The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Writings

‘And much of Madness and more of Sin And Horror the Soul of the Plot’

This selection of Poe’s critical writings, short fiction and poetry demonstrates his intense interest in aesthetic issues, and the astonishing power and imagination with which he probed the darkest corners of the human mind. ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ describes the final hours of a family tormented by tragedy and the legacy of the past. In ‘Tell-Tale Heart’, a murderer’s insane delusions threaten to betray him, while stories such as ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’ and ‘The Cask of Amontillado’ explore extreme states of decadence, fear and hate. These works display Poe’s startling ability to build suspense with almost nightmarish intensity.

David Galloway’s introduction re-examines the myths surrounding Poe’s life and reputation. This edition includes a new chronology and suggestions for further reading.

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AS SELECTED WRITINGS

Chronology
Introduction
Further Reading
A Note on the Text
POEMS
Stanzas
Sonnet — To Science
A/ Aaraaf
Romance
TO Helen
Israfel
The City in the Sea
The Sleeper
Lenore
The Valley of Unrest
The Raven
Ulalume
For Annie
A Valentine
Annabel Lee
The Bells
Eldorado
TALES
MS. Found in a Bottle
Ligeia
The Man that was Used Up
The Fall of the House of Usher
William Wilson
The Man of the Crowd
The Murders in the Rue Morgue
A Descent into the Maelström
Eleonora
The Oval Portrait
The Masque of the Red Death
The Pit and the Pendulum
The Tell-Tale Heart
The Gold-Bug
The Black Cat
The Purloined Letter
The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
The Cask of Amontillado
Hop-Frog
ESSÄYS AND REVIEWS
Letter to B—
Georgia Scenes
The Drake—Halleck Review (excerpts)
Watkins Tottle
The Philosophy of Furniture
Wyandotté
Music
Time and Space
Twice-Told Tales
The American Drama (excerpts)
Hazlitt
The Philosophy of Composition
Song-Writing
On Imagination
The Veil of the Soul
The Poetic Principle (excerpts)
Notes