Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Tales and Poems
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The life of American writer Edgar Allan Poe was characterized by a dramatic series of successes and failures, breakdowns and recoveries, personal gains and hopes dashed through, despite which he created some of the finest literature the world has ever known. Over time, his works have influenced such major creative forces as the French poets Charles Baudelaire and Andre Gide, filmmaker D.W. Griffith, and modern literary legend Allen Ginsberg. Best known for his poems and short fiction, Poe perfected the psychological thriller, invented the detective story, and rarely missed transporting the reader to his own supernatural realm. He has also been hailed posthumously as one of the finest literary critics of the nineteenth century.
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About this book
This volume gathers 73 stories and 48 poems by Edgar Allan Poe, spanning much of his published short fiction and verse. Among the stories are well-known works such as The Fall of the House of Usher, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Cask of Amontillado, The Pit and the Pendulum, and The Masque of the Red Death. The collection also includes his three detective stories featuring C. Auguste Dupin, starting with The Murders in the Rue Morgue, a form Poe is widely credited with originating.
Beyond the famous psychological and supernatural tales, the book holds satirical pieces, hoaxes, philosophical dialogues, and landscape sketches that show a less familiar side of Poe's writing. Stories like The Balloon-Hoax and Some Words with a Mummy sit alongside critical essays and oddities such as How to Write a Blackwood Article. The poetry section spans early works like Tamerlane through to late pieces including The Raven, Annabel Lee, and Ulalume.
Poe's influence extended well beyond American literature. The French poet Charles Baudelaire translated and promoted his work in Europe, and figures as varied as filmmaker D.W. Griffith and poet Allen Ginsberg later cited him as a creative force. The edition traces how Poe moved between horror, satire, science fiction, and literary criticism.
