Edgar Allan Poe’s stories were published primarily during the 1830s and 1840s. His macabre stories represented the height of 19th century literature and the foundation of Southern Gothic literature. One of Poe’s strengths was the ability to harness emotions and explore abnormal psyches. In the “The Tell-Tale Heart,” the narrator is guilty. In “The Pit and the Pendulum,” the narrator is frightened. Other narrators appear to experience a kind of madness. Poe also contributed fundamental stories to the detective genre, like his stories with the hyper-rational C. Auguste Dupin (“The Murders in the Rue Morgue” and “The Purloined Letter”).
One of Poe’s primary aims in his writing was to have...
