Major Issues
Author Links
Essay Questions

Major Issues

Literary historians look back to the fiction of Edgar Allan Poe for its influence on both the development of genres—science fiction and detective fiction—and on individual writers in these and other genres. The influence of Poe’s literary criticism has also been studied, and he has been credited with elevating the gothic horror story from popular to serious literature. Scholars have identified "mystery" as Poe’s major tone, mode, and theme. His works delve into the infinite mysteries of humanity, nature, and the universe and reveal the insufficiency of human intellect and rationality to solve them. Critics point out, for example, that Poe’s detective stories provide a solution to their particular crime-puzzle, but also raise complicated moral conundrums that are left unresolved. His horror stories, likewise, do not allow a simple "supernatural forces" explanation for their many disturbing events.

Author Links

A Poe Webliography
This extensive gateway site will lead you to online biographies, bibliographies, essays, societies, images, parodies, and more.

Qrisse’s Edgar Allan Poe Pages
This page provides an extensive biography of Poe, with links to useful and eclectic Poe sites.

The House of Usher
This unusual site includes such items as Poe’s favourite felines, Poet’s favourite "flics," music with Poe themes, and a helpful guide to writing research essays on Poe.

The Poe Decoder
This website brings together scholarly essays on Poe and his works, including "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "The Tell-Tale Heart."

Who Is Buried in Edgar Allan Poe’s Grave?
This essay examines the controversies surroundings Poe’s death, burial, and grave.