Edgar Allan Poe: Selected Poetry and Tales

Edgar Allan Poe’s stories and poems are among the most haunting and indelible in American literature, but critics for decades persisted in seeing Poe as an anomaly, or even an anachronism. His works, with their bizarrely motivated characters and mysterious settings, did not seem to be a part of the literature of early nineteenth-century America. Critics realize now, though, that Poe was even more a part of the contemporary American literary scene than many of his more “nationalistic” peers, and that in much of his work Poe was making commentaries on slavery and Southern social attitudes, technology, the urban landscape, political economy, and other subjects. This Broadview Edition includes a selection of Poe’s poems, tales, and sketches in such diverse modes of writing as tales of the supernatural and psychic conflict, satires and hoaxes, science fiction and detective fiction, and nonfiction essays on literary and social topics. These are supplemented by a selection of contextual documents―newspaper and magazine articles, treatises, and other historical texts―that will help readers understand the social, literary, and intellectual milieus in which Poe wrote.

Kevin Hayes, University of Central Oklahoma

“Carefully selected, expertly edited, and judiciously annotated, James M. Hutchisson’s Broadview Edition makes an excellent introduction to Poe’s imaginative and critical writings. Though intended for classroom use, this exciting new edition will appeal to all readers who wish to deepen their appreciation of Edgar Allan Poe, the ‘bad boy’ of American literature.”

Amy Branam, Frostburg State University

“Edgar Allan Poe: Selected Poetry and Tales brilliantly represents the best scholarly material on Poe, delivered in an accessible, conversational tone that will appeal to students. The contents run the gamut from Poe’s notorious and imaginative horror tales to his literary criticism. Moreover, James M. Hutchisson has included examples of Poe’s science fiction stories, detective tales, and the oft-overlooked satires. Instructors and students alike will benefit from this edition’s introduction, timeline, footnotes, and appendices, which help to place Poe within his literary and social timeframe, a consideration too often neglected.”

From the Back Cover

Edgar Allan Poe’s stories and poems are among the most haunting and indelible in American literature, but critics for decades persisted in seeing Poe as an anomaly, or even an anachronism. His works, with their bizarrely motivated characters and mysterious settings, did not seem to be a part of the literature of early nineteenth-century America. Critics realize now, though, that Poe was even more a part of the contemporary American literary scene than many of his more “nationalistic” peers, and that in much of his work Poe was making commentaries on slavery and Southern social attitudes, technology, the urban landscape, political economy, and other subjects. This Broadview Edition includes a selection of Poe’s poems, tales, and sketches in such diverse modes of writing as tales of the supernatural and psychic conflict, satires and hoaxes, science fiction and detective fiction, and nonfiction essays on literary and social topics. These are supplemented by a selection of contextual documents―newspaper and magazine articles, treatises, and other historical texts―that will help readers understand the social, literary, and intellectual milieus in which Poe wrote.

About the Author

James M. Hutchisson is Professor and Director of Graduate Study in English at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina.

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