The Father of the Detective Story: Edgar Allan Poe

Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”

Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” was first published in 1845

Almost everyone has heard of Mr. Poe’s famous poem “The Raven” and I was no exception. But had I actually read it? Sure. Of course. ‘Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary…’ I knew the lines, so I must have read it, right?

This question may have never come up had I not become a member of the Mystery Writers of America this past spring. Edgar Allan Poe’s image is the organization’s iconic logo, and everywhere you look on social media, mystery writers are posting photos of ravens. I thought it was important to know a little bit about the guy and his revered bird, so what better place to start than “The Raven”.

Published in 1845, the poem tells of a man grieving after the loss of his lover, Lenore, and how he falls into madness after being visited by a mysterious raven. I thought it poignant that when Mr. Poe wrote “The Raven”, he was facing a life without his beloved wife, Virginia, who was battling tuberculosis. The illness eventually took her in 1847.

But what does “The Raven” have to do with writing detective stories? Well, not much…and everything. Like the image of Poe himself, the raven has become a symbol for his body of work, which among numerous stories includes "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", "The Mystery of Marie Rogêt", and "The Purloined Letter". These three are the basis for Edgar Allan Poe’s title as Father of the Detective Story, and they are the next ones on my reading list. I hope you’ll check them out as well.

To read Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” click here for the Poetry Foundation’s link.

Happy Reading, Writing, and Sharing!

Suzan

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