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Mrs. Dyck

Why Edgar Allan Poe is One of the Best Horror Authors. 

By: Rowan Mathews

Edgar Allan Poe is and was a master of gothic horror. From “The Tell Tale Heart” to “The

Raven” Poe has created many great works of fiction. Poe’s use of symbolism, influence on other

authors and his special way of writing horror, are just a few of the things that make him an

amazing author. Soon enough you will agree that Edgar Allan Poe is an amazing author.

Edgar Allan Poe is famous for using lots of symbolism in his works. In “The Tell Tale Heart”

the narrator is afraid of the old man’s “Evil Eye”, the narrator describes it as resembling that of a

vulture’s eye. In Kenneth Silverman’s biography on Poe “​Edgar A Poe: Mournful and

Never-ending Remembrance” he states “Eyes in Poe’s works arouse the dread of being

consumed”. In Edgar Allan Poe’s other most famous work, “The Raven” the titular raven itself is

a symbol for death. It also symbolizes the narrator's grief and loss, as he mourns the loss of his

beloved Lenore. This symbolism can help you think deeper into the story and can even inspire

authors to borrow some traits for their own writing.

It is reasonable to say that Poe might have been the single most influential american author.

Poe’s works have inspired people such as H.P Lovecraft, who happens to be one of my favourite

authors, and another incredibly influential author. Lovecraft was heavily inspired by Poe. He
even wrote a poem called “Where Once Poe Walked” as a tribute to Poe. Poe also inspired

Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes. Doyle was inspired by Poe’s character

Auguste Dupin; one of the first fictional detectives. French author Jules Verne was also inspired

by Poe to create a response to his story, “The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket”.

Verne created “An Antarctic Mystery” which is set 11 years after the events of the prior story.

Poe’s special way of writing has inspired many authors, let us now take a look at how he wrote

his stories.

Edgar Allan Poe uses a very well executed type of horror that is still talked about to this day.

The horror in Poe’s work is subtle, yet disturbing. For example, in “The Tell Tale Heart”, as you

read, you notice small things that will creep you out such as hearing the narrator describe

watching the old man sleep at night. The way Poe writes also helps you understand the story

better. It helps you get an idea of the atmosphere and tone of the story. Many people come up

with different meanings for the stories. This is thanks to Poe’s style of writing helping you think

about alternate meanings for the writing, and is aided by the uses of symbolism. Poe is a one of

kind author and you cannot find many other writers like him out there.

Those few reasons may have convinced you that he was one of the best authors. Poe’s writing

style, use of symbolism, and influence on others make him a great author. The next time you

read a horror novel or watch a scary movie, think about if Edgar Allan Poe inspired it.
 Works Cited 
Lovecraft, Howard Phillips. “Where Once Poe Walked”.

https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Where_Once_Poe_Walked​ Web 3/12/2019

Poe, Edgar Allen. “The Raven”.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/48860/the-raven​ Web 3/12/2019

Poe, Edgar Allen. “The Tell Tale Heart”.

https://www.poemuseum.org/the-tell-tale-heart​ Web 3/12/2019

Silverman, Kenneth. “Edgar A Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance”

Quote in​ ​https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Symbolism-in-Poes-Works-FKJJXHFZTC​ Web 3/12/2019

Unknown Author. “Symbolism in Poe’s Works”.

https://www.bartleby.com/essay/Symbolism-in-Poes-Works-FKJJXHFZTC​ Web 3/12/2019