In the poem, "To Helen," Poe seems to somewhat glorify women. It is believed that he directed this poem to his "ideal love." ... In this same year, he also suffered the second heartache of his life when his engagement to Elmira was broken off. ... In this poem, Poe takes his readers through the heart of misery with an overcastting shadow of terror. ... Instead of bringing peace to his broken heart, it only seems to breed more anguish. ...

• Word Count: 2529
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: High School

The writings of Edgar Allan Poe are known for their presence of horror, mystery, and tragedies, but what influenced his original stories and writings have been on the mind of his audience since his death. Over the years rumors have spread, saying maybe he was a little crazy, or his addictions drove him to his wild tales, but how does one write such detailed and elaborate tails when not in the right state of mind? From going over his works and background we can see that Poe had to be in the right state of mind when writing to be able to write so carefully and eloquently. A major theme that can ...

• Word Count: 3693
• Approx Pages: 15
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School