Website for Short Story Lovers-8: Short Stories of Edgar Allan Poe

Welcome to PoeStories.com
by Robert Giordano

This site contains short stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe (Edgar Allen Poe is a common misspelling), story summaries, quotes, and linked vocabulary words and definitions for educational reading. It also includes a short biography, a timeline of Poe's life, and links to other Poe sites.Most people recognize Poe by his famous poem, "The Raven". Others may have read one of his more popular dark and creepy tales like, "The Fall of the House of Usher" or "The Tell-tale Heart". Poe wrote quite a few gothic stories about murder, revenge, torture, the plague, being buried alive, and insanity. Many modern books and movies have "borrowed" ideas from Poe. Some of Poe's stories were not well accepted in his day because people were just not ready for them- they were too scary.Many people don't know that Edgar Allan Poe also wrote stories about adventure on the high seas, buried pirate treasure, and a famous balloon ride. Poe invented the detective story with tales like "Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Purloined Letter". Sherlock Holmes and other fictional detectives would later be based on the characters that Poe created. Poe wrote love stories and even a few strange little comedies. He attempted to explain the composition of the universe in a way that sounds a little like quantum physics. Explore this site and you'll see why I think Edgar Allan Poe deserves to be recognized as one of the most original, imaginative, and ingenious authors of our society.

Summaries
Poe wrote many stories on many different topics. If you don't know where to start, you can browse short summaries of Edgar Allan Poe stories, so you can find something that interests you. Don't worry, I don't give away the endings!!

Wordlist
This site makes it easy for you read Poe's stories. Poe knew several languages and had quite a large vocabulary. Poe's works are not hard to read but sometimes he uses obscure words or references that the average user may not know. Because of this, I've created an ever growing wordlist containing many of these words and their definitions. When a word in the wordlist appears in any story, it becomes hyperlinked to its definition.

Gallery
In the Gallery, you'll find a large collection of Edgar Allan Poe portraits and daguerreotypes. Learn the details behind each of Poe's commonly recognized portraits.In the Poe Artwork section, browse a constantly updated selection of art from current artists who were inspired by Edgar Allan Poe, his poetry, and prose. Artists who have created paintings, drawings, or illustrations based on Poe or his works, are invited to contact me about featuring your work on this site.The Gallery also features photography from various trips to Edgar Allan Poe historic sites, like the ones in Richmond and Baltimore.

About this Site
Poestories.com was built using 100% standards compliant HTML and CSS. That means no tables were used for layout. It means this site should look nearly identical in every modern browser on Macintosh or Windows, like Firefox or Opera. Finally it means this site is fully functional with all styles turned off and is accessible to people with disabilities.This site also works on mobile devices like cell phones and pda's. Try it!!Enjoy your visit and don't forget to sign the guestbook.

This is not a complete list of works by Poe. These are my favorite stories and ones I feel are important and should be read by more people. Several sites listed on the links page have complete collections of Poe's works online. If you can't decide which story to read first, try browsing the summaries page.It should be noted that the year in parenthesis is the year the linked text was published, not the year Poe actually wrote the story. Many of Poe's stories were published several times and some were not published until after he died. Look at the timeline for more information about dates.

"The Angel of the Odd" (1844) Comedy about being drunk"The Balloon Hoax" (1844) Newspaper story about balloon travel"Berenice" (1835) Horror story about teeth"The Black Cat" (1845) Horror story about a cat"The Cask of Amontillado" (1846) A story of revenge"A Descent Into The Maelström" (1845) Man vs. Nature, Adventure Story"Eleonora" (1850) A love story"The Fall of the House of Usher" (1839) An old house and its secrets"The Gold Bug" (1843) A search for pirate treasure"Hop-Frog" (1845) A midget seeks revenge"The Imp of the Perverse" (1850) Procrastination and confession"The Island of the Fay" (1850) A poetic discussion"Ligeia" (1838) A haunting supernatural tale"The Man of the Crowd" (1845) How to follow someone"Manuscript Found in a Bottle" (1833) Adventure at sea"The Masque of the Red Death" (1850) The horror of the plague"Mesmeric Revelation" (1849) Conversation with a hypnotized dying man"The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1841) A detective story"Never Bet the Devil Your Head" (1850) A comedy with a moral"The Oval Portrait" (1850) A tragic love story"The Pit and the Pendulum" (1850) A torture chamber"The Premature Burial" (1850) About being buried alive"The Purloined Letter" (1845) A detective story"Silence - A Fable" (1838) A dream"Some Words With a Mummy" (1850) A mummy speaks"The Spectacles" (1850) A great little comedy about love at first sight"The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether" (1856) Inside an insane asylum"The Tell-Tale Heart" (1850) A murderer's guilt

Website for Short Story Lovers-7: Complete Short Stories of Guy de Maupassant

This Gutenberg page contains 180 short stories (from 13 Volumes) of the Great Master of the Short Story, Guy de Maupassant. They were translated from the original French by Albert M. C. McMastser, A. E. Henderson, Mme. Quesada and others.

