Antonio FatenDo you sometimes write down recurring thoughts? Sometimes, those writings could be no more than a simple word; other times, they could be a whole-page manuscript or even a fleshed-out story. Every written story starts with a concept, an idea that sparks the individual’s imagination. Like planting, it begins as a tiny seed; the more you tend to its care, the more the roots will grow and sprout into something incredible. That happened with the authors in this story.
Edgar Allen Poe
Indeed, everyone is familiar with Edgar Allen Poe, A short-story writer, poet, critic, and editor in the 19th century. He’s most famous for his works, such as “The Murders of Rue Morgue” in 1841 and “The Raven” in 1845, entertaining the atmosphere of horror and sadness. His stories may have stemmed from his perception of duality, as some accounts see him as a well-respected gentleman, while others see him as self-centered. Perhaps he played with the concept of duality as a catalyst for writing his stories and poems and laid them bare in writing.
In one of his quotes, he states as follows, “I have absolutely no pleasure in the stimulants in which I sometimes so madly indulge. It has not been in the pursuit of pleasure that I have periled life and reputation and reason. It has been the desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from a sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of some strange impending doom.” Based on this, much of his writing seems to stem from traumatic events of his past, using writing as a medium to express those feelings of horror and nihilism. All the horror aspects of his writing seem to represent why the events from his past happened, and he had yet to find the answers to them, which prompted him to create the most well-known literary works in history.
J.R.R. Tolkien.
Moving forward, most of you are undoubtedly familiar with the next great author of the 20th century: J.R.R. Tolkien. Before writing his famous books, Tolkien converted to Roman Catholicism as his central faith. By the time World War I (WWI) took place, he enlisted in the army and saw his fair share of violence in the Battle of Somme. After the war, Tolkien attended The Oxford English Dictionary (formally The New English Dictionary) as one of their staff members. Throughout his adult life, he taught English, specializing in Old and Middle English.
During his tenure, he had a hand in publishing scholarly works such as “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” in 1925 and “Beowulf: the Monsters and the Critics” in 1936. Privately, though, he would muse himself in fantasy writings, eventually leading to the creation of his “legendarium,” which in turn became “The Silmarillion,” a time for him to place the “Elvish” languages he invented. It’s through this that he expanded on the tales from “The Silmarillion” and created the children’s story “The Hobbit” in 1937 and his most famous work, “The Lord of the Rings.” However grittier than his previous book, this epic tale reflects Tolkien’s interpretation of what transpired in ancient Europe.
Expressions of Duality
As you can see from this synopsis of these brilliant writers, one likes the allure of horror and sadness. This darkness resides in every one of us, and compelling poems and short stories spark the imaginations of their readers. The other appreciates old legends and was inspired to make his legends through writing from a more historical standpoint. The contrast between them is that the darker tones of the world envelop one, while the other inspires hope in the darkest days. Writing has become one of the core pillars of expressing our deepest thoughts and shaping them into reality.
https://theableshow.com/the-duality-of-hope-and-despair
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