What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to explore the psychopompic nature of animal characters in Edgar Allan Poe’s writings and their connection to the sublime.

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January 16, 2026

Poe’s Animal Psychopomps and the Sublime

Key Points

The aim is to explore the psychopompic nature of animal characters in Edgar Allan Poe’s writings and their connection to the sublime.
Conduct a thorough analysis of Poe’s major animal figures.
Investigate the mythological and folkloric origins of these characters.
Examine the effects of these animals on aesthetic elevation.
Poe’s animals are identified as psychopomps, guiding souls toward the sublime.
The exploration reveals key connections to myth and folklore that influence their portrayal.
The findings highlight the uplifting effect these characters have on the reader's experience.

Abstract

Abstract Edgar Allan Poe’s animal universe remains a topic of interest to Poe scholars. In an ongoing quest to fathom the obscure and cryptic nature of Poe’s animal characters, a recurrent, yet overlooked, psychopompic pattern in their portrayal becomes evident. A thorough analysis of Poe’s major animal figures reveals that they act as psychopomps in disguise, each eliciting a particular soul-uplifting effect of the sublime. This article investigates the untraced mythological and folkloric origins of Poe’s animal psychopomps and shows how they are related to aesthetic elevation of the soul toward the supernal realm of the sublime.

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