It is a real treat for any short-story lover, especially admirers of Maupassant.

http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/3/0/9/3090/3090.txt

Website for Short Story Lovers-6: Short Stories at ClassicReader.com

"A true short-story is something other and something more than a mere story which is short. A true short-story differs from the novel chiefly in its essential unity of impression. In a far more exact and precise use of the word, a short-story has unity as a novel cannot have it.... A short-story deals with a single character, a single event, a single emotion, or the series of emotions called forth by a single situation.--Brander Matthews, The Philosophy of the Short-Story."

Short Stories from http://www.classicreader.com/

Contains short stories by Louisa May Alcott, Sherwood Anderson, Honore de Balzac, Arnold Bennett, Ambrose Bierce, Hans Christian Anderson, Horatio Alger, Aristophanes, Aristotle, Bronte Sisters, Thomas Bulfinch, Thomas Carlyle, Lewis Caroll, Cervantes, Chekhov, GK Chesterton, Agatha Christie, Joseph Conrad, Marie Corelli, Dostoevsky, Alexandre Dumas, Gogol, Gorky, Rider Haggard, Nathaniel Hawthorne, O.Henry, Victor Hugo, Aldous Huxley, Rudyard Kipling, Stephen Leacock, D.H.Lawrence, Maupassant, Somerset Maugham, Turgenev, HG Wells and others.

http://www.classicreader.com/short-stories.php/

Website for Short Story Lovers-5: Short Stories at Rutgers University, New Brunswick

This site has short stories by Isaac Asimov, Anton Chekhov, O.Henry, H.H.Munro and James Thurber, among others.

http://www.math.rutgers.edu/~sujith/stories.html

Website for Short Story Lovers-4: Twenty Great American Short Stories

http://www.americanliterature.com/ (American Literary Classics) has a page for 'Twenty Great American Short Stories' edited by Aaron R Ezis. The list is as follows:

THE LOTTERY - BY - SHIRLEY JACKSON
THE MONKEY'S PAW - BY - W. W. JACOBS
YOUNG GOODMAN BROWN - BY - NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE
TO BUILD A FIRE - BY- JACK LONDON
THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW - BY WASHINGTON IRVING
REGRET - BY - KATE CHOPIN
THE CASK OF ALMONTILADO - BY - EDGAR ALLAN POE
THE PRIVATE HISTORY OF A CAMPAIGN THAT FAILED - BY - MARK TWAIN
AN OCCURENCE AT OWL CREEK BRIDGE - BY - AMBROSE BIERCE
MY KINSMAN, MAJOR MOLINEUX - BY NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE
THE TELL TALE HEART - BY - EDGAR ALLAN POE
SCARLET STOCKINGS - BY - LOUISA MAY ALCOTT
BARTLEBY THE SCRIVNER - BY - HERMAN MELVILLE
THE PURLOINED LETTER - BY - EDGAR ALLAN POE
THE ECLIPSE - BY - JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
A DARK BROWN DOG - BY - STEPHEN CRANE
THE IMP OF THE PERVERSE - BY - EDGAR ALLAN POE
ON THE GULLS' ROAD - BY - WILLA CATHER
THE MINISTER'S BLACK VEIL - BY - NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE
SPLIT CHERRY TREE - BY - JESSE STUART

Website for Short Story Lovers-3: "Bibliomania Short Stories"

"Short stories are often considered to be the most perfect form of fiction writing, and nearly every author of merit has many great tales to their name. We feature some of the most famous authors of short stories such as O. Henry, Saki (Hector Monro), Rudyard Kipling, H.G. Wells, Oscar Wilde, Jack London and Henry James. Alongside them we have the stories of great dramatists and novelists such as Anton Chekhov, Daniel Defoe, Charles Dickens, Aldous Huxley, Antony Trollope and Emile Zola; and undeservedly lesser known authors such as the hilarious Ambrose Bierce, and Barnaby Rich (whose 1581 book 'Farewell to the Military Profession' provided Shakespeare with the plot for "Twelfth Night").

