One the greatest and unhappiest of American poets, a master of the horror tale, and the patron saint of the detective story. Edgar Allan Poe first gained critical acclaim in France and England. His reputation in America was relatively slight until the French-influenced writers like Ambroce Bierce, Robert W. Chambers, and representatives of the Lovecraft school created interest in his work.

"The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends and where the other begins?" (from The Premature Burial, 1844)

Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to parents who were itinerant actors. His father David Poe Jr. died probably in 1810. Elizabeth Hopkins Poe died in 1811, leaving three children. Edgar was taken into the home of a Richmond merchant John Allan. The remaining children were cared for by others. Poe's brother William died young and sister Rosalie become later insane. At the age of five Poe could recite passages of English poetry. Later one of his teachers in Richmond said: "While the other boys wrote mere mechanical verses, Poe wrote genuine poetry; the boy was a born poet."

Poe was brought up partly in England (1815-20), where he attended Manor School at Stoke Newington. Later it become the setting for his story 'William Wilson'. Never legally adopted, Poe took Allan's name for his middle name. Poe attended the University of Virginia (1826-27), but was expelled for not paying his gambling debts. This led to quarrel with Allan, who refused to pay the debts. Allan later disowned him. In 1826 Poe became engaged to Elmira Royster, but her parents broke off the engagement. During his stay at the university, Poe composed some tales, but little is known of his apprentice works. In 1827 Poe joined the U.S. Army as a common soldier under assumed name, Edgar A. Perry. He was sent to Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, which provided settings for 'The Gold Bug' (1843) and 'The Balloon Hoax' (1844). Tamerlane and Other Poems (1827), which Poe published at his own expense, sold poorly. It has become one of the rarest volumes in American literary history. In 1830 Poe entered West Point. He was dishonorably discharged next year, for intentional neglect of his duties – apparently as a result of his own determination to be released.

In 1833 Poe lived in Baltimore with his father's sister Mrs. Maria Clemm. After winning a prize of $50 for the short story 'MS Found in a Bottle,' he started career as a staff member of various magazines, among others the Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond (1835-37), Burton's Gentleman's Magazine in Philadelphia (1839-40), and Graham's Magazine (1842-43). During these years he wrote some of his best-known stories. Southern Literary Messenger he had to leave partly due to his alcoholism.

In 1836 Poe married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia Clemm. She bust a blood vessel in 1842, and remained a virtual invalid until her death from tuberculosis five years later. When the cemetary where she was buried was destroyed, William Fearing Gill, one of Poe's earliest biographers, rescued her remains and stored them in New York in a box under his bed. Her remains were reburied in 1885.

After the death of his wife, Poe began to lose his struggle with drinking and drugs. He had several romances, including an affair with the poet Sarah Helen Whitman, who said: "His proud reserve, his profound melancholy, his unworldliness – may we not say his unearthliness of nature – made his character one very difficult of comprehension to the casual observer." In 1849 Poe become again engaged to Elmira Royster, who was at that time Mrs. Shelton. To Virginia he addressed the famous poem 'Annabel Lee' (1849) – its subject, Poe's favorite, is the death of a beautiful woman.

...
For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-time, I lie down by the side
Of my darling - my darling - my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.
(from 'Annabel Lee', 1849)

Poe's first collection, Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque, appeared in 1840. It contained one of his most famous work, 'The Fall of the House of Usher.' In the story the narrator visits the crumbling mansion of his friend, Roderick Usher, and tries to dispel Roderick's gloom. Although his twin sister, Madeline, has been placed in the family vault dead, Roderick is convinced she lives. Madeline arises in trance, and carries her brother to death. The house itself splits asunder and sinks into the tarn. The tale has inspired several film adaptations. Roger Corman's version from 1960, starring Mark Damon, Harry Ellerbe, Myrna Fahey, and Vincent Price, was the first of the director's Poe movies. The Raven (1963) collected old stars of the horror genre, Vincent Price, Peter, Lorre, and Boris Karloff. According to the director, Price and Lorre "drove Boris a little crazy" – the actor was not used to improvised dialogue. Corman filmed the picture in fifteen days, using revamped portions of his previous Poe sets.

In Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym (1838), Poe's longest tale, the secret theme is the terror of whiteness. Poe invented tribes that live near the Antarctic Circle. The strange bestial humans are black, even down to their teeth. They have been exposed to the terrible visitations of men and white storms. These are mixed together, and they slaughter the crew of Pym's vessel. The Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges has assumed that Poe chose the color intuitively, or for the same reasons as in Melville explained in the chapter 'The Whiteness of the Whale' in his Moby-Dick. Later the 'lost world' idea was developed by Edgar Rice Burroughs in The Land That Time Forgot (1924) and other works.

During the early 1840s, Poe's best-selling work was curiously The Conchologist's First Book (1839). It was based on Thomas Wyatt's work, which sold poorly because of its high prize. Wyatt was Poe's friend and asked him to abridge the book and put his own name on its title page – the publisher had strongly opposed any idea of producing a cheaper edition. The Conchologist's First Book was a success. Its first edition was sold out in two months and other editions followed.

The dark poem of lost love, 'The Raven,' brought Poe national fame, when it appeared in 1845. "With me poetry has been not a purpose, but a passion; and the passions should be held in reverence: they must not – they cannot at will be excited, with an eye to the paltry compensations, or the more paltry commendations, of mankind." (from The Raven and Other Poems, preface, 1845) In a lecture in Boston the author said that the two most effective letters in the English language were o and r – this inspired the expression "nevermore" in 'The Raven', and because a parrot is unworthy of the dignity of poetry, a raven could well repeat the word at the end of each stanza. Lenore rhymed with "nevermore." The poems has inspired a number of artists. Perhaps the most renowed are Gustave Doré's (1832-1883) melancholic illustrations.

Poe suffered from bouts of depression and madness, and he attempted suicide in 1848. In September the following year he disappeared for three days after a drink at a birthday party and on his way to visit his new fiancée in Richmond, Virginia. On September 26 or 27, Poe left Richmond on his way to New York. He had asked his mother-in-law to send him a letter in Philadelphia addressed to the pseudonym E.S.T. Grey. Poe never reached New York. He was found in delirious condition at Ryan's inn and taverna in Baltimore. Poe died in a hospital on October 7, 1849. He was buried at the Westminster Presbyterian burial yard. Four mourners attended the funeral, conducted by Reverend William T.D. Clemm: Poe's relatives Neilson Poe and Henry Herring, his colleague Dr. Joseph Snodgrass, and his former classmate Z. Collins Lee.

Poe's work and his theory of "pure poetry" was early recognized especially in France, where he inspired Jules Verne, Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867), Paul Valéry (1871-1945) and Stéphane Mallarmé (1842-1898). "In Edgar Poe," wrote Baudelaire, "there is no tiresome snivelling; but everywhere and at all times an indefatigable enthusiasm in seeking the ideal." In America the trancencendental philosopher and essayist Emerson called him "the jingle man." Poe, who was some half a dozen years Emerson's junior, disliked transcendentalists and their ponticifations, referring to them as "Frogpondians". In his 'Autobiography' he declared that "Mr. Ralph Waldo Emerson belongs to a class of gentlemen with whom we have no patience whatever– the mystics for mysticism's sake. . . ."

Poe's influence is seen in many other modern writers, as in Junichiro Tanizaki's early stories and Kobo Abe's novels, or more clearly in the development of the19th century detective novel. J.L. Borges, R.L. Stevenson, and a vast general readership, have been impressed by the stories which feature Poe's detective Dupin ('The Murders in the Rue Morgue', 1841; 'The Purloined Letter,' 1845) and the morbid metaphysical speculation of 'The Facts in the Case of M. Waldermar' (1845). Thomas M. Disch has argued in his The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of (1998) that it was actually Poe who was the originator of the modern science fiction. One of his tales, 'Mellonta Taunta' (1840) describes a future society, an anti-Utopia, in which Poe satirizes his own times. Another tales in this vein are 'The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Sceherazade' and 'A Descent into the Maelstrom'. However, Poe was not concerned with any specific scientific concept but mostly explored different realities, one of the central concerns of science fiction ever since. Walter Benjamin noted on his first experiment with hashish in 1927, that he understands Poe much better now. It is known, that the author himself occasionally used opium, but he was not an addict and he did not use opium to induce visions. The literary critic S.T. Joshi has argued that Po suffered from a physical ailment "that rendered him so sensitive to alcohol that a single drink could induce drunkenness." ('The Life of Edgar Allan Poe,' in A Collection of Stories, 1988)

