Edgar Allan Poe on Intuitive Impressions

4 thoughts on “Edgar Allan Poe on Intuitive Impressions”

1. A nice sentiment, but sentimental. That “additional pleasure which is always deduced from knowing how it was that we once were pleased,” is called nostalgia. The “why it is that we still admire” is because we are that much closer to death and enjoy reminiscing about death.

   But maybe I think this way because I’m in that stage where I utterly despise and condemn things.

   Tom.

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   1. ” The “why it is that we still admire” is because we are that much closer to death and enjoy reminiscing about death.” — Maybe you meant “life” there?

      You might be right (about all points here). I relate strongly to Poe’s point, even if it is sentimental (although I like the sentimental, admittedly—I think much of cynicism (which I also practice) is a refusal to engage with sentimentality as an honest emotional force.

      Poe’s words remind me of Picasso saying that he spent his childhood learning to paint like a master and the rest of his life learning to paint like a child—that is, to see like a child again. It’s easy to dismiss the idea as overly romantic (which it most assuredly is), but there’s also an emotional currency to it that I think is worth considering.

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2. Reblogged this on @edwinoak.

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3. Reblogged this on marezeram.

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