Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer and literary critic who lived from 1809 to 1849. He is best known for his dark and mysterious short stories and poems, and is often considered a master of the macabre. Poe’s first collection of poems, ‘Tamerlane and Other Poems, ‘ was published in 1827. He went on to write many more poems, including ‘The Raven, ‘ which became one of his most famous works. Poe also wrote numerous short stories, including ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue, ‘ ‘The Tell-Tale Heart, ‘ and ‘The Fall of the House of Usher.’ Today, Poe is regarded as one of the most important figures in American literature, and his works continue to be popular and influential around the world.
My father had a massive library in his private studio, filled with books of every genre and level of education. It was there that I discovered Edgar Allan Poe’s stories among the many books I read. I always dreamed of editing these stories, collecting the ones I enjoyed the most into a book – which is what I am doing now. The edition of ‘The Raven’ which I reprint here was first published in 1884, with the beautiful art of Gustave Doré. I am sure the readers of this book will appreciate the illustrations, which are reproduced in high quality. I also thought it would be nice to add my own prose version of the poem.
Giuseppe Guarino