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Today's episode is Edgar Allan Poe's longest poem, one which he wrote before he turned 15. It is a poem of love and tragedy stuffed with religious imagery and oozing 19th century Gothic esthetic. Please enjoy Al Aaraaf.

The Poe Show is a horror podcast all about the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Also featured are classic scary stories, Gothic fiction, supernatural tales, and short horror stories from H. P. Lovecraft, Mary Shelley, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and more. Discover eerie ghost stories, psychological horror, dark poetry, and unsettling fiction from the 19th century. With immersive sound effects and original human-made music and narration to bring these timeless tales of terror to life, this podcast is ideal for fans of classic horror, Gothic literature, literary horror, and spooky audio stories. Teachers, students, and literature enthusiasts can also use the podcast to explore Edgar Allan Poe, the elements of Gothic storytelling, Victorian-era literature, and the history of supernatural fiction. Subscribe for new horror audiobooks and chilling classic tales.

Music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Intro music by Emmett Cooke on PremiumBeat.

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CAUTION: This episode will discuss topics of DEATH, ALCOHOLISM and ABUSE.

Today I am going over the history of Edgar Allan Poe's various parental figures, including that absolute villain John Allan. I'll be taking a look into the drama of Poe's life with and without the support of his fathers, and how it shaped his future and writing.

While not a fictional scary story, I think you'll find the relationship Poe had with his fathers is seriously anxiety-inducing and, at times, so incredibly frustrating that you may be shocked at the behavior of these men.

Sources:

• Poe’s Middle Name
• Edgar Allan Poe: A Life by Richard Kopley
• Wikipedia on Eliza Poe
• Wikipedia on David Poe Jr.
• John Allan
• John Allan Benefits from Slavery
• Frances Allan
• Frances Keeling Valentine Allan
• To Fanny
• The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore: John Allan
• The Women in Poe’s Life
• The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore
• The Poe Museum

This horror audio story podcast is perfect for fans of horror, the lore of H.P. Lovecraft, the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Gothic fiction, 19th century poetry, short horror fiction, and timeless classic scary stories. As an audiobook podcast, it is also great for educators, teachers, students and schools/colleges looking to educate themselves and others on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Victorian era writing, Victorian culture, old ghost stories and classic horror fiction. Be sure to share with any fans of horror audio stories, horror audiobooks and spooky tales.

Music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

Bluesky: thepoeshow.bsky.social

Instagram & Threads: @thepoeshowpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Intro music by Emmett Cooke on PremiumBeat.

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CAUTION: This episode contains MURDER.

This episode required a mountain of research and work to get it done, and I am incredibly proud to present to you Edgar Allan Poe’s terrifying story of an evil doppelganger, William Wilson.

Not only was this story an immense literary achievement for Edgar Allan Poe, and something which spoke to his ability to dissect the human mind (as well as his tendency to complicate language) despite not having such study in his background. This scary story is both chilling and thrilling, taking us on a journey of one man’s identity crisis with an identical twin, both of the same name, stature and temperament!

William Wilson is a horror story that deals with ideas so grounded in reality, it’s a wonder how it's able to combine the supernatural as well. It verges on the edge of being a ghost story, although there are no spirits, and its mood is parallel to The Fall of the House of Usher. Edgar Allan Poe knew his niche, and squeezed each bit of terror out of it he could! William Wilson truly accomplishes getting the goosebumps on your arms!

Be sure to share this episode with a friend in celebration of the spooky months and Halloween coming up!

The Poe Show YouTube: The Tell-Tale Heart Cartoon?! (1953)

I Think, But Am Not: The Nightmare of William Wilson

William Wilson’s Double

"Oh Gigantic Paradox": Poe's "William Wilson" and the Jungian Self

This horror audio story podcast is perfect for fans of horror, the lore of H.P. Lovecraft, the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Gothic fiction, 19th century poetry, short horror fiction, and timeless classic scary stories. As an audiobook podcast, it is also great for educators, teachers, students and schools/colleges looking to educate themselves and others on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Victorian era writing, Victorian culture, old ghost stories and classic horror fiction. Be sure to share with any fans of horror audio stories, horror audiobooks and spooky tales.

Music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

Bluesky: thepoeshow.bsky.social

Instagram & Threads: @thepoeshowpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Intro music by Emmett Cooke on PremiumBeat.

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CAUTION: This episode will discuss the topic of DEATH, SUBSTANCE ABUSE and SUICIDE.

An all too mysterious topic that every fan of Edgar Allan Poe has pondered, with much too many possible answers for most to contemplate, the strange death of the Master of Horror has been a subject of 19th century research since it first occurred. Today, not only will we discuss all the gritty details that lead to Poe’s sudden cryptic death, but we will also attempt to do the one thing never done before: solve it.

