Edgar Allan Poe was an American poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is a primary figure of romanticism aswell as American literature as a whole.

Born Edgar Poe on January 19, 1809 in Boston Massachusetts. Edgar Allan Poe would be orphaned at a young age and adopted by the Allan family. Although never formally adopted by the family Poe was with them well into young adulthood. Poe often quarrelled with John Allan over debts and funds for Poe's college schooling. He attended the university of Virginia for one year before leaving due to lack of tuition. Poe later ed the army in 1827 where he anonymously published his first work, "Tamerlane and Other Poems".

Poe later failed as a cadet at West Point declaring a firm wish to be a poet and writer. Poe spent the next several years working for journals and periodicals. In 1836 Poe married his 13 year old cousin Virginia Clem. In January of 1845 Poe published"The Raven" to great success. Two years later tragedy would strike Poe as his wife died of tuberculosis. On October 7th, 1849 Poe would die of unknown causes at the age of 40.

During his lifetime pie published hundreds of stories to various levels of acclaim. His most prominent works include:

The Raven

The pit and the pendulum

The telltale heart

Annabelle Lee

Murder in the roué morgue

The fall of the Usher

The masque of the red death

The black cat

A lesser known work of Poe's I personally recommend and shall leave below is "to my mother"

To My Mother

* Because I feel that, in the Heavens above,

The angels, whispering to one another,

Can find, among their burning of love,

None so devotional as that of “Mother,”

Therefore by that dear name I long have called you— You who are more than mother unto me,

And fill my heart of hearts, where Death installed you In setting my Virginia’s spirit free.

My mother—my own mother, who died early, Was but the mother of myself; but you

Are mother to the one I loved so dearly, And thus are dearer than the mother I knew By that infinity with which my wife

Was dearer to my soul than its soul-life.