In his supernatural fiction Poe usually dealt with paranoia rooted in personal psychology, physical or mental enfeeblement, obsessions, the damnation of death, feverish fantasies, the cosmos as source of horror and inspiration, without bothering himself with such supernatural beings as ghosts, werewolves, vampires, and so on. Some of his short stories are humorous, among them 'The Devil in the Belfry,' 'The Duc de l'Omelette,' 'Bon-Bon' and 'Never Bet the Devil Your Head,' all of which employ the Devil as an ironic figure of fun. – Poe was also one of the most prolific literary journalists in American history, one whose extensive body of reviews and criticism has yet to be collected fully. James Russell Lowell (1819-91) once wrote about Poe: "Three fifths of him genius and two fifths sheer fudge."

For further reading: The Life of Edgar Allan Poe by William F. Gill (1877); Israfel: The Life and Times of Edgar Allan Poe by Hervey Allen (1934); Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography by Arthur H. Quinn (1941); The French Face of Edgar Allan Poe by Patrick H. Quinn (1957); Edgar Allan Poe by Vincent Buranelli (1961); Edgar Allan Poe: The Man Behind the Legend by Edward Wagenknecht (1963); Edgar A. Poe: A Study by John W. Robertson (1970); Edgar Allan Poe: An Annotated Bibliography of Books and Articles in English 1827-1973 by Esther K. Hyneman (1974); Edgar Allan Poe by David Sinclair (1977); The Tell-Tale Heart by Wolf Mankowitz (1978); The Life and Works by Edgar Allan Poe by Julian Symons (1978); The Rationale of Deception in Poe by David Ketterer (1979); A Psychology of Fear by David R. Saliba (1980); The Sign of Three, ed. by Umberto Eco and Thomas A. Sebeok (1984); Critical Essays on Edgar Allan Poe, ed. by Eric Carlson (1987); Edgar Allan Poe: Mournful and Never-Ending Remembrance by Kenneth Silverman (1991); Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy by Jeffrey Meyers (1992); The American Face of Edgar Allan Poe, ed. by Shawn Rosenheim and Stephen Rachman (1995); Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography by Arthur Hobson Quinn (1997); An Edgar Allan Poe Chronology by J.R. Hammond (1998); Edgar Allan Poe Revisited by Scott Peeples (1998); Edgar Allan Poe, ed. by Harold Bloom (1999); The Poe Shadow: A Novel by Matthew Pearl (2006); Edgar Allan Poe, Eureka, and Scientific Imagination by David N. Stamos (2017); The Lovecraftian Poe: Essays on Influence, Reception, Interpretation, and Transformation, edited by Sean Moreland (2017). - See also: H.P.Lovecraft, who admired Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, Nikolai Gogol, Thomas De Quincey, Lawrence Treat and modern police procedural novel. - Museums: Poe Cottage, Poe Park, Grand Concourse and Kingbridge Road, The Bronx, New York: Poe lived there while he wrote 'Ulalume'and 'The Bells'. - Maryland: Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, 203 North Amity Street, Baltimore: House where Poe lived and wrote 'Berenice'.

