Edgar Allen Poe Summaries

Oct 17, 2021

tags: literature

Who is Edgar Allen Poe?

Edgar Allen Poe was an American writer who lived from 1809 to 1849. He is best-known for his short stories and poems. Of particular interest to me, he is one the founding fathers of the mystery genre. His groundbreaking story The Murders in the Rue Morgue has been described by some as the "first detective fiction story" (Wikipedia). It was a huge influence on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, whose character of Sherlock Holmes (first seen in print in the 1880s) launched the mystery genre into its modern era of popularity. Doyle himself was led to ask, "Where was the detective story until Poe breathed the breath of life into it?"

But, Edgar Allen Poe didn't just write mystery. He also wrote a number of miscellaneous short stories (often focused around murder and death), and published a body of poetry. One of these poems, The Raven, became an instant hit, launching him to fame. It is still Poe's most popular work today.

True to his genre, the circumstances of Poe's death remain a mystery. He died on October 7, 1849 of an unknown illness at Washington College Hospital. He now lies in a grave at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, evermore.

Short summary of Poe's work

I came in possession of The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings, a collection of Poe's writings, a few years ago, but I just recently got around to reading it. I thought I might give my impressions on each of stories and poems. No matter how it may look here, I really do like a lot of Poe's work. The below stores are listed in the order that they appear in The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Writings.

The Tell-Tale Heart: Can you see how clever - very, very clever - the narrator is? Can you see it? Can you hear it? I know you can't, but he'll tell you anyway!
The Black Cat: Be nice to cats, or they will haunt your every waking hour, watching your self-inflicted descent into madness.
The Cask of Amontillado: Sometimes, you go in search of expensive wine, and you end up getting buried alive.
The Fall of the House of Usher: Man stays in creepy house for a while.
The Masque of the Red Death: The Prince Prospero doesn't live up to his name.
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar: A gentleman and his terminal friend partake in an experiment.
Ligeia: The Lady of Tremaine has a really bad time.
The Murders in the Rue Morgue: The police really just lack the necessary acumen to do their job well.
The Purloined Letter: My, C. Auguste Dupin has a very great dislike for mathematicians.
A Descent into the Maelstrom: The first of many harrowing escapes from seafaring disasters.
The Pit and the Pendulum: No one suspects the inquisition!
Ms. Found in a Bottle: Ghost crew do not good conversationalists make.
The Premature Burial: Sometimes, all you need in life is a little brush with being buried alive.
William Wilson: William Wilson is not a big fan of William Wilson.
Eleonora: Honestly, I didn't think it was possible for Poe to write a happy ending.
Silence - A Fable: Somebody really likes noise.
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym: How to survive two mass murders with the power of sheer luck
Stanzas: Frankly, this one confused me.
Romance: You're never too old for some peace and quiet.
To Helen: ... who follows in the Greco-Roman tradition.
Israfel: Give us mortals a break, okay?
The City in the Sea: Even Death can't find some peace and quiet.
The Sleeper: The lady "sleeps".
The Valley of Unrest: Poe is not a big fan of war.
Lenore: Lenore gets an argument for her funeral.
The Raven: This raven really needs to learn some manners.
A Valentine: You have to really hope your valentine is good at word games before you release this.
Ulalume - A Ballad: Sometimes the stars seem closer than they should...
For Annie: Get some therapy, bro.
Annabel Lee: Takes place in a kingdom by the sea.
The Bells: No matter how hard I try not to, I always read this to the tune of "Modern Major General".
Alone: The narrator wants to be a real man.