ABSTRACT
Edgar Allan Poe proves an interesting study from the point of view of psychoanalysis. Poe lost his parents when he was an infant, and he was adopted by Mr. Allan. The real clue to Poe's life and work is furnished in an article, "Poe's Mary", that appeared in Harper's Magazine for March, 1889, by Agustus Van Cleef. When Poe later obtained employment on The Southern Literary Messenger, he reprinted here some of his tales; this tale was reprinted in July, 1835. Poe tells in his Philosophy of Composition,— an unconvincing account of the origin of The Raven,— that he regards the death of a beautiful maiden the most poetical and melancholy topic. Poe is chiefly the dreamer and author of dream literature. Poe was true to the psychology of the dreamer; he created things out of his fancies to be as he would like them to be because he did not have them in reality.