Collections by individual authors include P.G. Wodehouse's brilliant The Man Upstairs, Edgar Allen Poe's Tales of Mystery and Imagination and James Joyce's controversial classic Dubliners.

Send any comments about our short stories by email to stories@bibliomania.com."

http://www.bibliomania.com/0/5/frameset.html

Website for Short Story Lovers-2: "Classic Short Stories"

"This Website is dedicated to the short story and to those interested in reading light prose.Fewer and fewer people these days read short stories. This is unfortunate--so few will ever experience the joy that reading such fine work can give. The goal of this site is to give a nice cross section of short stories in the hope that these short stories will excite these people into rediscovering this excellent source of entertainment. Happy reading!"

http://www.classicshorts.com/

Websites for Short Story Lovers-1: "Short Inspiring Stories"

This site has some good short stories. Though they are meant mostly for children, anybody can read them. They are truly inspiring.

http://www.indianchild.com/short_stories.htm

Short Story of the Day-6: "Kindness" (Author and Source Unknown)

KINDNESS

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.

Instead of a meal, he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry and so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"

"You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said, "Then I thank you from my heart." As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strengthened also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Years later, that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, he went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown, he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day, he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested from the business office to pass the final billing to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge, and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words:

"PAID IN FULL WITH ONE GLASS OF MILK....

(Signed)
Dr. Howard Kelly."

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You, God, that Your love is shed abroad through human hearts and hands."

Short Story of the Day-5: "Power of Prayer"

POWER OF PRAYER

Here's a message that will bring you chills. Have you ever felt the urge to pray for someone and then just put it on a list and said, "I'll pray for them later?" Or has anyone ever called you and said, "I need you to pray for me, I have this need."?

Read the following story that was sent to me and may it change the way that you may think about prayer and also the way you pray.

You will be blessed by this.

A missionary on furlough told this true story while visiting his home church in Michigan.....

"While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, every two weeks I traveled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies.

This was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the halfway point.
On one of these journeys, I arrived in the city where I planned to collect money from a bank, purchase medicine and supplies, and then begin my two-day journey back to the field hospital.

Upon arrival in the city, I observed two men fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time talked to him about the Lord. I then traveled two days, camping overnight, and arrived home without incident.

Two weeks later I repeated my journey. Upon arriving in the city, I was approached by the young man I had treated. He told me that he had known I carried money and medicines. He said, 'Some friends and I followed you into the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs. But just as we were about to move into your camp, we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards. At this, I laughed and said that I was certainly all alone in that jungle campsite. The young man pressed the point, however, and said, 'No sir, I was not the only person to see the guards. My five friends also saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone.

"At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the ongregation jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day this happened.

The missionary told the congregation the date, and the man who interrupted told him this story:

"On the night of your incident in Africa, it was morning here and I was preparing to go play golf.

I was about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong, I called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. Would all of those men who met with me on that day stand up?" The men who had met together to pray that day stood up. The missionary wasn't concerned with who they were, he was too busy counting how many men he saw. There were 26.

This story is an incredible example of how the Spirit of the Lord moves in mysterious ways. If
you ever hear such prodding, go along with it. Nothing is ever hurt by prayer except the gates of hell.

I encourage you to forward this to as many people as you know. If we all take it to heart, we can turn this world toward God once again. As the above true story clearly illustrates, "with God all things are possible" and more importantly, how God hears and answers the prayers of the faithful.

After you read this, please pass it on and give God thanks for the beautiful gift of your faith, for the powerful gift of prayer, and for the many miracles He works, & will work in your own daily life!...

Short Story of the Day-4: "God Knows Where I Am" by Ken Gaub (Source Unknown)

"God Knows Where I Am"  by  Ken Gaub

Do you believe that God not only loves you, but knows where you are and what you're doing every minute of the day? I certainly do after an amazing experience I had several years ago.

At the time I was driving on 1-75 near Dayton, Ohio, with my wife and children. We turned off the highway for a rest and refreshment stop. My wife, Barbara, and children went into the restaurant. I suddenly felt the need to stretch my legs, so waved them off ahead saying I'd join them later.