Research resources for this episode:

• Edgar Allan Poe: A Life by Richard Kopley
• Edgar Allan Poe Daguerrotypes
• Midnight Dreary: The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe - by John Evangelist Walsh
• Documentary - Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive
• Poe’s Middle Name
• How Tuberculosis Shaped Victorian Fashion
• Tuberculosis and the Fatal Beauty of Romanticism
• Edgar Allan Poe: 1848
• Edgar’s Laudanum Overdose
• The (Still) Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe
• Rooted in History: 175 Years Later, Mystery Still Shrouds Poe’s Death
• Breaking Down the Unsolved Mystery of Edgar Allan Poe’s Death
• The Mystery of Edgar Allan Poe’s Death
• Poe as a Literary Critic
• Other Obituaries of Edgar Allan Poe

This horror audio story podcast is perfect for fans of horror, the lore of H.P. Lovecraft, the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Gothic fiction, 19th century poetry, short horror fiction, and timeless classic scary stories. As an audiobook podcast, it is also great for educators, teachers, students and schools/colleges looking to educate themselves and others on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Victorian era writing, Victorian culture, old ghost stories and classic horror fiction. Be sure to share with any fans of horror audio stories, horror audiobooks and spooky tales.

Music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

Bluesky: thepoeshow.bsky.social

Instagram & Threads: @thepoeshowpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Support the show

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CAUTION: story contains DEATH of a loved one and REINCARNATION

Today we examine a usually overlooked masterpiece by Edgar Allan Poe, a Victorian Gothic ghost story that explores the depths of love and the horrors of obsession. Ligeia was published in 1838 and ever since then it has perturbed readers and scholars alike, leading it to become known as one of Poe’s greatest literary achievements.

Ligeia is definitely a scary story, but just as well, it is a heart-wrenching tale of love and devotion. While the narrator can be considered no less than unreliable, it is through his eyes that we are to experience the beauty, the grace, the intelligence and the horror of that incredible woman…Ligeia.

There Was An Old Woman from The Ray Bradbury Theater on YouTube.

This horror audio story podcast is perfect for fans of horror, the lore of H.P. Lovecraft, the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Gothic fiction, 19th century poetry, short horror fiction, and timeless classic scary stories. As an audiobook podcast, it is also great for educators, teachers, students and schools/colleges looking to educate themselves and others on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Victorian era writing, Victorian culture, old ghost stories and classic horror fiction. Be sure to share with any fans of horror audio stories, horror audiobooks and spooky tales.

Music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

Bluesky: thepoeshow.bsky.social

Instagram & Threads: @thepoeshowpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Intro music by Emmett Cooke on PremiumBeat.

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Today's episode is a shorty. We will hear a simple yet layered poem from Edgar Allan Poe which details the bitter-sweetness of "the hero's journey." Eldorado details the final steps of a noble knight as he seeks the mystical land for which he has longed for, for so long.

This audiobook podcast is perfect for educators, teachers, students and schools/colleges looking to educate themselves and others on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Victorian era writing, old ghost stories and classic horror fiction. As a horror audio story podcast, it is also great for fans of horror, the lore of H.P. Lovecraft, Gothic fiction, 19th century poetry, short horror fiction, and timeless classic scary stories. Be sure to share with any fans of horror audio stories, horror audiobooks and spooky tales.

Music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

Bluesky: thepoeshow.bsky.social

Instagram & Threads: @thepoeshowpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Intro music by Emmett Cooke on PremiumBeat.

Support the show

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Today I’m introducing a new series to the podcast! Welcome to Unscripted, episodes of The Poe Show audio horror story podcast where I talk in greater detail about Edgar Allan Poe, 19th century literature and all manner of horror! This series will be much more laid back and won’t feature audio stories. It will have a much more regular podcast format, allowing for you to learn all the delicious details of Edgar Allan Poe’s life, literature and more.

In today’s episode, I’m discussing some of Edgar Allan Poe’s biggest controversies: his marriage, his alleged affair, the feud with his arch nemesis Rufus Griswold, his infamous obituary, and - probably most controversial of all in the scholarly world - Poe’s implied racist themes in his stories. Be sure to listen to all of his stories in other episodes!

