What Makes Edgar Allan Poe so Great?

Edgar Allan Poe is recognizably one of the greatest writers in history. In this paper, an explanation of who Edgar Allan Poe is, his early life, and what his inspirations are, will be explained.

Edgar Allan Poe was an American author/editor. He was born January 19, 1809, Boston, MA. He was born to Elizabeth Arnold Poe and David Poe Jr.. After his parents died, he was taken in by a wealthy man named John Allan. Poe went to many different schools during his childhood. At age 17, he went to The University of Virginia. Even though Poe was good in school, he did struggle with alcoholism. He dropped out of school about a year later, joining the army afterwards.By 1835, he had gotten married to his younger cousin Virginia Clemm, who at the time was only 13 years old.

Throughout his life, Poe struggled with: depression, bipolar disorder, and alcohol/drug abuse. People believed this to be his inspiration for writing such dark forms of literature. Poe wrote what he was feeling, which was mostly a gothic sense of emotion. He based some of his work on himself and other people in his life. For example, the poem: 'To My Mother', which was written in 1849, is connected to Poe's real mother. The poem talks about the death of Elizabeth Arnold Poe and how her death had come unfortunately early. Poe wrote his work in a dark way; basing it mostly on: death, supernatural, madness, and tragedy, which was also a reflection of his own life.

Some famous pieces of work Poe has written are: The Fall of The House of Usher, The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Black Cat. His stories revolve around gruesome/supernatural topics, which was one reason it is liked by many. Poe influenced literature today by his style of writing. He has influenced authors such as Ray Bradbury and Clive Barker. Many authors take inspiration to write this type of literature. Examples would be: Stephen King's work, where he describes the horrors of a killer clown. Today, we see many stories and movies based around the same theme that Poe has based his work on.

In conclusion, Edgar Allan Poe is one of history's greatest poets. He used his hurt and madness to inspire him to do something he was gifted at. His legacy lives on today through his work, and will forever be remembered as amazing gothic literature.

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