With Halloween approaching, the weather getting cold, and the reemergence of ghost stories, it is time to talk about Edgar Allan Poe. He remains one of the most celebrated writers of mystery short stories. He created tales where the reader could enter the mind of a murderer. Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19th, 1808, in Boston, MA. His father left his family, and his mom died when he was around two, leaving him an orphan. He then moved in with a Richmond couple and spent his youth with them, but was never formally adopted due to a tumultuous relationship with his adoptive father. Poe then moved to Charlottesville to attend the University, but because he incurred too much debt, he returned home and later moved to Boston. In 1838, while living in Philadelphia, he wrote his most popular short stories, such as The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Masque of the Red Death,” and “The Black Cat”.
Poe’s most famous piece was “The Raven,” a poem that follows an unnamed speaker missing his wife, who is visited by a talking raven that answers every question with “nevermore.” This slowly drives the man into despair and madness. “Tell Tale Heart” is another popular story by Poe that dives into the mind of a murderer, providing imagery such as darkness, the beating of a heart, and the voices. Overall, this spooky season, all should read Edgar Allan Poe to set the mood. He creates intriguing stories that reveal the dark, evil nature of the human mind. Poe has significantly developed the detective and horror genres further with his distinguished writing.