Although tainted with heartache and turmoil, Poe's adult years were some of his most productive. In 1831, he published a collection of poems and …show more content…
sold stories to journals in Baltimore and Philadelphia. In 1835, he found his calling when he became editor of the "Southern Literary Messenger." He married his cousin Virginia in 1836 and briefly owned his own journal. Throughout these years, however, he feared imprisonment for debt. Poe's luck disintegrated after his wife died in 1847. He became preoccupied with the lifetime goal of owning his own journal and contracted a brain disease and died in 1849.
Called one of the greatest influences on American writers, authors have studied Poe's indelible works for decades.
Poe's influence is apparent in modern literature today. His greatest influence comes through his murder mysteries, a genre he invented. We see his influence live on through Sherlock Holmes, Perry Mason and others who are ancestors of Poe's cerebral and analytic characters in "The Mystery of Marie Roget" and "The Purloined Letter." Science fiction can also be traced back to Poe.
Poe has an international reputation in the mystery genre, not only for his terrifying tales, but also for his critical acumen. With literature such as "Gold Bug," "Morella," and "The Black Cat," he is justifiably famous. From treasure-mysteries to arabesques and grotesques, his published works have gained international respect from authors across numerous genres.
When writing "The Raven," Poe applied his test of condensation to poetry. He turned romantic tendencies into abridged rules and declared poems can be both short and meaningfully crafted. In "The Philosophy of Composition," Poe gave a detailed account of those steps. Poe's strict control of words rather than spontaneous flow of emotion earned him a reputation among French symbolists, surrealists and
others.