Criticism > Contemporary Literary Criticism > Poe, Edgar Allan - Poe's Works

1. Printable Version
2. Download PDF
3. Cite this Page
4. Tweet This

Poe's Works

During his life, Poe was a prolific writer, who often published work, revised it, and then republished it under a different title. Though his works were widely published in America during his lifetime, he remained relatively unknown as a literary figure until the printing of his poem "The Raven" in 1844. Poe historians feel that his lack of fame may have been due to the misfortune of his trying to establish a literary career in America during the mid-1800s. J. R. Hammond writes that if Poe had been in England, he not only would have been paid more for his work with various publications but would have most likely enjoyed increased popularity of his works in the favorable English literary climate. (Hammond, pp. 17-24)

Besides the other tragic aspects of Poe's life, perhaps the most unhappy was the unwitting selection of Rufus W. Griswold to be Poe’s literary executor. Griswold, in fact, hated and was envious of Poe. Soon after Poe's death,...

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass

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