Poe

Edgar Allan Poe is regarded as one of the most significant, influential and intriguing authors of all time. It's safe to say he's a good writer, but there are plenty of good writers that don't even compare to Poe; so what is it that makes his writing so strikingly unique. Aside from his exceptional writing talent, Poe worked using true inspiration, a factor that many authors simply dont have. Within three years of Poes birth in 1809 both of his parents died and he was adopted by foster parents who attempted to force him into the tobacco business, instead of pursuing his dream of being a writer. He was mistreated for most of his life growing up, and his foster parents died when he was still young and struggling to publish, leaving him nothing. Poes first love married another man, and his wife of 2 years died of tuberculosis, the disease that had already claimed his mother, foster mother and brother. Armed with such dark experiences Poe became a revolutionary gothic writer. I believe his success stems from the horrors throughout his life, and his incredible ability to express his emotions in the form of his written works, instilling fear and dread in the reader. In Poes "the raven" he creates a mysterious and frightening aura as he touches on death and the supernatural. Few authors are able to create such a legitimately eerie aura, which is what makes Poe so great, and a pioneer of gothic style writing.