Edgar Allan Poe, the OG master of horror stories and the forefather of science fiction, is to this day considered a central figure in American literature. And very rightfully so! Although his writing career was kick-started by his fearless literary reviews that gained him the nickname ‘tomahawk man,’ it was his poem The Raven that really put his works on the radar. And the rest is, well, history - Edgar Allan Poe’s quotes are among the most recited and beloved worldwide, both from his works and the things he had said or written in correspondence. Not to mention how many writers, movie directors, theater productions, and other pieces of pop culture he has inspired! Thus, to honor his literary genius, we are presenting our list dedicated to Edgar Allan Poe and his incredible quotes about life, death, and everything in between.
Edgar Allan Poe was a bit on the controversial side, having been married to his 13-year-old cousin and being a bona fide drunkard and substance abuser. However, that did not outshine his work at all. Some might even think that by succumbing to addictions, he was able to tap into that dark side of the human condition, pull it all out, and turn it into art nobody had ever seen before. In fact, he was so taken over by his writing that he became the first-ever well-known American writer to live solely, however poorly, from writing. The curse of a genius, perhaps.
Well, no matter how tumultuous his short life was, he did give us some of the best literary works ever, out of which we’ve chosen some of the most popular and famous quotes to share with you. Don’t expect them to be easy breezy - he was, after all, the master of mystique and macabre. Unlike other writers’ quotes, his explore the dark worlds within. So, scroll on down below and check the moving quotes out. Be sure to give the most electrifying ones your vote and share this article with anyone who needs a few mysterious quotes in their day.
#1
“I remained too much inside my head and ended up losing my mind.”
unknown
Report39points
#2
“Actually, I do have doubts, all the time. Any thinking person does. There are so many sides to every question.” — 'The Raven'
unknown
Report27points
#3
“Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." — 'Eleonora'
unknown
Report23points
#4
“All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.” — 'A Dream Within a Dream'
Is but a dream within a dream.” — 'A Dream Within a Dream'
unknown
Report23points
#5
“To observe attentively is to remember distinctly.” — 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue'
unknown
Report21points
#6
"Believe nothing you hear and only one half that you see." — 'The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether'
unknown
Report20points
#7
“And so being young and dipped in folly I fell in love with melancholy.” — 'Romance'
unknown
Report20points
#8
“I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.” — 'Letter to George Washington Eveleth'
unknown
Report18points
#9
“Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door!” — 'The Raven'
unknown
Report18points
#10
“If you wish to forget anything on the spot, make a note that this thing is to be remembered.” — 'Marginalia'
unknown
Report17points
#11
“Science has not yet taught us if madness is or is not the sublimity of the intelligence.”
unknown
Report17points
#12
“That which you mistake for madness is but an over acuteness of the senses.” — 'The Tell-Tale Heart'
unknown
Report17points
#13
“I have absolutely no pleasure in the stimulants in which I sometimes so madly indulge. It has not been in the pursuit of pleasure that I have periled life and reputation and reason. It has been the desperate attempt to escape from torturing memories, from a sense of insupportable loneliness and a dread of some strange impending doom.” — 'Letter to Sarah H. Whitman'
unknown
Report15points
#14
“It is a happiness to wonder; — it is a happiness to dream.” — 'Morella'
unknown
Report15points
#15
“We should bear in mind that, in general, it is the object of our newspapers rather to create a sensation – to make a point – than to further the cause of truth.” — 'The Mystery of Marie Roget'
unknown
Report15points
#16
“I do believe God gave me a spark of genius, but he quenched it in misery.”
unknown
Report15points
#17
“We loved with a love that was more than love.” — 'The Tell-Tale Heart'
unknown
Report14points
#18
“To die laughing must be the most glorious of all glorious deaths!” — 'The Assignation'
unknown
Report14points
#19
“Melancholy is… the most legitimate of all the poetical tones.” — 'The Philosophy of Composition'
unknown
Report14points
#20
“Because it was my crime to have no one on Earth who cared for me, or loved me.” — 'Letter to John Allan'
unknown
Report14points