DARK FANTASY STORIES

Halloween Special: Edgar Allan Poe The literary legacy of Edgar Allan Poe

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 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." 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. 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.