Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most influential writers of the nineteenth century. His writings are very much involved with the dark and mysterious perceptions of life. His works have attracted attention since his death by fans and critics. Other writers have tried to master his unique style, but no one's work has quite compared to the imagery and suspense that Poe offers. Through his fantastic style of writing, Poe provides the world with some of the most mystifying poems and short stories.
             Edgar Allan Poe's writing style primarily focuses upon the dark side of life. He often bases his poems and stories on death, madness, or horror. "Poe was the first to tell the tale of horror from the sociopath's perspective, to shift the point of view from victim to victimizer" (Magistrale 19). The narrator in Poe's story "The Tell-Tale Heart" is just one example of Poe's demonstration of insanity. Throughout the story, the narrator becomes more unstable. He is at first annoyed by the eye of an old man, and therefore proceeds to kill him. Finally, he swears he hears the old man's heart still beating after he is dead. "Poe's poetry is typified by a pervasive sense of sadness--a lost love or the abrupt transition back to reality from a visionary landscape" (Magistrale 19). In his poem "Annabel Lee," he speaks of his lost love in a very sorrowful tone. "The Raven," one of Poe's most famous poems, is both haunting and unhappy. A raven comes to the man's door and reminds him of his lost love, Lenore. All the raven says to the man is "nevermore," which drives him to insanity. Edgar Allan Poe's general theme in his works is not hard to decipher. His stories and poems all follow the same dark theme of coldness, madness, and despair.
             Poe used the term "single effect" to describe how he constructed his stories. Bein...