DARK FANTASY STORIES

Edgar Allan Poe : La Vérité sur le cas de M. Valdemar (France Culture / Samedi noir) An analysis of the symbolism in "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 career began while he was serving in the army, when he published his first book of poems, "Tamerlane and Other Poems" (1827). Poe's first short story, "MS. Found in a Bottle," was published in 1833 and won a prize from a Baltimore newspaper. Poe's first and only novel, "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket," was published in 1838. Poe attended the best schools and was later admitted to the University of Virginia, but he was forced to leave after only one semester due to gambling debts. Poe then joined the United States Army and later the United States Army Corps of Engineers. 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." Poe's personal life was marked by tragedy. His young wife, Virginia, died of tuberculosis in 1847. Poe was devastated by her death and struggled with alcoholism and depression. In 1849, Poe was found delirious and near death in a Baltimore tavern. He was taken to a hospital, where he died four days later. The cause of Poe's death is still a mystery, although it is likely that he died of rabies