Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, MA on 1/9/1809. He was an American writer and a literacy critic. He lived a rather sad and short life because he was an orphan for a while. His father abandoned him and his mother before she died. Edgar was the first to come up with the genre of mystery fiction and murder fiction and that brought up Science fiction. Before this, Edgar trained to be in the Military by lying about his age, but he did not succeed. Later he wrote great works such as “The Raven”, and “The Tell Tale Heart”. He died on 10/7/1849, at age 40, in Baltimore Maryland. The cause of his death was unknown, unlike his wife who died because of tuberculosis. Some of Edgar’s work was published after he died, some while he lived, and it has inspired Americans and other writers.
Upon the eighth night I was more than usually cautious in opening the door. A watch’s minute hand moves more quickly than did mine. Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers –of my sagacity. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was, opening the door, little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. I fairly chuckled at the idea; and perhaps he heard me; for he moved on the bed suddenly, as if startled. Now you may think that I drew back –but no. His room was as black as pitch with the thick darkness, (for the shutters were close fastened, through fear of robbers,) and so I knew that he could not see the opening of the door, and I kept pushing it on steadily, steadily. ( Edgar Allan Poe )
Edgar tells us how the narrator explained, how he killed an old man with a eye of a vulture. The narrator tells us that after the killing, he still heard the heart of the old man beating in his head. The beating was getting louder and louder until he went mad and told the police that he killed the man and told them where the corpse was. This is the type of horror story that I think adults would understand more than kids. This story shows how murder can lead to insanity and craziness;and that you should not do what the person in the story did. Edgar wrote stories that were bone chilling and told of murder, insanity and sadness.
“Villains!” I shrieked, “dissemble no more! I admit the deed! –tear up the planks! –here, here! –it is the beating of his hideous heart!” ( Edgar Allan Poe
“The Tell Tale Heart” is a good title for this story because it tells us of the killer telling the tale of him killing the old man. It also tells of him hearing the heart of the man still beating and he goes crazy and loses control. He explains to the police that he killed the man. He still hears and tell the police of the beating heart.
Edgar Allan Poe was a great writer and the Father of horror stories because of his horror stories’ detail and well thought out plot. It has the use of very descriptive words and vocabulary that makes his stories scary and breathtaking. He also plans out his stories bit- by- bit so that readers stay interested. Edgar probably got the people for his stories from people he knew when he was young or he just got them from his brain.
I would like to read more of Poe’s work. 