Poe and Morrison Transformed Jalopies into Hot Rods Essay -- Poetry A

The subconscious is said to control various aspects of the life of a human to include major and minor decisions alike; whether to follow the path carved out so cautiously by others or to forge a unique path and travel it fiercely with reckless abandon and ambition guided by extreme individuality. What is this perplexing, intangible thing we call the subconscious? And what role does it play in the writing process of a poet? In general, when given the task of defining the subconscious, the initial impulse is to provide an ordinary idea such as, â€Å"one’s natural instinct that lies beneath the actively aware mind and its intentional thoughts†; however, what if the subconscious is something more? What if the subconscious is actually the culmination of all life experiences up to a specific point in time and this culmination is the true vehicle of the poet’s thoughts? This culmination is the vehicle that drives these thoughts from the subconscious to the conscious, from the pen to the paper and to their final destination that is termed poetry. If the latter is accepted then it is certainly safe to say that both Edgar Allan Poe and Jim Morrison’s vehicles had a few dents and dings, maybe even a crack in the windshield, but they managed to turn these beaters into high performance sleepers. Both Poe and Morrison faced premature emotional distress, gaunt paternal connections, and parallel views on the process of writing poetry; all of which became the catalysts of recurring dark, shocking and unconventional themes in their poetry. Edgar Allan Poe and Jim Morrison experienced traumatic events involving death at a young age. Poe was orphaned twice, once at the tender age of two when his mother Eliza Poe fell ill and passed away, and again wh... ... rigors of prudish societies, to push reputation aside in hopes of revealing unpopular perspectives on the realities of life. Whatever the case may be the truth of the matter is that both Morrison and Poe were able to harness the magnificent talent of turning not so favorable life experiences into brilliant, unforgettable and timeless poetry. Works Cited Ackroyd, Peter. Poe: A Life Cut Short. New York: Nan A. Talese/Doubleday, 2008. Print. Hopkins, Jerry. The Lizard King: The Essential Jim Morrison. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1992. Print. Hutchisson, James M. Poe. Jackson: University of Mississippi, 2005. Print. Poe, Edgar Allan, and Thomas Ollive Mabbott. Complete Poems. Urbana: University of Illinois, 2000. Print. Riordan, James, and Jerry Prochnicky. Break on Through: The Life and Death of Jim Morrison. New York: Morrow, 1991. Print.