Criticism > Contemporary Literary Criticism > Poe, Edgar Allan - The Influence of Poe’s Life on his Work

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The Influence of Poe’s Life on his Work

Edgar Allan Poe is considered the father of both the horror genre and the detective novel. His stories of murder, revenge, and paranoia are still popular more than 150 years after his premature (and mysterious) death. Many readers wonder where he came up with the ideas for his stories and what type of a man would write such horrifying tales.

Poe's life was interesting. Born in 1809, his parents were actors, but he and his brother and sister were orphaned when Poe was two years old. Poe was sent to foster parents in Richmond, Virginia, named John and Frances (Fanny) Allan. This is where the "Allan" in Edgar Allan Poe comes from, but the Allans also affected Poe's writing.

John Allan was of Scottish descent, hard working and thrifty. He was a tobacco trader and very successful financially. He and Poe clashed throughout most of Poe's life. Allan had not attended college, believing work was more...

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1. Introduction
2. Introduction
3. Biography
4. The Influence of Poe’s Life on his Work
5. The Debate Over Poe’s Use of Alcohol and Drugs
6. Poe at Work
7. Poe's Works
8. Poe on Poe
9. Frequently Asked Questions About Poe
10. Copyright

1. Edgar Allan Poe