Edgar Allan Poe (1809 – 1849) had a defining impact on the development of the short story in English, and is credited with helping define the horror and mystery genres as we know them. He was also a prolific poet, famous then and now for “The Raven,” “Annabel Lee,” and other frequently anthologized classics.

A notorious gambler and addict, frequently ill, impoverished, or otherwise desperate, he nevertheless translated these shortcomings and sufferings into some of the darkest and most enduring works in the history of American literature.