Edgar Allen Poe

Edgar Allen Poe. New England's finest writer of the 1800s arguably. A man who "reinvented" the sci-fi world. This man died at only 40 years old. This man, who wrote so much, whether it be the dark romantic and gothic poetry, or his dabble in horror that was meant to be a joke. and wrote even till death, we remember as the Romantic Period's knight in shining armor. I admit I have not read all his work, but I guarantee you that his work surprises you at the end (at least in his Gothic stories)As to his direct poetry, it is dependent of his mood and outlook on the world. At one point he was an anti-transcendentalist (although he is stated to have said he didn't hate it, but rather the fakes among them). Regardless, I personally would say The Raven was his best poem. Although I'm probably not even the billionth person to say that, but it is. It's flow from one word to the other is this unique, Eminem-would-more-than-happily rap along with imagery that tingles the mind. Normally, I would read it, be impressed, and move on. But when you analyze anything you find more than meets the eye. Edgar was a great writer, The Raven was superb, and it doesn't hurt that The Simpsons used it. If only he could've seen The Stylus published, he would be satisfied.

What is an American?

This thing was malfunctioning for a moment. But that's a part of being a modern american, having technology that spazzes out on you. An American is a simple definition, a person who was born, is a current citizen, or identifies even in other countries as being from America. However going truly into the "definition" of American is like the denominations of Protestantism, it will never end in it's diverse and dividing soul. Being American comes with the benefits of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and the Bill of Rights that guarantees the many things some countries simply don't have. Granted, those freedoms can be suspended depending on the scenario,but we still have them. Being American means originating from one place, and then being here. Some people wonder when you can just be plain American, but an American is indeed as Crevocoeur (don't know if I spelled that right) once said, "a melting pot" of culture. America is essentially the Eastern Hemisphere given the greatest thrill of it's life. Being American means being at the forefront of breakthroughs, having new technology at our fingertips. An American is the one who lives here and is generally proud of what we are. I say generally cause let's face it, we have our flaws. We are also war paranoid to an extent, but less so now that the UN is here, and we are pulling out of the Middle East (they really don't like us [US hahaha!]). We (well our government) can't handle money. Just can't, they're the people you swear you will not give your money to. But as I said,  we have flaws, but we're human, not just American. We are proud of our ups, and weary and watchful of our downs. It will only strengthen us to be better. Because an American is not a quitter. An American is not someone you can push around. An American is someone who is proud to call themselves an American.