Unsuccessful "Famous" Artists

Some artists go through their whole live trying to "make it big". They'll do anything to get there, only to have their peers scoff at their work and look the other way. Other artists are too self-conscious or unsure of their work; often ending up holding onto their masterpieces until death do they part. So why do some artists become famous after they die, and not while they were alive?

Vincent Van Gogh, Johann Sebastian Bach, Jane Austen. Three famous artists who all did not see fame during their time on Earth, but today their names are spoken and recognized by millions of people all around the world. Why is that? Most of the time, as it turns out, the artist is far beyond their time. Their genius artist ability highly exceeds their pupils and they simply become another person in the background. Why are they so far above the rest? What do all three of those previously mentioned artists have in common? To put in plainly, their brains were wired differently than others. Every artist I mention in this post (with the exception of Bach, which can be argued) has been shown to have a mental illness sometime during his or her lifetime. Just food for thought.

Now, let's look at a couple American authors who all endured the same circumstances:

Emily Dickinson

Popularly known as one of the best female poets, Emily's poems often lie on the dark and dramatic edge. She was a truly innovative writer with her unique free style, which often included short, brisk lines that broke all of the rules. Emily did not follow a writing style of her fellow peers, but rather invented her own. Her personality was just as unique as her poetry, as she was commonly known for her introverted ways and agoraphobia. A few of her poems were actually published during her lifetime, but did not catch on like they did after her death.

Edgar Allan Poe

My personal favorite. Poe was a Romantic writer who focused on dark, mystery, and death. His work often offset these dark topics by rhyming in almost a sing-songy way. Unlike Dickinson, Poe was desperate to get his work published, as his life was not a glamorous one. He was plagued with his wife's death, alcoholism, and a possible mental illness to top it all off. He had very little money and often moved around a lot. When he tried to publish his work, he was not offered much, as it is known that his famous piece 'The Raven' went for less than $15.


Why do you think some artists do not become famous until after their death?

'Annabel Lee': Summary & Interpretation

Annabel Lee

By: Edgar Allan Poe

It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

By the name of Annabel Lee;

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,

In this kingdom by the sea;

But we loved with a love that was more than love-

I and my Annabel Lee-

With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven

Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,

In this kingdom by the sea,

 A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling

My beautiful Annabel Lee;

So that her highborn kinsmen came

And bore her away from me,

To shut her up in a sepulchre

In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,

Went envying her and me-

Yes!- that was the reason (as all mean know,

In this kingdom by the sea)

That the wind came out of the cloud by night,

Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee

But our love it was stronger by far than the love

Of those who were older than we-

Of many far wiser than we-

And neither the angels in heaven above,

Nor the demons down under the sea,

Can ever dissever my soul from the soul

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee:

For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

And so, all the night tide, I lie down by the side

Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,

In her sepulchre there by the sea-

In her tomb by the sounding sea.

The speaker of the poem begins the story by fairytale like descriptions of the atmosphere, which includes a "kingdom by the sea". We are introduced to Annabel Lee, whom the story is written about. In stanza two, the speaker tells us about the mature love he and Annabel Lee share, even though they are just children. Soon enough, the story takes a dark turn, which is a Poe specialty. The angels become jealous of their love, and result to killing Annabel Lee. As the "highborn kinsmen" take her away, you get a feeling their love was not welcomed by all. But, the speaker is so sure of their love, saying it is stronger than "those who were older than we" and "far wiser than we". In the last stanza, we are brought into the present as the speaker continues to compare his eternal love for Annabel Lee as he is laid down to rest next to her.

The more I read this poem, the more I become infatuated with it. To me it screams classic Poe, detailing a dark and mysterious story about death, all wrapped up and tied with a tragic long-lost love bow. What more could you want? All right, I know everyone is not the biggest fan of Poe, but I think most people can actually relate to this story (even romantics and nature lovers) if you don't read too much into it and interpret it a little bit differently. For example, we have all had heartbreak that has gone awry. You're floating right along; completely smitten by some guy or girl, but you're in your own little young and naive world (stanza 1 and 2). Then comes the heartbreak, leaving your completely devastated (stanza 3). You start questioning yourself and fumble for reasons of why it happened, or how did it get to this point (stanza 4 and 5). All the while you are bearing this misery, you slowly realize how everything around you reminds you of him or her (stanza 6). All right, that might be a little bit dramatic but you get the idea.

Do you have any special interpretations of your favorite writer's work?