I’m starting see more in line with the idea Poe was not a madman as many thought he was as a result of the often disturbing nature of his writing. Aside from his discussed tactics for marketing as someone writing to earn a living, upon reading The Imp of the Perverse, I can further recognize that his work derives from ways of thinking that are certainly self-reflective and can be quite logical in their reasoning, to the point where it reveals some aspect of truth about human behavior as we know it modern day perspectives.

As Poe describes it, the “Imp” refers to the intrusive thought that comes from somewhere in the mind that pushes us to do things that brings us no benefit whatsoever – from acts of procrastination to directly negative and dangerous thoughts like self-harm, murder not with motive but simply an impulsive attraction to what shouldn’t be done. He’s basically providing a sensible explanation for intrusive thoughts.

Why do we do the things that have no real benefits for us, sometimes even compromising ourselves? Why is it when I’m walking down Martin’s way and the thought of jumping down from the bridge, for no reason whatsoever, crosses my mind? I wonder how it would it feel to fall at such a height? To feel my knees bashing against the ground? For no reason at all? Poe recognizes that there is an irrational, more instinctive component of the human mind. And even though it has been suggested that I should not take Poe’s work at face value, I think there is some truth to be derived from the words of The Imp of the Perverse.