Eureka: A Prose Poem
Edgar Allan Poe’s non-fiction work, Eureka: A Prose Poem was originally published 1848.
Often published with the subtitle “An Essay on the Material and Spiritual Universe”, it is a monograph on Poe’s personal ideas about the universe and God, whom he frequently describes as an author. His last major work and largest non-fiction piece, Eureka: A Prose Poem comprises nearly 40,000 words. This volume is highly recommended for those with an interest in the mind of this seminal author, and would make for a worthy addition to any collection.
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American author, editor, poet, and critic. Most famous for his stories of mystery and horror, he was one of the first American short story writers, and is widely considered to be the inventor of the detective fiction genre.
We are republishing this vintage text, Eureka: A Prose Poem, in an affordable, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.
Extract from Edgar Allan Poe’s Eureka: A Prose Poem:
Let us begin, then, at once, with that merest of words, “Infinity.” This, like “God,” “spirit,” and some other expressions of which the equivalents exist in all languages, is by no means the expression of an idea — but of an effort at one. It stands for the possible attempt at an impossible conception. Man needed a term by which to point out the direction of this effort — the cloud behind which lay, forever invisible, the object of this attempt. A word, in fine, was demanded, by means of which one human being might put himself in relation at once with another human being and with a certain tendency of the human intellect. Out of this demand arose the word, “Infinity;” which is thus the representative but of the thought of a thought.
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Here, at edgarallanpoe.co.uk, you can find the best of this fantastic author’s novels, short stories, essays, and poems.
You can also find a biography of Edgar Allan Poe, along with some of his most famous quotes and loved poems.
Through republishing works such as ‘Eureka: A Prose Poem’, it is hoped that the writing of this author of mystery and the macabre, can continue to delight – almost two centuries after its initial publication.
