Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) is best known for his horror and mystery writing, but he wrote much more than that. Poe’s writing career began in 1827 when he released a book of poems Tamerlane and other Poemsand since then he has become famous for poetry and short stories. His first famous book was A crow in 1845. It was during this period that Poe became a well-known, though not rich, writer. Students cannot (and should not) succeed in middle or high school without reading at least a few of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories.
Poe’s writing includes genres including horror, gothic, and detective stories. As a writer, Poe did not like to be too didactic or use too many similes. He thought that the meaning should appear just below the writing. And Poe was a writer of his time, using references to popular pseudosciences like phrenology in his stories. Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories, like his poems, often deal with themes of death, mourning, and other painful topics.
These 16 short stories by Edgar Allan Poe are enough to fill an entire unit on Poe, or to satisfy readers who read his best-known work “The Tell-Tale Heart” and cannot get enough. Yes, Poe’s writing is mature, so make sure the story is appropriate for your particular readers.
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The Heart of Speaking
“I felt all things in heaven and on earth. I heard many things in hell. How am I crazy? Listen! and see how healthy it is—that I can tell you the whole story calmly.”
“The Tell-Tale Heart” is perhaps Edgar Allan Poe’s best-known short story. Written in 1843, it is a crime thriller in which Poe straddles the line between anxiety and madness as the narrator explains what drives him to murder. This story is a master class in emotion, movement, and suspense in the making. And there are many references to it in recent news that is a good work of Poe to begin with.
Read more: 25 Edgar Allan Poems Poems
A barrel of Amontillado
“It must be understood, that I did not give Fortunato a reason to doubt my will, word and deed. I continued, as usual, to smile on his face, and he did not see that it was my smile now he was thinking about his murder.”
This 1846 story is a great read as Poe delivers a captivating soliloquy with the vengeful narrator explaining how he calculates murder. And—classic Poe—it’s both grim and darkly humorous.
Masque of the Red Death
“The Red Death had been ravaging the country for a long time. No plague has ever been more deadly or worse. Blood was its Avatar and its symbol—the red and horror of blood.”
In “Masque of the Red Death,” Prince Prospero marks himself on the world along with the “Red Death” and a thousand friends. This ball quickly turns into a nightmare. For students, this is an example of a wonderfully baroque story and, with the COVID pandemic the most recent experience of students, perhaps a very relatable story as well.
The Thrown Book
“We welcomed him wholeheartedly; for it was almost as much a part of the amusement as of the disgust of the man, and we had not seen him for several years.”
Poe is best known for his detective stories—even Arthur Conan Doyle gave Poe a nod for creating a detective story—and this is a great example. Read this story with students as an introduction to mystery and detective stories to start with a story that has all the elements.
The fall of the house of Usher
“In the midst of every dim, dark, and noiseless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively in the sky, I was walking alone, on horseback, in one dreadful part of the country; and at last I found myself, as the shadows of evening began, opposite the gloomy House of Usher.”
“The Fall of the House of Usher” was appreciated even in the 19th century for its terrifying imagery. This story combines several themes into one—an early burial, a young woman killed, madness, and a terrible storm—all of which are there for readers to analyze and interpret.
The Pit and the Pendulum
“The sentence—the dreadful sentence of death—was the last of a different emphasis that came to my ears. After that, the sound of the words of the trial seemed to coalesce like a single voice that didn’t mean anything.”
This story is a good example of building suspense. The main character is a prisoner during the Spanish Inquisition and is sentenced to torture and death. Poe’s style of writing, with lines swinging back and forth like a pendulum above the narrator, effectively builds from one event to the next.
William Wilson
“Let me call myself for now, William Wilson. The fair page now before me must not be tarnished by my true love.”
Poe draws on his childhood experiences in Scottish and English school for this doppelgänger story, but it’s not really autobiographical. We can understand the two characters of William Wilson as a man and his conscience.
