Edgar Allan Poe is considered one of America's most important poets. Although his reputation precedes him, little is known about the famous author. His life can only be accurately summarized by a few historical accounts and a series of letters written in his own hand. These, of course, don't even come close to describing the man behind the pen, so to speak. One critic writes, “monomania can easily grow upon the tragic tragedy of Poe's personal life, so deeply buried under a shifting mass of conflicting voices, echoes of voices, and outright lies” (Bradsher 241). He was, socially, a reserved man, but he gave the world something more interesting and powerful that can be told in letters and biographies; he gave us himself. Every poem, story or literary piece that his ink marked on paper was a part of him. These are the things we must study to understand Poe. We also need to understand these things in order to see it. Poe even states that “the mind of a painter expresses itself in his pictures” (Poetics 360). His entire repertoire is the key to the proverbial lock of his intent behind his masterpiece. These are what made Poe such a famous figure in American culture. The experiences in Edgar Allan Poe's life lead to his different perspectives on death. Analyzing Annabel Lee, The Raven, The Masque of the Red Death, we can see that these perspectives include: hope; despair; and fear. Annabel Lee is one of Poe's most famous poems. It is about a young man (the narrator) who falls in love with a girl when both are children. Their love was so strong that it made even angels jealous, so Annabel Lee was struck from heaven and died... middle of paper... the nature of yourself and man is more interesting than giving us the answers. After all, where's the fun in knowing that? Works Cited Bradsher, Earl L. "The Poetic Works of Edgar Allan Poe." Revision. The Sewanee Review April 1918: 241-44. Print.Campbell, Killis. "Contemporary Opinion of Poe". PMLA 36.2 (1921): 142-66. Print.Campbell, Killis. "Selected Poems of Edgar Allan Poe." Revision. American Literature March 1929: 103-04. Print.Law, Robert A. "A Source for Annabel Lee." Journal of English and German Philology 21.2 (1922): 341-46. Print.Poe, Edgar Allan and J. Montgomery Gambrill. Selections from Poe. Boston: Ginn &, 1907. Print.Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Poetic Works of Edgar Allan Poe." The Crayon 5.12 (1858): 360. Print.Werner, W.L. “Poe's Theories and Practice in Poetic Technique.” American Literature 2.2 (1930): 157-65. Press.