Edgar Allan Poe Writes for Future Centuries

Edgar Allan Poe is definitely one of a kind when it comes to writing. His works can generally be recognized by his dark, gothic style, and his stories usually revolve around death or lost love. During Poe's time, the subject of death was quite popular and Poe's work included some aspect of death and/or women and death. This could be because multiple women in his life did die, including his biological mother, Eliza Arnold Hopkins Poe. She died when Poe was two years old. His foster mother, Frances K. Allan, died when Poe was twenty. Also, many women Poe loved passed at a young age as well. Poe had multiple writings about the lost love subject, such as "Annabel Lee," which is about mourning the death of a young woman who was killed by angels out of jealousy. Poe also had a niche for cryptography. He once wrote a valentine poem about Frances Ogdon. He never said her name in the poem but her name was hidden within the poem. According to a poll held by the museum, Poe's most famous short stories are "The Black Cat," "The Cast of Amontillado," and "The Tell-Tale Heart."