Selected bibliography:

• Tamelane and Other Poems, By a Bostonian, 1827
• Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems, 1829
• Poems, 1831
  - Rakkauden ja kuoleman lauluja (runot: Korppi, Lenore, Yhdelle paratiisissa, Katolinen hymni, Kolosseum, Kaupunki meressä, Kummituspalatsi, Voittaja mato, Hääballadi, Israfel, Helenelle, Kellot, Ulalume, Annabel Lee, Yksin, Unen maa, Onnellisian päivä, Järvi, Unelmia, Eldorado, Eulalie. Laulu, Nukkuja, Joelle, Unelma, Anniella, Romance, Äidilleni; suom. Oskari Nousiainen, Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Tammi, 1946)
• Metzengerstein, 1832
  - Metzengerstein (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Duc De L'Omelette, 1832
  - Duc De L'Omelette (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• A Tale of Jerusalem, 1832
  - Tarina Jerusalemista (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• MS Found in a Bottle, 1833
  - Pullosta löydetty käsikirjoitus (teoksessa Punaisen Surman naamio ja muita kertomuksia, suom. Aulis Nopsanen, Hämeenlinna: Arvi A. Karisto, 1954) / Käsikirjoitus, joka löydettiin pullosta (teoksessa Korppi ja kultakuoriainen sekä muita kertomuksia, Porvoo: WSOY, 1959) / Pullosta löytynyt käsikirjoitus (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Four Beasts in One, 1833
  - Neljä eläintä samassa; homokameleopardi (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Lionizing, 1835
  - Leijonan elämää (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Morella, 1835
  - Morella (teoksessa Punaisen surman naamio: jännityskertomuksia, suom. Eino Kaltimo, Helsinki: Kustannus Oy Kansanvalta, 1926) / Morella (teoksessa Punaisen surman naamio, suom. Eino Kaltimo, Helsinki: Kansanvalta, 1926; Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006) - Film 2011, prod. Ford Austin Company, Morella, dir. Adam Ropp, script Adam Ropp, starring Tom Sizemore, Margaret O'Brien
• Shadow - A Parable, 1835
  - Varjo - vertaus (teoksessa Korppi ja kultakuoriainen sekä muita kertomuksia, Porvoo: WSOY, 1959) / Varjo - vertauskuvallinen kertomus (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Unparalled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall, 1835
  - Hans Pfaallin verraton seikkailu (suom. Pekka Markkula, teoksessa Ajan ja avaruuden kartat, Helsinki: Book Studio, 1999) / Erään Hans Pfaallin verraton seikkailu (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Berenice, 1835
  - Berenice (teoksessa Punaisen Surman naamio ja muita kertomuksia, suom. Aulis Nopsanen, Hämeenlinna: Arvi A. Karisto, 1954) / Berenike (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Loss of Breath, 1835
  - Hengen puute (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Bon-Bon, 1835
  - Bon-Bon (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• King Pest, 1835
  - Kuningas Rutto (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• How to Write a Blackwood Article, 1838
  - Miten kirjoittaa Blackwoodin artikkeli (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Ligeia, 1838
  - Ligeia (teoksessa Korppi ja kultakuoriainen sekä muita kertomuksia, Porvoo: WSOY, 1959; Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006) - Films: 1964 (The Tomb of Ligeia), prod. American International Pictures, dir. by Roger Corman, screenplay Robert Towne, starring Vincent Price, Elizabeth Shepherd, John Westbrook; 2009, dir. Michael Staininger, starring Wes Bentley, Kaitlin Doubleday and Sofya Skya
• The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, 1838 (unfinished)
  - Gordon Pymin kertomus (Mikkeli: Kirjapaino Oy Valo, 1903) / Valtameren salaisuus: kertomus oudoista seikkailuista ja kolkoista kohtaloista kahdella purjelaivalla sekä kuvaus ihmeellisestä lämpimästä merestä, villistä raakalaiskansasta ja saaristosta etelänavan ympärillä 1-2 (Helsinki: Kirja, 1915) / Arthur Gordon Pymin selonteko (suom. Jaana Kapari-Jatta, Helsinki: Teos, 2008)
• Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque, 1839
• The Conchologist's First Book, 1839 (ed.)
• The Man Who Was Used Up, 1839
  -Loppuun kulunut mies (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Why the Little Frenchman Wears His Hand in a Sling, 1839 (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
  - Miksi pieni ranskalainen pitää kättään kantoliinassa
• The Fall of the House of Usher, 1839
  - Usherin talon häviä (teoksessa Korppi ja kultakuoriainen sekä muita kertomuksia, Porvoo: WSOY, 1959) / Usherin talon tuho (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006) - Films: 1928, dir. by Jean Epstein and Luis Bunuel; 1949, dir. by Ivan Barnett; 1960, dir. by Roger Corman, screenplay by Richard Matheson, starring Vincent Price, Myrna Fahey, Mark Damon, Harry Ellerbe. "Because there are only four people in the film (including servant Harry Ellerbe), Richard Matheson was stuck with the problem of writing a horror movie in which nothing could happen to anyone until the end. So he inserted numerous filler scenes that are there strictly for atmosphere (a dram sequence, trip into the crypt, a look at the family gallery). And to take up more time, his characters use about 10 lines when one or two would suffice." (Danny Perry in Guide for the Film Fanatic, 1986); 1988, dir. by Alan Birkinshaw, starring Oliver Red, Donald Pleasance, Romy Windsor, Rufus Swart. Filmed in South Africa.
• William Wilson, 1839
  - William Wilson (teoksessa Korppi ja kultakuoriainen sekä muita kertomuksia, Porvoo: WSOY, 1959; Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006) - Films: 1913 (Der Student von Prag), dir. Stellan Rye, Paul Wegener, starring Paul Wegener, John Gottowt and Grete Berger; 1968 (in Histoires extraordinaires), dir. Federico Fellini, Louis Malle (dir. of William Wilson), Roger Vadim, starring Jane Fonda, Brigitte Bardot and Alain Delon
• Silence, 1839
  - Hiljaisuus - faabeli (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Conversation of Eiros and Charmion, 1839
  - Eiraan ja Kharmionin keskustelu (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Devil in the Belfrey, 1839
  - Paholainen kellotornissa (teoksessa Punaisen Surman naamio ja muita kertomuksia, suom. Aulis Nopsanen, Hämeenlinna: Arvi A. Karisto, 1954; Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Business Man, 1840
  - Liikemies (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Conchologist's First Book, 1839 (with others)
• Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque, 1840
• The Man of the Crowd, 1840
  - Laumasielu (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• A Descent into Maelström, 1841
  - Tähti; Maalströmin pyörteessä (suom. Olli, Porvoo: WSOY, 1903) / Kurimus (teoksessa Korppi ja kultakuoriainen sekä muita kertomuksia, Porvoo: WSOY, 1959) / Laskeutuminen kurimukseen (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Island of the Fay, 1841
  - Keijukaissaari (suom. Pekka Markkula, teoksessa Ajan ja avaruuden kartat, Helsinki: Book Studio, 1999) / Keijun saari (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Colloquy of Monos and Una, 1841
  - Monoksen ja Unan vuoropuhelu (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Never Bet the Devil Your Head, 1841
  - Älä lyö pirun kanssa päästäsi vetoa (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Three Sundays In a Week, 1841
  - Kolme sunnuntaita viikossa (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Murders in the Rue Morgue, 1841
  - Morgue kadun kauhu (Helsinki: Ahjo, 1920) / Morgue-kadun murhat (suomentanut Eino Ismala, Helsinki: Lehtiyhtymä, 1945) / Morgue-kadun murhat (Hämeenlinna: Nide, 1953) / Rue Morguen murhat ja muita kertomuksia (suom. Paavo Lehtonen, Porvoo; Helsinki : WSOY, 1975) / Rue Morguen murhat (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006) - Films: 1932, dir. by Robert Florey, starring Bela Lugosi, Sidney Fox; 1954; 1971, dir. by Gordon Hessler, starring Jason Robards Jnr, Herbert Lom, Lilli Palmer (filmed in Spain); 1986 (TV movie), dir. by Jeannot Szwarc, starring George C. Scott, Rebecca De Mornay, Ian McShane, Neil Dickson, Val Kilmer
