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-Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
+Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above my chamber door,
+## The Tell-Tale Heart
+TRUE!—nervous—very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily—how calmly I can tell you the whole story.
+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.
+Now this is the point. 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 every night, about midnight, I turned the latch of his door and opened it—oh so gently! 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 moved it slowly—very, very slowly, so that I might not disturb the old man's sleep. It took me an hour to place my whole head within the opening so far that I could see him as he lay upon his bed. Ha!—would a madman have been so wise as this? 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 of light 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. And every morning, when the day broke, I went boldly into the chamber, and spoke courageously to him, calling him by name in a hearty tone, and inquiring how he had passed the night. So you see he would have been a very profound old man, indeed, to suspect that every night, just at twelve, I looked in upon him while he slept.
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+## The Raven
+Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
+Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
+ While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
+As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
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+The character of C. Auguste Dupin revolutionized literary crime-solving. Unlike previous portrayals, Dupin's brilliance stems from his psychological insight and analytical prowess, allowing him to delve into the criminal mind and reconstruct events with astonishing accuracy. This emphasis on logical deduction and psychological profiling set a new standard for [Mystery Fiction](/wiki/mystery_fiction) and paved the way for countless iconic literary detectives who followed in his footsteps, solidifying Poe's status as the true progenitor of the genre.
+"The Tell-Tale Heart," a chilling first-person narrative, is a quintessential example of Poe's psychological horror. The unnamed narrator's meticulous planning and execution of murder, driven by an irrational aversion to an old man's "vulture eye," delves deep into the disturbing nature of obsession and guilt. The story's climax, where the narrator believes he hears the victim's beating heart beneath the floorboards, vividly illustrates the maddening power of a tormented conscience, making it a profound study of human pathology.
+In "The Fall of the House of Usher," Poe masterfully constructs an atmosphere of dread and decay, reflecting the intertwined fates of the Usher family and their crumbling ancestral home. The story explores themes of illness, incest, and isolation, as Roderick Usher suffers from a hypersensitivity to sensory input, and his sister Madeline succumbs to a mysterious ailment. The story's final, literal collapse of the house mirrors the psychological and physical demise of its inhabitants, making it a powerful allegory of inherited madness and the supernatural.
+"The Raven" stands as a monumental work in American poetry, captivating readers with its hypnotic rhythm and dark symbolism. The poem follows a distraught scholar mourning his lost love, Lenore, who is visited by a mysterious raven that only repeats "Nevermore." This repeated refusal of comfort pushes the narrator deeper into despair, transforming the bird into a symbol of unrelenting sorrow and the finality of death, showcasing Poe's unparalleled ability to evoke intense psychological states through verse.
+"Annabel Lee," one of Poe's final and most enduring poems, is a lyrical ode to a beautiful, tragic love lost too soon. Set "many and many a year ago," the poem recounts a love so profound that even angels become jealous, leading to Annabel Lee's untimely death. Its melancholic tone, ethereal imagery, and pervasive theme of eternal, idealized love—even beyond the grave—cement its place as a poignant exploration of romantic devotion and the enduring pain of bereavement.
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+Poe's extensive body of work is characterized by its exploration of profound psychological states, often delving into themes of death, madness, and the human capacity for self-destruction. His narratives frequently feature unreliable narrators, twisted plots, and a pervasive atmosphere of dread, drawing readers into the darkest corners of the human mind. He experimented with various literary forms, from short stories and poems to essays and literary criticism, consistently pushing the boundaries of conventional storytelling. This dedication to psychological realism, combined with his unique gothic sensibility, cemented his status as a foundational figure in modern literature.
+Among his most groundbreaking contributions was the invention of the modern detective story. Poe introduced the eccentric and brilliant C. Auguste Dupin in "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," a character who uses ratiocination—a form of deductive reasoning—to solve seemingly impossible crimes. This seminal work, followed by "The Mystery of Marie Rogêt" and "The Purloined Letter," established many of the tropes and conventions still prevalent in [Detective Fiction](/wiki/detective_fiction) today, including the armchair detective, the locked-room mystery, and the meticulous unraveling of clues. His influence on subsequent writers, from Arthur Conan Doyle to Agatha Christie, is undeniable.
+Poe's mastery of the macabre is perhaps most evident in his chilling [Horror Fiction](/wiki/horror_fiction) and [Gothic Fiction](/wiki/gothic_fiction) tales. Stories like "The Tell-Tale Heart" brilliantly portray the descent into madness driven by guilt and paranoia, while "The Fall of the House of Usher" exemplifies the decaying aristocracy and psychological decay central to the gothic genre. He expertly crafted a sense of impending doom and psychological terror, often focusing on the inner turmoil of his characters rather than external monsters. These works continue to inspire terror and fascination, demonstrating his unparalleled ability to tap into primal human fears.
+Beyond his prose, Poe was an accomplished and influential [Poetry](/wiki/poetry). His most famous poem, "The Raven," published in 1845, achieved immediate popularity and remains a classic for its rhythmic intensity, haunting imagery, and exploration of grief and loss. Other notable poems, such as "Annabel Lee," "Ulalume," and "Lenore," showcase his lyrical skill and his fascination with beauty, death, and the supernatural. He believed that poetry should aim for a "single effect" and evoke an intense emotional response, a principle he meticulously applied to his verse.
+As a literary critic, Poe was both insightful and fiercely opinionated, often earning him enemies in the literary establishment of his time. He advocated for originality and craftsmanship, criticizing what he perceived as mediocrity and didacticism in American letters. His theoretical essays, such as "The Philosophy of Composition," offer a rare glimpse into his creative process and his theories on the construction of [Poetry](/wiki/poetry) and [Short Story](/wiki/short_story). Despite a life marked by hardship and tragedy, Poe's enduring legacy as a pioneer of modern literature, an architect of the macabre, and a profound explorer of the human condition continues to resonate globally.
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+Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) was an American writer, poet, and literary critic, widely celebrated for his dark tales and evocative [Poetry](/wiki/poetry). A master of the macabre, he pioneered both [Horror Fiction](/wiki/horror_fiction) and the detective genre, leaving an indelible mark on literature with his profound exploration of despair and the human psyche.
+## See also
+- [Gothic Fiction](/wiki/gothic_fiction)
+- [Short Story](/wiki/short_story)
+- [American Literature](/wiki/american_literature)
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