Topic > The biography of Edgar Allan Poe and his contribution to the horror genre

For most readers, Edgar Allan Poe's name has become synonymous with horror and fear. Moreover, the images and motifs created by the novelist had a huge influence on subsequent generations and the works of other authors, so much so that they even immersed themselves in popular culture. Poe's memorable images and quotes have become an integral part of the world's cultural heritage, giving inspiration to horror film screenwriters and novelists. As a result, many fans of the horror genre do not even evaluate the true value of Poe's contribution, taking his efforts for granted. For nearly two centuries, Poe has provided realistic images of the morbidity, fear, and horror of life to all who are interested in the genre or draw parallels between fiction and certain moments in life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Edgar Allan Poe's biography is full of mystery that can be explained by his own passion for exaggeration and fantasies, which confused biographers who were trying to learn about his life from his works or from his own words . However, most biographers agree that Poe barely knew his parents, and when biographers say he was a spoiled child, they mean the family that adopted Edgar. Edgar was born into a family of young actors. His father was an alcoholic, whose addiction had reached the point that he was even drunk on stage. He once left his wife and children and no one ever saw him again. Edgar's mother fell ill and died when Poe was just a child. Thus it was that Edgar was adopted by the Allens, the family of successful businessmen (Meltzer, 2003, p. 24). The teachers at the school said that Edgar was a very talented boy with numerous talents, including even knowledge of French and the ability to translate simple Latin authors (in primary school), but his parents gave him too much pocket money which made him mischievous and bad. behaved. Despite all the support Edgar received during childhood, he was left alone when he was in college, as Mr. Allen refused to help him. There are many hypotheses as to what prompted him to leave his adopted son without any financial support, but it is an important biographical fact that after he received a substantial education in school. Edgar did not have the opportunity to go to college, and it was only by his own choice that he decided to receive a higher education; and the knowledge he acquired was a valuable contribution to his talent that helped him create all the wonderful literary works that became famous throughout the world. Poe's realistic use of science fiction allowed him to deceive his readers and keep the audience under pressure with his vivid images and terrifying scenes. Poe's innovative approach to writing fiction made him stand out from the crowd of his contemporaries, so much so that the stories created by Poe are similar to those created by modern writers. Another aspect that makes Poe's works unusually modern is his ability to describe narcotic visions and mental illnesses. Therefore, Poe believed that opium could heighten the imagination and enhance the perception of reality. Although this was nothing new, and this tradition had been preceded by more than a century of drug-inspired visionary tales, such as the works of Aldous Huxley, Poe went even further than his predecessors in describing the inner world of his characters and in creating most readers sympathized with them or at least understood their concerns and motivations. In his short story "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether", Poe emphasizes the fine line that.