• The Masque of the Red Death, 1842
  - Punaisen surman naamio (suom. Eino Kaltimo, Helsinki: Kansanvalta, 1926) / Punaisen surman naamio ja muita kertomuksia (osaksi lyhentäen tai mukaillen suom. Aulis Nopsanen, Hämeenlinna: AAK, 1954) / Punaisen kuoleman naamio (teoksessa Korppi ja kultakuoriainen sekä muita kertomuksia, Porvoo: WSOY, 1959 / Punaisen surman naamionäytelmä (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006) - Films: 1964, dir. by Roger Corman, starring Jane Asher, Hazel Court, Nogel Green, Patrick Magee, Vincent Price (with a subplot based on 'Hop Frog') ; Concorde in 1989, dir. by larry Brand, starring Clare Hoak, Patrick Macnee, Paul Michael, Jeff Osterhage
• The Mystery of Marie Rogêt, 1842-43
  - Marie Roget'n mysterio (teoksessa Morgue-kadun murhat, suomentanut Eino Ismala, Helsinki: Lehtiyhtymä, 1945) / Marie Roget'n salaperäinen murha (teoksessa Punaisen surman naamio, suom. Eino Kaltimo, Helsinki: Kansanvalta, 1926) / Marie Rogetin arvoitus (teoksessa Rue Morguen murhat ja muita kertomuksia, suom. Paavo Lehtonen, Porvoo; Helsinki : WSOY, 1975) / Maria Rogêt 'n mysteeri (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Eleonora, 1842
  - Eleonora (teoksessa Punaisen Surman naamio ja muita kertomuksia, suom. Aulis Nopsanen, Hämeenlinna: Arvi A. Karisto, 1954; Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Oval Portrait, 1842
  - Soikea muotokuva (teoksessa Punaisen Surman naamio ja muita kertomuksia, suom. Aulis Nopsanen, Hämeenlinna: Arvi A. Karisto, 1954; Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Black Cat, 1843
  - Musta kissa (teoksessa Punaisen surman naamio ja muita kertomuksia, suom. Aulis Nopsanen, Hämeenlinna: AAK, 1954; Korppi ja kultakuoriainen sekä muita kertomuksia, Porvoo: WSOY, 1959; Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006) - Films: 1919 (Unheimliche Geschichten), dir. Richard Oswald; 1934, dir. Edgar G. Ulmer, starring Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and David Manners ;1973 (The Sabbat of the Black Cat), dir. Ralph Lawrence Marsden, starring Ralph Lawrence Marsden, Barbara Brighton and Babylon, 1989 (Il gatto nero), dir. Luigi Cozzi
• The Gold Bug, 1843
  - Kultakuoriainen (teoksessa Korppi ja kultakuoriainen sekä muita kertomuksia, Porvoo: WSOY, 1959; Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006) - Films: 1956 (Manfish), dir. W. Lee Wilder, starring John Bromfield, Lon Chaney Jr. and Victor Jory; 1983 (En busca del dragón dorado), prod Golden Films Internacional S.A. (Spain), dir. Jesus Franco, starring Jesus Franco, Flavia Hervás and Ivana Mayans
• The Pit and the Pendulum, 1843
  - Kuilu ja heiluri (teoksessa Korppi ja kultakuoriainen sekä muita kertomuksia, Porvoo: WSOY, 1959; Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006) - Films: 1961, dir. by Roger Corman, starring Luana Anders, Anthony Carbone, John Kerr, Vincent Price, Barbara Steele; 1967 (Die Schlangengrube und das Pendel), dir. Harald Reinl, starring Lex Barker, Karin Dor and Christopher Lee; Full Moon in 1990, dir. by Stuart Gordon, starring Jonathan Fuller, Lance henriksen, Oliver Reed, Rona de Ricci; 2009, dir. David DeCoteau, starring Lorielle New, Stephen Hansen and Bart Voitila
• The Prose Poems of Edgar A. Poe, 1843
• Diddling, 1843
  - Huijaus (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Tell-Tale Heart, 1843
