Edgar Alan Poe (1809–1849) was one of the most enigmatic and exciting forms of American literature. Poet; narrator; critic and pioneer of police and psychological horrorPoe left a work that still magnetizes readers and creators two centuries after His death on October 7, 1849.

Born BostonPoe lived a life full of loss, poverty and personal tragedies. His father abandoned his family, his mother died when he was only two years old, and little Edgar was adopted by the rich merchant, John Alan from Richmond. Despite the apparent security, their relationship was difficult and was permanently interrupted when Poe adult. In 1830 he was ranked at the Military Academy “West Point“But he was quickly dismissed, as he deliberately caused a scandal to avenge John Alan.

Poe was one of the first American writers to try to live exclusively from writing. Wrote poems like “The Raven”, which became almost immediately a global literary phenomenon, and short stories such as “The Fall of the House of Asher”, “The Heart That Witnesses”, “The Golden Scarab” and “The Barrel of Amodillad”in which he explored the depths of human consciousness with almost scientific precision. Poe is also considered the father of the police short story, thanks to his stories with Detective Ogkst Dipin, a precursor to Sherlock Holmes.

However, behind literary genius, a man was hidden. The death of his wife, Virginia Clem, at an early agehe crushed him psychologically. His financial poverty and his dependence on alcohol followed him until the end of his life, not withstanding the loss. His last days remain mysterious as he was semi -fascinated on the streets of Baltimorewearing clothes that were not his own, and died a little later in a hospital, in a state of delusion. The circumstances of his death remain the subject of visuals to this day, as if he has been his own protagonist.

The cemetery’s bet

Alan Poe had already shown his credentials and his weird way of thinking about his classmates at the University of Virginia. According to their testimonies, Poe had bet that he would spend the whole night alone in the old cemetery of the University, reading poems in the light of a lantern. When his friends searched him the next morning, they found him sitting still in front of a grave. He held a book in his hands and when his classmates approached him, he was lowly and said: “My silence is talking to you” It is not certain whether history is true or whether it is a product of the imagination of his classmates, but fits perfectly with the character of the man who dedicated his life to exploring terror and the unknown.

Poe’s legacy remains immortal. His stories inspire cinema, music and art, while his dark style still fascinates younger generations of readers. As he wrote: ‘Dreams are the memories of another life“And perhaps Poe, through his work, continued to dream even after his death. It is certain that 200 years later, his works continue to magnetize and fascinate.