I bought a soft drink, and as I walked toward a Dairy Queen, feelings of self pity enshrouded my mind. I loved the Lord and my ministry, but I felt drained, burdened. My cup was empty.

Suddenly, the impatient ringing of a telephone nearby jarred me out of my doldrums. It was coming from a phone booth at a service station on the corner. Wasn't anyone going to answer the phone? Noise from the traffic flowing through the busy intersection must have drowned out the sound because the service station attendant continued looking after his customers, oblivious to the incessant ringing.

"Why doesn't somebody answer that phone?" I muttered. I began reasoning.
It may be important. What if it's an emergency? Curiosity overcame my
indifference. I stepped inside the booth and picked up the phone.

"Hello," I said casually and took a big sip of my drink.
The operator said: "Long distance call for Ken Gaub." My eyes widened, and
I almost choked on a chunk of ice.

Swallowing hard, I said, "You're crazy!" Then, realizing I shouldn't speak to an operator like that, I added, "This can't be! I was walking down the road, not bothering anyone, and the phone was ringing...."

"Is Ken Gaub there?" the operator interrupted, "I have a long distance call for him."

It took a moment to gain control of my babbling, but I finally replied, "Yes,
he is here." Searching for a possible explanation, wondered if I could possibly be on Candid Camera!

Still shaken, perplexed, I asked, "How in the world did you reach me here?
I was walking down the road, the pay phone started ringing, and I just answered
it by chance. You can't mean me."

"Well," the operator asked, "is Mr. Gaub there or isn't he?"

"Yes, I am Ken Gaub," I said, finally convinced by the tone of her voice that the call was real.

Then, I heard another voice say, "Yes, that's him, operator. That's Ken Gaub."

I listened dumbfounded to a strange voice identify herself. "I'm Millie from
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. You don't know me, Mr. Gaub, but I'm desperate.
Please help me."

"What can I do for you?"

She began weeping. Finally, she regained control and continued, "I was about to commit suicide, had just finished writing a note, when I began to pray and tell God I really didn't want to do this. Then, I suddenly remembered seeing you on television and thought if I could just talk to you, you could help me.
I knew that was impossible because I didn't know how to reach you: I didn't know anyone who could help me find you. Then, some numbers came to my mind, and I scribbled them down."

At this point she began weeping again, and I prayed silently for wisdom to help her. She continued, "I looked at the numbers and thought, 'Wouldn't it be wonderful if I had a miracle from God, and He has given me Ken's phone number?' I decided to try calling it. I can't believe I'm talking to you.

Are you in your office in California?"

I replied, "Lady, I don't have an office in California. My office is in
Yakima, Washington."

A little surprised, she asked, "Oh, really, then where are you?"

"Don't you know?" I responded. "You made the call."

She explained, "...but I don't even know what area I'm calling. I just dialed the number that I had on this paper."

"Ma'am, you won't believe this, but I'm in a phone booth in Dayton, Ohio!"

"Really?" she exclaimed. "Well, what are you doing there?"

I kidded her gently, "Well, I'm answering the phone. It was ringing as I walked by; so, I answered it."

Knowing this encounter could only have been arranged by God, I began to counsel the woman. As she told me of her despair and frustration, the presence of the Holy Spirit flooded the phone booth giving me words of wisdom beyond my ability. In a matter of moments, she prayed the sinner's prayer and met the One who would lead her out of her situation into a new life.

I walked away from that telephone booth with an electrifying sense of our heavenly Father's concern for each of His children. What were the astronomical odds of this happening? With all the millions of phones and innumerable combinations of numbers, only an all-knowing God could have caused that woman to call that number in that phone booth at that moment in time.

Forgetting my drink and nearly bursting with exhilaration, I headed back to my family, wondering if they would believe my story. "Maybe I had better not tell this," I thought, but I couldn't contain it. "Barb, you won't believe this: God knows where I am!"

God also knows where you are. Place yourself in His hands, concentrate on knowing His will for your life, and He will never forsake or forget you.

Short Story of the Day-3: "Blessings Great and Small" by Betty King (Source Unknown)

 "Blessings Great and Small"  by   Betty King 

Here in the Arizona desert where shades of browns, grays, blacks and muted greens at first appear to dominate the landscape, I live and expand my appreciation for God's canvas.