Ligeia
“‘Here, at least,’ I cried aloud, ‘I shall never—I shall never mistake—these full, and dark, and wild eyes—my lost love—of the Lady—of the Lady. LIGEIA.’”
Poe published this story in 1838, at the beginning of the golden age when he published most of his mystery and horror stories. In this story, Lady Ligeia shows that one’s will can be stronger than death by returning to life in the body of the narrator’s second wife. As you read Poe, bring this story to class to talk about how Poe uses narrative elements to tell unique stories.
Hop-Frog
“It is thought that Trippetta, on the roof of the saloon, had joined his friend in his fiery revenge, and that, together, they fled to their country; because it was never seen again.
This is another Edgar Allan Poe story about revenge. It was published in 1849, a few months before Poe’s death. In this story, the main character is a man in the king’s court who plans to take revenge after the king strikes a kind woman in the court. And because it’s Poe, revenge is nothing if not hell.
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
“Of course I will not pretend that I consider it a surprising thing, that the extraordinary story of M. Valdemar had an interesting conversation. It would be a miracle if it wasn’t—especially under the circumstances.”
The practice and science of hypnosis was fascinating in Poe’s time, and in this story, the main character uses hypnosis to try to prolong the life of his dying friend. The story goes to a sad end. A true example of a horror story hitting on all cylinders.
The Murderers of the Rue Morgue
“The qualities of the mind are spoken of as analytical, in themselves, but they are less likely to be analyzed. We appreciate them only for their results. We know of them, among other things, that they are always a source of pleasure to their possessor, when they are in excess.”
This story introduces us to the first fictional detective, C. Auguste Dupin. He comes from a rich family but has lost his wealth due to bad events (an archetype in Poe’s work). The narrator meets Dupin and the two move into an abandoned mansion, after which they learn of the murder. Plan more time for this story as it is long. It would be a good option to read with students after they are familiar with Poe’s style and writing.
Descending into the Maelstrom
“‘Not long ago,’ he said at last, ‘and I would have guided you in this path with the youngest of my sons; but, about three years ago, an event happened to me which never happened to mortal man—or at least such as no man has ever lived to tell—and the six hours of mortal terror I endured shattered my body. and the soul. You think I’m too old—but I’m not.’”
Readers can analyze Poe’s choices in this story. The narrator is told the story of a man who survived a whirlpool (maelstrom), but is third person the best for this story? And how were the characters developed, or not developed enough? The story is a testament to Poe’s writing and mastery of the English language.
Oval Portrait
“Swiftly and wonderfully the hours flew by and midnight came. The position of the candelabrum does not please me, and I stretched out my hand with difficulty, rather than disturb my sleeping valet, so as to throw its rays fully upon the book. “
This is a short story that begins with two hikers taking a break when they reach a large house. They entered the house (of course) and started reading books in the house. Then, the story becomes a theory about the conflict between art and life.
Program by Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether
“In the autumn of 18–, while on a journey through the southern provinces of France, my route led me to a place a few kilometers from the Maison de Sante or private mad-house, of which I had heard so much in Paris from medical friends.”
In this story, the narrator takes the opportunity to stop at a mental hospital (as one does), when he doesn’t quite understand what’s going on, to make a funny story. It also shows Poe’s range as this is an absurdist comedy within one of Poe’s familiar settings.
Early Burial
“A thorough investigation showed that he had woken up within two days of being buried; that his struggle within the box had caused it to fall down from the ledge or shelf, where it was broken so that he could escape.”
This story explores the idea of being buried alive, which was a theme of Poe’s. It has an ending that can be disappointing or liberating, depending on the reader.
Silence—A Myth
“Then I became angry, I cursed, with the curse of silence, the river, the lilies, the wind, the forest, the sky, thunder, and the moaning of the lilies; They were cursed and kept silent.
This is a very dense story, but its structure (myth) and subject (a character trying to understand the nature of peace) are both important to understanding Poe’s narrative range.
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