Ayanna Hernandez

Period 6

English

Mrs. Alvarez

5/10/18

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was a writer and literary critic. He was well known for his writing style and

short stories. He lived in the 1800s, a period of change for the United States. There was a lot of

push for change such as fighting for the abolition of slavery and fighting for the equal rights of

women. Edgar Allan Poe wrote in a different form of writing mystery poems and gothic stories.

With so many changes taking place, there was a lot more comfort in voicing your own opinions

and standing by different advocates. In this time, Poe was one of the first to step out of the

classic writings in that era and begin writing his short twisted stories that got him well

recognized.

Growing up, Edgar Allan Poe didn’t know his parents although they were actors, Elizabeth and

David Poe. His mom passed away from tuberculosis when he was 3 and his father left him at an

early age. He was also separated from his brother and sister and did not know much about them.

All throughout his life he did not know much about his family and this could have been an

influence to his style of writing about mysteries. Poe lived in foster homes and he lived with

John Allen (a successful tobacco merchant) and his wife. “By the age of 13, Poe was a prolific

poet but his literary talents were discouraged by is head master, who preferred that he follow the
family business.’ (Biography Edgar Allan Poe) As he experienced many unfortunate events he

told those stories through his perspectives in short stories that give off a dark and eerie feelings.

One of Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous short stories was the “The Tell Tale Heart” It’s “relayed

by an unnamed narrator who endeavors to convince the reader of his sanity while describing a

murder he committed.” (Poemuseum 4) The story begins when the narrator suspects the eyeball

of an old man is watching him. The eyeball angers him into killing the old man and from there

his guilt trip begins as he tries to convince himself that he did nothing wrong. This short story

revolves around the theme being the effects of guilt and conscience. Poe influenced American

literature. Edgar Allan Poe was one of the first writers to develop the genre of detective fiction

and horror. His writing style is still a heavy influence on writers today.

Another popular literary piece he wrote is “The Masque of the Red Death” Its theme surrounding

death was an impact to America during the time it was wrote. “In ‘The Masque of the Red

Death’ Edgar Allan Poe immerses us in an atmosphere that feels more dreamlike than real.”

(shmoop 3) There is a lot of suspense and fear in his story because death creeps up on the

characters throughout the story. His essential theme is death, and how it is inevitable. “Poe’s

main aim is to create a growing sense of fear and dread in his reader, starting in the opening

sentence and building straight through to the story’s dark climax.” (shmoop 3)

Lastly, Poe wrote a poem about the death of a beautiful girl named Annabel Lee. Many believe

that Annabel Lee was based off his own experience because he was also once young and in love,

similar to the story. “I was a child and she was a child, in this kingdom by the sea, but we loved

with a love that was more than love.” (shmoop 17) This was also the final complete poem written

by Edgar Allan Poe before his mysterious death. His writings were very unique as he opened a

door for many authors with his creative gothic fiction stories.