Today we can call Edgar A. Poe one of the most prominent literary figures of his time if not of all time. He shaped the genres of gothic horror, detective stories, and short stories. However, back in the day he was most well-known, notoriously well-known, for his critic works. Writers seemed to be quite sensitive towards Poe’s commentary, sometimes mockery, too. Edgar earned the reputation of an outcast and died as such. He contributed to the development of literature dramatically and yet lived a pathetic, and feeble, and penniless life. Author’s very own life was as dark and ghastly as his poems and stories. He was haunted by the loss of his mother and his wife who both died at thier twenties. Poe was believed to suffer from alcoholism. However, these is very likely only the made up stories by his enemies, whom he had more than enough. Poe died at the age of fourty not being able to accomplish his literary ideas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lgg-pVjOok

• Poe’s father abandoned the family when Edgar was an infant.
  
• His mother died of tuberculosis when the child was 2 years old.
  
• Allan is not his middle name, but the surname of Poe’s adopted family. John Allan and Edgar Poe didn’t get along. Allan refused to pay for Poe’s education, and he couldn’t finish the college.
  
• Poe’s early set of works “Tamerlane and other poems” was so unsuccessful and was being sold so poorly that, for some time, historians thought that it never even existed.
  
• “The Raven”, unlike all the other literary works, had become exceedingly popular. Kids would cry “Nevermore” when they saw him on the streets; He was receiving invitations to the most exclusive clubs in New York. Nevertheless, it didn’t bring him enough money to live a decent life.
  https://youtu.be/wAdQ3CcPHQU
  
• Poe’s cause of death is still unknown and is considered mysterious.
  
• Edgar Allan Poe has been a muse for the new TV-series “Wednesday” where Poe is regarded as the most famous “Nevermore” Academy alumni. The school is named after his greatest poem “The Raven”; There is a statue of Edgar Poe in the school; There is the annnual “Poe Cup” competition between peers where students need to create boats in the style of one of Poe’s short stories, cross the river on them, reach the Raven island and return back without sinking or being sunk; The annual dance party at “Nevermore” is called “Rave’N” (Yo! Almost eleven o’clockity, so haul it out on the dance floor one last time before the Rave’N says “Nevermore!”)
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• Some of Poe's works are in "Simpsons." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLiXjaPqSyY
  
• In the 2nd episode of "The Addams Family" tv-series (1964) Morticia reads "The Raven" poem to Pugsley to help him fall asleep.
  
• In the recent psychological horror movie "Cobweb", the teacher is reading "The Raven" poem to the class to boost kids' Halloween mood. (the exact timing in the film is 15:10)

A story that can be interpreted in different ways. On the Internet, I saw several analyzes of the work, where the theme of the incompatibility of the beauty of life and the beauty of art was noticed. But I don't understand how it can be. As for me, it's quite the contrary. Reality and art complement each other. Personally, I see the themes of obsessive love and lunatism.

While reading, I imagined that the artist chained his beloved to a chair. He didn’t feed or let her go to the bathroom for several weeks while he was painting her portrait. 'This is indeed Life itself!' the artist exclaimed, looking at the finished work. The obsession with the idea of ​​capturing the beauty of the girl on canvas ended in the sacrifice of her real beauty for the sake of art.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuHQV65Bazw

It is one of the stories by Edgar A. Poe that perfectly represents his literary theory about the unity of effect. This theory states that every single word within a short story should contrinute to the story, its mood, and themes. Poe successfully builds the ambience of horror and dread using the figure of the mysterious Red Death in the hood, the magnificent old ebony clock, and the black room with scarlet windowpanes. The theme of the inevitability of death is shown with the decease more powerful than the notorious plague. The theme of transience of human life is shown with the clock ticking every hour (3600 seconds) and reminding everyone that life is not meant forever. And the scarlet colour penetrating the whole story does not let the reader forget that we are just people, we are creatures who can bleed and therefore can die. Sometimes unexpectedly (e.g. within the next 30 minutes), sometimes unwillingly. But the Red Death won't ask.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2Nq-vJ_dcg

The story of a man in the first person. The hero himself tells us about the events of his life. He claims that he is not a psychopath. And he tries to convince the listener that he indeed is not throughout the story: “Hearken! and observe how healthily — how calmly I can tell you the whole story"," You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded — with what caution — with what foresight — with what dissimulation I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during the whole week before I killed him", "And now have I not told you that what you mistake for madness is but over acuteness of the senses?""It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. Object there was none. Passion there was none. I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me insult. For his gold I had no desire. I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture — a pale blue eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees — very gradually — I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever." A psycho never knows they are a psycho and therefore will never admit it. For them it is nothing but nonsence. For our hero the words above are a very natural hiccup. Well, really, how can you live peacefully and sleep soundly when this Volture Eye is looking at you. Also, the hero did not intend to kill the old man but the eye: "And then, when my head was well in the room, I undid the lantern cautiously — oh, so cautiously — cautiously (for the hinges creaked) — I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eye. And this I did for seven long nights — every night just at midnight — but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work; for it was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye."

