Edgar Allan Poe

“Men have called me mad; but the question is not yet settled whether madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence.”

Edgar Allan Poe

Life & Background:

Born in 1809 in Boston, Poe was a poet, short story writer, and literary critic. Orphaned young and plagued by personal loss and alcoholism, he became one of the originators of modern horror, detective fiction, and psychological suspense.

Inspirations:

Gothic tradition, Romanticism, dreams, death, and the human psyche.

Themes in His Work:

• Madness, obsession, and decay

• Death, mourning, and the supernatural

• Guilt and unreliable narration

• Isolation and the limits of rationality

• Beauty and terror 

Notable Works:

• The Raven

• The Tell-Tale Heart

• The Fall of the House of Usher

• The Cask of Amontillado