DARK FANTASY STORIES

Bizarre Facts You Didn't Know About Edgar Allan Poe The gothic horror of "The Cask of Amontillado"

Edgar Allan Poe was one of the most influential writers of the 19th century. His works have been translated into many languages and have inspired countless imitations.. Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1809. His parents were both actors. Poe's father died when he was just two years old and his mother died a few years later. Poe was then raised by his foster parents, John and Frances Allan. Poe's literary legacy is evident in the works of many writers who came after him. His use of symbolism and allegory has been emulated by such authors as Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville. Poe's influence can also be seen in the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, H.P. Lovecraft, and Stephen King. Poe attended the University of Virginia for a year, but he left after getting into a dispute with John Allan over gambling debts. Poe then enlisted in the army, but he was soon discharged. Poe returned to Richmond, Virginia and began working for the Southern Literary Messenger. It was during this period that Poe wrote some of his most famous stories, including "The Gold Bug" and "The Murders in the Rue Morgue." In 1836, Poe married his thirteen-year-old cousin, Virginia Clemm. Virginia died of tuberculosis in 1847. Poe was devastated by her death, and it is thought that this tragedy influenced many of his dark and macabre stories. Poe continued to write and publish stories throughout the 1840s. In 1849, he was found delirious and incoherent in a Baltimore gutter. He died a few days later at the age of 40. The cause of his death is still a mystery.