This post is a summary of three articles. The first was published at https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edgar-Allan-Poe The second was published at https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-impact-did-edgar-allan-poe-have-modern-52497. The third was published at https://www.ted.com/talks/scott_peeples_why_should_you_read_edgar_allan_poe/transcript
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1840) was an American short-story writer, poet, literary critic and editor who is famous for his cultivation of mistery and the macabre. His tale "The Murders in the Rue Morque," (1841) initiated the modern detective story, and the atmosphere in his tales of horror is unrivaled in American fiction. His "The Raven," (1845) numbers among the best-known poems in the national literature. Poe was the son of the English-born actress Elizabeth Arnold Poe and David Poe, an actor from Baltimore. After his mother died in 1811, he was taken into the home of John Allan, a Richmond merchant (presumably his godfather), and of his childless wife.
Edgar Allan Poe brought about several changes in the literary style of his time period. Poe, as a writer, poet, editor and a critical writer influenced not only American literature, but also had an impact on international literature. He was one of the frist writers to develop the genre of both detective fiction and horror. Stories like "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Black Cat," set him apart from other writers of his time. Many anthologies credit him as the "architect" of the modern short story. He was also one of the cirst critics to focus primarily on the effect of the style and of the structure in a literary work; as such, he has been seen as a forerunner to the art for art's sake movement. Poe's style still impacts writers today. Nearly every important American writer after Poe shows signs of influence, especially when working in the gothic mode or grotesque humor. The French, Italians, and writers in Spanich and Portuguese in the Americas acknowledge and demonstrate their debts to Poe in technique and vision. Steven King and others have followed in the footsteps of Poe.
Poe's macabre and innovative stories of gothic horror have left a timeless mark on literature. But just what is it that makes Poe one of the greatest American authors? After all, horror was a popular genre of the period, with many practitioners. Yet Poe stood out thanks to his careful attention to form and style. As a literary critic, he identified two cardinal rules for the short story form: it must be short enough to read in one sitting, and every word must contribute to its purpose. By mastering these rules, Poe commands the reader's attention and rewards them with an intense and singular experience, what Poe called the unity of effect. Though often frightening, this effect goes far beyond fear. Poe's stories use violence and horror to explore the paradoxes and mysteries of love, grief, and guilt, while resisting simple interpretations or clear moral massages. And while they often hint at supernatural elements, the true darkness they explore is the human mind and its propensity for self-destruction. Through his pioneering use of unreliable narrators, Poe turns readers into active participants who must decide when a storyteller might be misinterpreting or even lying about the events they are relating. Although he is best known for his horror stories, Poe was actually one of the most versatile and experimental writers of the nineteenth century. He invented the detective story as we know it, with "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," followed by "The Mystery of Marie Roget" and "The Purloined Letter." All three feature the original armchair detective, C. Auguste Dupin
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