Top 10 Best Edgar Allan Poe Poems and Stories

Dear reader, lend your attention to this humble page, for it seeks your esteemed judgment. On this virtual parchment, a question is whispered in the somber echoes of the cyberspace, reaching out to souls akin to that of the revered master of macabre, Edgar Allan Poe. Which of the symphonies of sorrow, the elegies of the eerie, the verses of the void, penned by this craftsman of creeping tales and poignant poems, do you deem the finest?

Be it the haunting rhythm of 'The Raven,' whispering of loss and longing, the chilling tale of 'The Tell-Tale Heart,' throbbing with guilt and madness, or perhaps 'The Fall of the House of Usher,' a narrative draped in a heavy cloak of dread and despair. Each piece, a fragment of Poe's soul, is a mournful melody resonating in the grand concert hall of Gothic literature.

So, dear friend, as you wander in the labyrinth of your memories, traversing the dimly lit corridors of Poe's works you have devoured, which ones emerged as phantoms you couldn't exorcise? Which stories or poems clung to your mind like specters, refusing to be banished into oblivion? Your selection need not be the ones that chilled your bones but perhaps those that made your heart flutter in a rhythm akin to the tell-tale heartbeat beneath the floorboards.

Think not of the collective choices of the multitude who have ventured here before you. This is your journey into the cavernous crypts of memory, and the decision is yours alone. Remember, your voice, much like the spectral whispers in Poe's tales, has the power to influence and inspire.

The task at hand requires introspection and a certain affinity for the dark and the dismal. It is not an act of ranking, but of personal connection and empathetic understanding of the myriad emotions Poe's words invoke.

So, dear reader, I beseech you, wander in the shadowy realms of Poe's world, sift through the sands of his spectral landscapes, and then cast your vote. Let your voice echo in this digital vault, joining the ghostly chorus of those who've come before you. In this endeavor, may you find a dark delight, a melancholy satisfaction. After all, what could be a more fitting tribute to the grand maestro of Gothic literature than a list curated by those he continues to captivate?
The Top Ten
1 The Tell-Tale Heart

My absolute favorite story of his. I especially like the theme. A madman murders a helpless old man and gets away with it, only to be eaten alive by his own guilt.

This is the best story I have ever read. Edgar Allan Poe took the definition of creepy and took it to a whole new level and I love it.

I just read this story in English I Honors and it is a very dark, enjoyable read.

2 The Masque of the Red Death

I have an Edgar Allan Poe graphic novel with illustrated versions of the stories, and I read this one and every time I take it off my bookshelf I ALWAYS skip to that one, it's so good.

Captivating and meaningful Poe horror story; easy comprehension with a wealth of deeper meaning.

I think it would have been better if the allegory had been made more clear (you can't escape death).

3 The Raven

The man doesn't die, he is a young poet who lost his true love, Lenore, and the Raven is a sight or prophet telling him that the pain and suffering will never end he will have to deal with it his whole life. And Edgar Allan Poe wrote the story when his wife Virginia was dyeing of turboculosis so he knew he would soon be in the same place as his poet from the story

This isn't very scary, but it is debatable whether the guy dies or not.

Not really a story, but a wonderfully gothic poem.

4 The Pit and the Pendulum

Too good. Just too captivating, horrifying, grosteque. Like a roller coaster thriller, except many times better.

Hell yeah. I read this story once and I was creeped out by it. I don't get creeped out by most scary stories, but this one had some sort of deathly aura...

My favorite short story, mysterious, suspenseful, gross, this story is amazing

5 The Cask of Amontillado

I love the Montresor's coat of arms motto and how it illustrates the whole story foreshadowing retribution. This is my favourite Edgar Allan Poe story.

Not only my favorite Poe story, but one of my favorite works of literature. The way Montresor just jokes at the fact Fortunado is going to die right in front of him is just entertaining. He hates this guy and his words and definitely his actions prove it. I was actually scared at Montresor for a second or two. This was definitely my favorite, and in my opinion, his best.

6 The Fall of the House of Usher

Few stories capture the imaginations and are as brilliantly constructed as this one. There are many great Poe stories, but this one in particular in my opinion, is the most brilliant

7 The Black Cat

Favorite! This and the the fall of the house of user are his best works... besides, of course, his narrative.

The creepiest of all the Poe stories I've read.

8 The Murders In the Rue Morgue

Well what can be more fearsome than the murderer being proved to be non-human!

Number 2 at least... This story was made into an Iron Maiden song. Am I right.

Overrated. Definitely not his best

9 Annabel Lee

Annabel lee is a beautiful work about the love of two people so strong that even the angels are jealous of them. It isn't creepy but it's beautiful and powerful. It's not only my favorite work by Poe, but also my favorite work of literature in general

10 The Oval Portrait
The Contenders
11 Ligeia

Epic Tale of Mystery and Magic. Though debatble in some respects e.g satire, it succeeds in maintaining a darkly tragic, yet intelligently sustained atmosphere throughout its duration- perhaps Poe's, fantastic though he is, most common fault

12 Eleonora
13 The Facts In the Case of M. Valdemar
14 Hop-Frog

A story of a low-class fiend taking revenge.

15 The Angel of the Odd
16 Silence
17 The Gold Bug
18 The Purloined Letter
19 Berenice

"Why then, as I Perused them, did the hairs of my head erect themselves on end, and the blood of my body become congealed within my veins? "- A perfect quote for this story from it precisely.

20 William Wilson
21 The Oblong Box
22 The Conqueror Worm

Excelent poem! The meaning behind this poem is so much deeper than it seems on the top once you really begin to think about it! Please people, read this poem!

23 Never Bet the Devil Your Head

Read this if you have a gambling problem. This will fix you.

24 A Descent Into The Maelstrom
25 Lenore

It has a slight connection to the Raven and needed to be here, as well as more which he had made.

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