry for Poe was not a simple craft but a vehicle for his own inner turmoil and search for beauty amidst suffering. This passion for poetry drove him to craft some of the most celebrated works in American literature.
In the modern era, this quote speaks to the idea that creativity—whether in writing, music, or other forms of art—should be driven by personal passion rather than the pressure to meet expectations or produce for profit. It challenges the notion of art as a business or a career path, urging us to create for the sake of creation, driven by an authentic desire to express, explore, and engage with the world. In a world full of distractions and pressures to conform, Poe’s words remind us that true art often arises from an internal necessity, a love for the craft itself, rather than from the pursuit of external rewards.