  - Kielivä sydän (teoksessa Punaisen surman naamio ja muita kertomuksia, suom. Aulis Nopsanen, Hämeenlinna: AAK, 1954; Rue Morguen murhat ja muita kertomuksia, suom. Paavo Lehtonen, Porvoo; Helsinki : WSOY, 1975; Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006) - Films: 1960, dir. Ernest Morris, starring Laurence Payne, Adrienne Corri and Dermot Walsh; 1972 (Legend of Horror), dir. Enrique Carreras, Bill Davies; 2009 (Tell-Tale), dir. Michael Cuesta, starring Josh Lucas, Lena Headey and Brian Cox
• The Oblong Box, 1844
  - Pitkänomainen laatikko (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Angel of the Odd, 1844
  - Sattumusten enkeli (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• A Tale of the Ragged Mountains, 1844
  - Rosovuorten tarina (teoksessa Punaisen Surman naamio ja muita kertomuksia, suom. Aulis Nopsanen, Hämeenlinna: Arvi A. Karisto, 1954) / Tarina Rosovuorilta (teoksessa Korppi ja kultakuoriainen sekä muita kertomuksia, Porvoo: WSOY, 1959) / Kertomus Rosovuorilta (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Literary Life of Thingum Bob, Esq., 1844
  - Herra Kuka Lien kirjallinen elämä (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Balloon Hoax, 1844
  - Kuumapallohuijaus (suom. Pekka Markkula, teoksessa Ajan ja avaruuden kartat, Helsinki: Book Studio, 1999) / Ilmapalloankka (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Elk, 1844
• The Assignation (aka The Visionary), 1844
  - Sovittu tapaaminen (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Thou Art the Man, 1844
  - "Sinä olet se mies" (teoksessa Rue Morguen murhat ja muita kertomuksia, suom. Paavo Lehtonen, Porvoo; Helsinki : WSOY, 1975; Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Mesmeric Revelation, 1844
  - Mesmerinen paljastus (suom. Pekka Markkula, teoksessa Ajan ja avaruuden kartat, Helsinki: Book Studio, 1999) / Mesmeristinen ilmestys (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Spectacles, 1844
  - Silmälasit (teoksessa Punaisen Surman naamio ja muita kertomuksia, suom. Aulis Nopsanen, Hämeenlinna: Arvi A. Karisto, 1954; Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Mystification, 1845 (aka Von Jung, the Mystific)
  - Mystifikaatio (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Some Secrets of the Magazine Prison-House, 1845
  - Aikakauslehtivankilan salaisuuksia (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Power of Words, 1845
  - Sanojen voima (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar, 1845
  - Totuus Valdemarin tapauksesta (teoksessa Punaisen surman naamio: jännityskertomuksia, suom. Eino Kaltimo, Helsinki: Kustannus Oy Kansanvalta, 1926) / Herra Valdemarin tapauksen tosiasiat (teoksessa Korppi ja kultakuoriainen sekä muita kertomuksia, Porvoo: WSOY, 1959) / Totuus M. Valdemarin tapauksesta (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Some Words with a Mummy, 1845
  Sananvaihtoa muumion kanssa (suom. Pekka Markkula, teoksessa Ajan ja avaruuden kartat, Helsinki: Book Studio, 1999) / Muutama sana muumion kanssa (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Premature Burial, 1845
  - Ennenaikainen hautaaminen (teoksessa Punaisen surman naamio ja muita kertomuksia, suom. Aulis Nopsanen, Hämeenlinna: AAK, 1954; Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006) - Film 1962, dir. by Roger Corman, starring Ray Milland, Heather Angel, Hazel Court, screenplay by Charles Beaumont and Ray Russell
• The Purloined Letter, 1845
  - Varastettu kirje (teoksessa Punaisen surman naamio: jännityskertomuksia, suom. Eino Kaltimo, Helsinki: Kustannus Oy Kansanvalta, 1926; Rue Morguen murhat ja muita kertomuksia, suom. Paavo Lehtonen, Porvoo; Helsinki : WSOY, 1975) ) / Anastettu kirje (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Scheherazade, 1845
  - Scheherazaden tuhannes ja toinen tarina (suom. Pekka Markkula, teoksessa Ajan ja avaruuden kartat, Helsinki: Book Studio, 1999) / Sheherazaden tuhannestoinen tarina (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Imp of the Perverse, 1845
