Mark Twain and Edgar Allan Poe: Impact on American Literature

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There were many great authors in the 1800s, but two of the most recognizable are Mark Twain and Edgar Allan Poe. They were very different authors, but both have had a long-lasting impact on american literature and culture.

Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on Jan. 19, 1809. Orphaned when he was two, adopted by John and Frances Allan. John and Edgar often fought over Poe’s gambling debt, as well as the cost of school. He enlisted in the Army in 1827 under a false name. That year, he published his first book, “Tamerlane and Other Poems”, which only printed 50 copies. Poe was discharged in 1829, shortly after Frances Allan’s death.

After his brother’s death in 1831, he attempted to start his writing career in earnest. After placing a few stories in periodicals, he became assistant editor of the Southern Literary Messenger in 1835. He would continue publishing throughout the rest of his life, while simultaneously writing some of his best works. During this period, he married his cousin, Virginia Clemm. Her death eleven years later is what is thought to be the cause of his more macabre works. “The Tell-Tale Heart” was published in 1843.”The Raven” was published in 1845. “The Cask of Amontillado” was published in 1846. “Annabel Lee” was published after his death in 1849.

Poe is credited as having published the first modern detective …show more content…

3, 1835. He was raised in Hannibal, Missouri, where he worked as a typesetter and writer for his brother, Orion. When he was old enough, he started training as a river pilot on the Mississippi River, and two years later, he earned his pilot’s license. In 1861, traffic on the Mississippi was stopped because of the American Civil War. As he didn’t want to be involved in the war, he moved to the Nevada Territory. It was there that Clemens began his career as a writer. In addition, he made a living as an orator and writer of humor and

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