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POE
Meet the Man Behind the tales of Terror
CONTENT
01 02 03 04
Biography Main Style Short Stories
Contribution Written
BIOGRAPHY
POE’S EARLY LIFE
Edgar Poe was born on January 19th, 1809 to traveling actors Eliza
and David Poe.
When Edgar was a baby, David abandoned the family, leaving Eliza to
support three young children.
Eliza contracted tuberculosis and spent the last few months of her life
in Richmond. She died on December 8th, 1811 at the age of 24,
leaving behind her three children.
Two-year-old Edgar was taken in by Richmond couple John and
Frances Allan. Edgar was never officially adopted, a cause and result
of constant tensions between him and his foster father. He did not take
Edgar Allan their last name, but instead he became Edgar Allan Poe.
Although mysteries were not a new literary form, Poe was the
first to introduce a character that solved the mystery by
analyzing the facts of the case.
1) Invented Modern Detective Story
Poe has an almost world-wide reputation for the part which he played in
developing the modern short story. The ancient Greeks had short stories,
and Irving had written delightful ones while Poe was still a child; but
Poe gave this type of literature its modern form.
He banished the little essays, the moralizing, and the philosophizing,
which his predecessors, and even his great contemporary, Hawthorne,
had scattered through their short stories. Poe's aim in writing a short
story was to secure by the shortest air-line passage the precise effect
which he desired.
STYLE
Edgar Allan Poe's Writing Style
Edgar Allan Poe's Writing Style
Death
Death was central to Poe's life. Specifically, he lost the
women who were closest to him: his mother, Elizabeth
Poe; his foster mother, Francis Allan; and his wife,
Virginia. These experiences allowed Poe to delve
deeply into the psychological ramifications of death as
he explored the emotions of mourning and regret.
Edgar Allan Poe's Themes
Sadness
Sadness often came on the heels of death in many of
Poe's works. His portrayal of the angst of losing a loved
one and the longing of having the dead back with the
living was enhanced by his concise application of vivid
words, nuance, and cadence.
Edgar Allan Poe's Themes
Beauty
Beauty was both mourned and exalted in Poe's writing. Poe
believed that there was a certain beauty in the honest expression
of emotions, even if those emotions were negative. Women were
often praised for both their physical and inner beauty, and Poe
often lamented the fading of beauty with illness. Despite this,
Poe acknowledged the passive beauty that often remained after
death.
Edgar Allan Poe's Themes
Angst
Poe often expressed anxiety, terror, and trepidation through his
use of foreboding and suspense. Many of Poe's characters
became overwhelmed by their feelings of angst as they were
tormented by relentless or increasing dread. These emotions
were often portrayed through precise word use, onomatopoeia,
and rhythm.
Edgar Allan Poe's Themes
Regret
Poe's characters often regretted their actions and reactions. Many
gradually lost their sanity as they attempted to reconcile their
regret. Scholars often suggest that Poe himself struggled with
overwhelming regret for actions and circumstances that were
both within and beyond his control, such as the illness and
subsequent death of his wife, Virginia.
SHORT STORIES
WRITTEN
Short Stories Written
"The Angel of the Odd" (1844)
"Berenice" (1835)
• A story of revenge
Short Stories Written
"The Fall of the House of Usher" (1839)
• A detective story
Short Stories Written
• A torture chamber
• A murderer's guilt