  - Perverssiyden paholainen (teoksessa Rue Morguen murhat ja muita kertomuksia, suom. Paavo Lehtonen, Porvoo; Helsinki : WSOY, 1975) / Uhittelun pahus (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Raven and Other Poems, 1845
  - Kultakuoriainen y. m. kertomuksia (suom. Yrjö Kivimies; runot käänt. Yrjö Jylhä, Porvoo: WSOY, 1927) / Rakkauden ja kuoleman lauluja (suomentanut ja elämänkerran kirjoittanut O. Nousiainen, Helsinki: Tammi, 1946) / Korppi (suom. Niilo Idman, Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava, 1958) / Korppi ja kultakuoriainen sekä muita kertomuksia (Porvoo: WSOY, 1959) - Films: The Raven in 1963, dir. by Roger Corman, starring Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Boris Karloff, Hazel Court, Jack Nicholson. Note: in The Raven (1935), dir. by Louis Friedlander, Bela Lugosi identifies himself with Edgar Allan Poe, and has a room full of the torture devices Poe described in his stories. Boris Karloff is his assistant
• The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether, 1845
  - Tohtori Tarrin ja professori Fetherin menetelmä (teoksessa Korppi ja kultakuoriainen sekä muita kertomuksia, Porvoo: WSOY, 1959; Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Tales, 1845
• The Sphinx, 1846
  - Sfinksi (teoksessa Korppi ja kultakuoriainen sekä muita kertomuksia, Porvoo: WSOY, 1959) / Kiitäjä (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Cask of Amontillado, 1846
  - Amontillado-tynnyri (teoksessa Korppi ja kultakuoriainen sekä muita kertomuksia, Porvoo: WSOY, 1959) / Tynnyrillinen Amontilladoa (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Domain of Arnheim, 1847
  - Arnheimin tila (teoksessa Punaisen Surman naamio ja muita kertomuksia, suom. Aulis Nopsanen, Hämeenlinna: Arvi A. Karisto, 1954; Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Eureka: A Prose Poem, 1848
• Mellonta Tauta, 1849
  - Mellonta Tauta (suom. Pekka Markkula, teoksessa Ajan ja avaruuden kartat, Helsinki: Book Studio, 1999) / Mellonta tauta (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Von Kempelen and His Discovery, 1849
  - Von Kempelenin keksintö (suom. Pekka Markkula, teoksessa Ajan ja avaruuden kartat, Helsinki: Book Studio, 1999) / Von Kempelen ja hänen keksintönsä (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Hop-Frog, 1849
  -Hovinarri (teoksessa Punaisen Surman naamio ja muita kertomuksia, suom. Aulis Nopsanen, Hämeenlinna: Arvi A. Karisto, 1954) / Hyppysammakko (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• X-ing a Paragrab, 1849
  - Baragrafin kääntäminen (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• Landor's Cottage: A Pendant to The Domain of Arnheim
  - Landorin mökki (teoksessa Kootut kertomukset, suom. Jaana Kapari, Helsinki: Teos, 2006)
• The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe, 1902 (17 v.; edited by James A. Harrison)
  
• The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe, 1938 (with an introduction by Hervey Allen)
  
• The Letters of Edgar Allan Poe, 1948 (edited by John Ward Ostrom)
  
• The Short Fiction of Edgar Allan Poe, 1976 (edited by Stuart Levine and Susan Levine)
  
• Writings in the Broadway Journal: Nonfictional Prose, 1986 (edited with introduction by Burton R. Pollin)
  
• Tales and Sketches, 2000 (2 vols., edited by Thomas Ollive Mabbott with the assistance of Eleanor D. Kewer and Maureen C. Mabbott)
  
• Private Perry and Mister Poe: the West Point Poems, 1831, 2005 (edited by William F. Hecker)
  
• Critical Theory: the Major Documents, 2009 (edited with introduction, notes, and textual variants by Stuart Levine and Susan F. Levine)
  
• The Annotated Poe, 2015 (edited by Kevin J. Hayes; with a foreword by William Giraldi)
  
• Edgar Allan Poe: Selected Poetry, Tales, and Essays, Authoritative Texts with Essays on Three Critical Controversies, 2016 (edited by Jared Gardner, Elizabeth Hewitt)