Edgar influenced the genre of gothic literature by adding a haunting feeling and suspense. Poe influenced/created the entire "genre" of detective fiction and has influenced many others to write texts similar to his He is also credited in influencing the creation of the genre of science fiction. Poe was believed to be the first writer to live off of only the earnings from his writings; it was because of this that he lived such a "poor" life. William Friedman, a well known cryptologist, was one of the many people who were influenced by Poe. "It would also be just to say that Poe sacrificed his life for his work, his human destiny to immortality." -Jorge Luis Borges. This is just one example of how people felt about Poe's work. Poe is best known for writing in Gothic styles. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle said, "Each [of Poe's detective stories] is a root from which a whole literature has developed.... Where was the detective story until Poe breathed the breath of life into it?" Poe was sometimes seen as a "mad scientist" or a "tormented artist" and was often thought of as "disturbed". A list of some works by Poe:
"Men have called me mad; but the question is not yet settled, whether madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence– whether much that is glorious– whether all that is profound– does not spring from disease of thought– from moods of mind exalted at the expense of the general intellect." - Edgar Allen Poe. This is how Poe felt about himself and how he thought people thought of him. |
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