December 4, 2024
This post is part of my 30in30 challenge, where I write 30 minutes every day for 30 working days. Due to my limited time for this challenge, the content will be only very lightly researched and edited. The idea is to just write. Find my voice, and find the courage to publish. To follow my curiosity wherever it may take me.
Edgar Allan Poe once wrote:
If the poem [Al Aaraaf] is published, succeed or not, I am 'irrecoverably a poet'.
He did go on to become a poet—indisputably so. But this sentence has been on my mind ever since I read it, which, to be honest, was only about three hours ago.
How do we become something? A poet, a writer, a speaker, or a developer (an odd example, perhaps, but I am a developer, after all). Is there a specific moment or achievement that officially grants us these titles?
Poe claimed the title of poet regardless of whether Al Aaraaf succeeded or not. Interestingly, though the poem was published, it was met with mostly negative reviews. Critics found it overly complex, full of obscure references, and structurally odd.
Much like a lot of the code I've written.
Al Aaraaf wasn't even his first work. His first book of poems, published in 1827, received no attention at all. Yet, he wasn't put off. He kept trying to make a living from his writing. Though he largely failed in his lifetime, Poe is still credited as the first American author to attempt to earn a living solely through his pen.
Despite his early struggles, Poe is now celebrated as a renowned writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Everyone knows his name. His hard work ultimately paid off—though, unfortunately, he wasn't alive to enjoy the fame and recognition, as that only came after his death.
I like to imagine that Poe embraced the idea that "the journey is the goal, not the destination." From what little I know about his life, it seems that his writing meant more to him than fame ever could. Why else would he continue writing, even when his early works were ignored or criticized?
It's comforting to know that everyone faces struggles. No path is entirely smooth. There are always bumps, rejections, and criticisms, regardless of what career you choose.
The key, I suppose, is to carry on regardless.