Just today before day relinquished its light, on the horizon where the mountains loomed in the distance, God painted a sunset, its beauty taking my breathe away. Wispy, swept clouds, delicately brushed, completed the Master Piece; some things defy words, remaining in crevices of the mind, long after miracles have passed and moments acknowledged.

I am reminded too of springtime when the mountains burst forth in the brightness of sunshine as they are enveloped by wild flowers that have been sprinkled there not by accident or by the hands of man but by God and His glory.

Too, I marvel at the giant Saguaro Cactus that stands tall and proud and the ever yielding variety of colors from the Bougainvillea. Tasty fruit from the Pomegranate the orange and lemon trees linger on my pallet as I think of their contribution in feeding humanity.

Today unlike so many yesterday's that have skipped by unnoticed, I paused to reflect on a gift so often unopened, by we who are given greatness beyond measure by God the giver of all gifts great and small. I stopped, accepting this wonder of wonders and asked that my eyes be opened to minute blessings sent to me daily. I want not to miss the smallest of blessings for in doing so in the future I may reflect back, seeing them as they truly are, my Biggest, Richest Blessings.

Every landscape scattered across our nation, our world our universe is unique in and of it's own self; like each individual person we have our own gift and purpose, we have our own contributions. God has given to us that we might give back of ourselves and brighten the life of another.

As I reached over and felt the warmth of my husband's hand, saw his eyes upon me and heard the words, "I love you baby," I thanked God for all of His Blessings, even those I so often take for granted.

Short Story of the Day-2: "Be Still With God" by Nancy B. Gibbs (Source Unknown)

All day long I had been very busy; picking up trash, cleaning bathrooms and scrubbing floors. My grown children were coming home for the weekend. I went grocery shopping and prepared for a barbecue supper, complete with ribs and chicken. I wanted everything to be perfect.

Suddenly, it dawned on me that I was dog-tired. I simply couldn't work as long as I could when I was younger. "I've got to rest for a minute," I told my husband, Roy, as I collapsed into my favorite rocking chair. Music was playing, my dog and cat were chasing each other and the telephone rang.

A scripture from Psalm 46 popped into my mind. "Be still, and know that I am God." I realized that I hadn't spent much time in prayer that day. Was I too busy to even utter a simple word of thanks to God? Suddenly, the thought of my beautiful patio came to mind. I can be quiet out there, I thought. I longed for a few minutes alone with God.

Roy and I had invested a great deal of time and work in the patio that spring. The flowers and hanging baskets were breathtaking. It was definitely a heavenly place of rest and tranquility. If I can't be still with God in that environment, I can't be still with Him anywhere, I thought. While Roy was talking on the telephone, I slipped out the backdoor and sat down on my favorite patio chair. I closed my eyes and began to pray, counting my many blessings.

A bird flew by me, chirping and singing. It interrupted my thoughts. It landed on the bird feeder and began eating dinner as I watched. After a few minutes it flew away, singing another song.

I closed my eyes again. A gust of wind blew, which caused my wind chimes to dance. They made a joyful sound, but again I lost my concentration on God. I squirmed and wiggled in my chair. I looked up toward the blue sky and saw the clouds moving slowly toward the horizon. The wind died down. My wind chimes finally became quiet.

Again, I bowed in prayer. "Honk, honk," I heard. I almost jumped out of my skin. A neighbor was driving down the street. He waved at me and smiled. I waved back, happy that he cared. I quickly tried once again to settle down, repeating the familiar verse in my mind. Be still and know that I am God.

"I'm trying God. I really am," I whispered. "But you've got to help me here."

The backdoor opened. My husband walked outside. "I love you," he said. "I was wondering where you were." I chuckled, as he came over and kissed me, then turned around and went back inside.

"Where's the quiet time?" I asked God. My heart fluttered. There was no pain, only a beat that interrupted me yet again. This is impossible, I thought. There's no time to be still and to know that God is with me. There's too much going on in the world and entirely too much activity all around me.

Then it suddenly dawned on me. God was speaking to me the entire time I was attempting to be still. I remembered the music playing as I'd begun my quiet time. He sent a sparrow to lighten my life with song. He sent a gentle breeze. He sent a neighbor to let me know that I had a friend. He sent my sweetheart to offer sincere sentiments of love. He caused my heart to flutter to remind me of life. While I was trying to count my blessings, God was busy multiplying them.

I laughed to realize that the "interruptions" of my quiet time with God were special blessings He'd sent to show me He was with me the entire time.