What Do The Following Four
Items Have in Common?
Edgar Allan Poe
The Original Godfather of Mystery,
Horror and Suspense
Biography
• Born in 1809
• Died of mysterious causes in 1849
• Widely regarded as one of America’s finest
and most controversial authors
• Wrote dozens of short stories and poems,
as well as one full-length novel
• Considered the originator of the modern
crime novel and the horror/shock genre
Early Life
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Born in Boston, MA
Parents were traveling actors/performers
Lost both parents at an early age
Was raised by the Allan family in
Richmond, VA
• “Foster parents”, the Allans, inherited a
sum of money, and lived in relative wealth
College Life
• Poe attended the University of Virginia
• Was a mediocre student
• Became a compulive gambler and incrued
a huge debt
• Left college after a year
• Moved to Boston to become a newspaper
writer, joined the military
Young Adulthood
• Poe re-enlisted in a military academy
• Was court-martialed from West Point
Academy in 1831.
• He moved to New York and Philadelphia to
pursue newspaper and magazine writing.
• Was fired for repeatedly showing up drunk.
…Life is Strange
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Poe moved to Baltimore
Lived with his aunt, Maria Clemm
Married his cousin, Virginia Clemm (13)
Poe embarked upon a serious attempt at
creative writing
• Poe’s wife became sick with tuberculosis,
and died three years later
The DownwarD Spiral…
• After his wife’s death, Poe’s drinking
increased and his behavior soured
• His writing became increasingly morbid,
evil, and mysterious
• “The Raven”, Poe’s most successful
poem, earned Poe just $9
• Rumors of drug abuse and mental illness
plagued his career
More problems
• Poe’s gambling debts returned
• His health deteriorated, and his strange
style of writing became a target of ridicule
by other American authors.
• In 1849, Poe was found unconscious in an
alleyway
• He died just three days later
Literary Highlights
• After his death, Poe became known as the
inventor of the crime/detective mystery,
the horror story, and of gothic fiction
• Poe’s short stories are some of the most
popular literary works among American
teenagers.
• A few of his stories have been turned into
motion picture horror movies, including
“The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart”
Poe’s Most Famous Works
“The Masque of the Red Death”
“The Tell-Tale Heart”
“The Pit and the Pendulum”
“The Raven”
“The Black Cat”
“The Tell-Tale Heart”
• A harrowing tale of a man driven to the
murder of his beloved friend and
roommate…
“The Pit and the Pendulum”
• The tale of a prisoner trapped in a
dungeon, who must endure unspeakable
torture…
“The Raven”
• The tale of a man tormented by a
sadistic and possessed bird…