The author is then amused by very bizarre things: “And then, when I had made an opening sufficient for my head, I put in a dark lantern, all closed, closed, so that no light shone out, and then I thrust in my head. Oh, you would have laughed to see how cunningly I thrust it in!"," 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."

The hero is lost in the dimensions of time and space. He assumes he can not move for an hour freely: "The old man’s terror must have been extreme! It grew louder, I say, louder every moment! — do you mark me well? I have told you that I am nervous: so I am. And now at the dead hour of the night, amid the dreadful silence of that old house, so strange a noise as this excited me to uncontrollable terror. Yet, for some minutes longer I refrained and stood still. But the beating grew louder, louder! I thought the heart must burst. And now a new anxiety seized me — the sound would be heard by a neighbor!”, "I then smiled gaily, to find the deed so far done. But, for many minutes, the heart beat on with a muffled sound. This, however, did not vex me; it would not be heard through the wall."

The very act of crime is unsettling. As a reader, I don't even know how to react to what happened. And in order to finish me off, as a cherry on top, the author tells us about how smoothly and neatly he dealt with the consequences of the night mess: "If still you think me mad, you will think so no longer when I describe the wise precautions I took for the concealment of the body. The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence. First of all I dismembered the corpse. I cut off the head and the arms and the legs." After that, there are no questions at all about how a literary work can be written in the horror genre. Moreover, the last two sentences have been cut from many sources in the Russian adaptation (my native kanguage). Apparently, the censors considered it excessive.

The story ends rapidly, but agonizingly for the killer. In Raskolnikov style , to some extent. Only in "Crime and Punishment" was there more of human and less of unsound mind.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDLLHTdVSgU
And again, "Simpsons" gave Edgar A. Poe some screen time, making this marvelous piece:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvADdNkIhmI

"Yet most homely narrative" about "mere household events" Yeah, sure, I guess. Most homely, most family-friendly, and cute story about a man who loves pets. No... That's the story about a psycho. No... It's a story about a mentally ill person who knows he's out of his mind, but can't do anything about it. I said "who knows". Yes, he understands when he does something inadequate. That is, despite going bananas, does his thinking work? It quite does. He experiences pangs of conscience, suffers and grieves for what he has done. He is able to see himself from the side, he is cold-blooded, prudent and decisive, if the situation requires it. But is he really able to distinguish reality from his fantasies? Or has his life long since turned into a mirage?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzPjlukF54o

The last Poe's work that was published in 1849 not long before his death. In this poem, the author writes about (wow, so new) death and grief of the narrator towards his Annabel Lee. The narrator tells us that their love wasn't just ordinary love, it was unprecedentedly vast and even angels could only imaginse such a feeling:

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I was a child and she was a child,
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀In this kingdom by the sea,
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀But we loved with a love that was more than love—
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I and my Annabel Lee—
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Coveted her and me.

Tragically, the were separated by Annabels relatives which supposedly (by me) led to the maiden's suicide. The narrator, though, is sure that a supernatural entity forced her out of this world.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Went envying her and me—
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Yes!—that was the reason (as all men know,
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀In this kingdom by the sea)
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

However, nothing can part the two and the narrator is left to live out his days at the sepulchre of his beloved:

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀But our love it was stronger by far than the love
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Of those who were older than we—
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Of many far wiser than we—
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀And neither the angels in Heaven above
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Nor the demons down under the sea
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride,
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀In her sepulchre there by the sea—
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀In her tomb by the sounding sea.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCG1CpfejW4

Once upon a time in an unknown kingdom there lived a king and his seven ministers who adored jokes. They had a jester named Hop-Frog. The jester was an unfortunate soul: he was a cripple and a dwarf. But his physical state didn't prevent him from being a talented joker. His ideas and performances were always appreciated by the king. Hop-Frog didn't seem to mind king's somewhat toxic personality until he let himself punch defenceless Trippetta, Hop-Frog's one and only friend, for no good reason. This act of violence pushed Hop-Frog to prepare his last jest.

I like how Poe talks about obese people being always funny:

"Whether people grow fat by joking, or whether there is something in fat itself which predisposes to a joke, I have never been quite able to determine; but certain it is that a lean joker is a rara avis in terris [a rare bird upon the Earth]."

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"Fat people are funny" is a positive association that often pops up in our heads. However, there's also a negative and even stronger association that fat people are corrupt and evil and greedy faithless creatures. And in this story, the mix of both takes place. Another important idea is the line between a joke and offence. First, it starts with a relatively harmless mischief but then the author absolutizes this issue making it morbid and terrifying.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foanjlc8OCk