University of Rhode Island DigitalCommons@URI Open Access Master's Theses 1970 Tamerlane to Eureka: The Evolution of Poe's Cosmic Myth Francis E. Antosca University of Rhode Island Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses Recommended Citation Antosca, Francis E., "Tamerlane to Eureka: The Evolution of Poe's Cosmic Myth" (1970). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 1364. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/1364 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@URI. It has been accepted for inclusion in Open Access Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@URI. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. TAMERIANE TO EUREKA: THE EVOllJTION OF POE'S COSMIC MYTH BY FRANCIS E. ANTOSCA I A THESIS SUBMITT.ED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENI'S FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN ENGLISH UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISIAND 1970 MASTER OF ARTS THESIS OF FRANCIS E. ANTOS CA Approved: Thesis Committee: Chairman._____.._.:::;;_4~~~7!'71..4--4 ~~~~~~~·' -- JI~ ~ UNIVERSITY OF RHODE I SIAND 1970 THESIS ABSTRACT Near the end of his life, in the summer of 1848, Edgar Allan Poe published what he chose to call a "prose poem," but which, in fact, was a lengthy and complex scientific essay, titled Eureka. In that work he attempted to explain, both imaginatively and scientifically, the origin, nature, and destiny of man and his universe; a subject about which he had speculated for many years. The many fragments of Poe's total vision are recognizable throughout his poetry, essays, let ters and tales.