Edgar Allan Poe was born in 1809 and died in late September of 1849. Although he felt that he was primarily a poet, his tales of horror and reason continue to be very popular, and many credit him with the invention of the modern detective story. Poe held that the four tenets of great poetry were brevity, lyricality, beauty and logic. For reasons of economic necessity, Poe wrote little verse between 1831 and 1845, concentrating instead on the tales. With the sudden recognition and income brought about by the publication of “The Raven” in 1845, he returned to his poetry. Poe’s world of uncompromising poetic and spiritual intensity remain unique in American letters.