Edgar Allen Poe

Texts by Edgar Allen Poe

• "The Fall of the House of Usher"

Resources about Edgar Allen Poe 

1. “Edgar Allen Poe”.  Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.  June 14, 2007. June 16, 2007. < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe >

             This Wikipedia page is a short biography of the American poet, Edgar Allen Poe.  Edgar Allen Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1809.  His parents were actors and died while he was still a youth.  Poe was then cared for by the Allen family of Richmond, Virginia.  This is where the “Allen” in Poe’s name comes from.  Poe served in the military after finding himself destitute despite his foster family’s wealth. 

            After gaining an early discharge from the army Poe enlisted at West Point Academy.  Here he engineered his own court martial and ensured his expulsion from the military college.  Poe went on to edit newspapers and of course become on of the most famous poets in American history. 

            Poe’s writings were different than his contemporaries as he wrote about mysteries, especially detective mysteries, and about all things morbid and macabre.  Poe considered his literary work as works of art.  He emphasized the aesthetic quality of art; how the piece of art made you feel was central to his work.  This defined his work. 

            This article helps the reader understand Poe’s life.  His family background is given, personal relationships are described, and Poe’s eventual death under mysterious circumstances is detailed. 

            The citations on this Wikipedia article reference the reader back to the Edgar Allen Poe society and the works by Poe himself.