Born to an unfortunate heritage, orphaned, unsympathetically raised, and then abandoned, Edgar Allan Poe struggled for greatness in an adverse social and economic climate -- a setting not improved by his fiery temperament and caustic criticism of others. Poe's melancholy brilliance, his passionate lyricism, and his tormented soul would make him one of the most widely read and original writers in American literature. Here, in one volume, are his classic short works: masterpieces of horror, terror, humor, and adventure -- and the finest lyric and narrative poetry of this ill-fated genius whose influence on both prose and verse continues to this day. Pocket Books' Enriched Classics present the great works of world literature enhanced for the contemporary reader. This edition of Great Tales And Poems Of Edgar Allan Poe contains the original Pocket Books introduction, first published in 1951, along with an updated selection of critical excerpts, and suggestions for further readings.