TRIGGER WARNING: discussions of Edgar Allan Poe’s CHILD MARRIAGE, DEATH and RACISM

Research resources:

• Edgar Allan Poe: A Life by Richard Kopley
• Poe's Double Marriage
• In Her Own Words: A Valentine for Edgar Allan Poe
• Today Marks Edgar Poe’s 177th Wedding Anniversary
• MARRIAGE: The public scandals and private tragedies of Virginia & Edgar Allan Poe’s marriage
• Edgar Allan Poe and His Tumultuous Romances
• The Women in Poe’s Life
• Grave-side chat with Lynn Cullen, author of “Mrs. Poe”
• To Frances S. Osgood
• The Loves of Edgar A. Poe
• The Long-simmering Feud Between Edgar Allan Poe and Rufus Griswold
• Edgar Allan Poe and Rufus Wilmot Griswold
• Rufus Wilmot Griswold-Poe’s Literary Executor
• Poe’s Character Under Attack
• The Defamation of Poe’s Character
• Death of Edgar A. Poe  - obituary written by Rufus Griswold
• Other Obituaries of Edgar Allan Poe
• A Gift for Dr. Griswold
• Black Skin, Red Masques: Reading Frantz Fanon and Audre Lorde in Tension with Edgar Allan Poe
• Jingle Bells by the Edison Male Quartette from 1898
• Age of Consent in the United States (19th century)
• “The story I must tell”: “Jingle Bells” in the Minstrel Repertoire by Kyna Hamill
• Jingle Bells by the Edison Male Quartette

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Today's horror audio story is the intriguing tale of a lost lover dealing with a personal illness. Eleonora is one of Edgar Allan Poe’s most well criticized Victorian ghost stories, and as you’ll see in this episode, for good reason. Not only does it show the extent of Poe’s masterful use of powerful prose and ravishing rhetoric to create an unforgettable narrative, it also demonstrates the layers of hidden meaning he was able to construct within the ongoing story. As a master of scary stories and horror, Poe here seems to take a break from the grotesque and focus on the tragic and the beautiful. Truly, this is a gem, among some of Poe’s best work.

Research sources for this episode:

• The History of Men by Prof. Michael S. Kimmel
• Walden by Henry David Thoreau
• Moby Dick by Herman Melville
• The Poetic Principle by Edgar Allan Poe

(https://www.eapoe.org/works/essays/poetprnb.htm)

• Agricultural Changes in the Midwest (OR see History of agriculture in the United States on Wikipedia as well)

(https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1560187343/troyk12mius/izy3gyiyjdjy3mcbtx12/Chapter09.pdf)

• Rise of Crime in the Period 1830-1860 by Paul Dolan

(https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2921&context=jclc)

• Poesian Feminism: Triumph or Tragedy by Debra Johanyak

(https://www.jstor.org/stable/44322928?read-now=1&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents)

• Love and Death in the American Novel by Leslie A. Fiedler

(https://archive.org/details/lovedeathinameri00fied)

• Edgar Allan Poe and Female Victimization by Xi Li

(https://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/ws/send_file/send?accession=dayton1544130664085232&disposition=inline)

• A Damsel with a Dulcimer: An Interpretation of Poe’s “Eleonora” by Sam S. Baskett

(https://www.jstor.org/stable/3043539?read-now=1&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents)

• An Analyzing the Portrayal of Women in Victorian Literature by Rani Rathore

(https://www.airo.co.in/publications/64348-victorian-women-(1)-(1)-new.pdf)

This audiobook podcast is perfect for educators, teachers, students and schools/colleges looking to educate themselves and others on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Victorian era writing, old ghost stories and classic horror fiction. As it is a horror podcast, it is also great for fans of horror, lore of H.P. Lovecraft, Gothic fiction, poetry, short horror fiction, and timeless classic scary stories. Be sure to share with any fans of horror audio stories, horror audiobooks and spooky tales.

Music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

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TRIGGER WARNING: this episode will discuss themes of DEATH OF A LOVED ONE and MOURNING.

Today’s episode helped me in very personal ways that I can’t express enough gratitude to Edgar Allan Poe for. Although he wrote this poem all the way back in 1831, it resonates with this fellow creative artist nearly two centuries in the future. It is yet another testament that while writing America’s greatest scary stories and creepy tales, Edgar Allan Poe still found time to write some of the most touching and beautiful poems about love and loss that we’ve yet seen in human history. May this poem also help carry you through any loss you have or will experience.

This podcast is perfect for educators, teachers, students and schools/colleges looking to educate themselves and others on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Victorian era writing, old ghost stories and classic horror fiction. Also great for fans of horror, Lovecraftian lore, Gothic fiction, poetry, short horror fiction, and timeless classic scary stories.

Music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

Bluesky: thepoeshow.bsky.social

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Instagram & Threads: @thepoeshowpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Intro music by Emmett Cooke on PremiumBeat.

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CAUTION: this episode contains DROWNING, MENTION OF SUICIDE, DISCUSSION OF DEATH AND LOSS OF FAMILY

The Oblong Box is one of Edgar Allan Poe’s horror stories that offer both a slice of Victorian life and an intriguing fictional mystery. Published in 1844 and inspired by true events which occurred during the time, as well as events in Edgar Allan Poe’s life, this creepy tale of a boat ride gone wrong has been crafted with a modern flair that makes it both unsettling and succinctly tragic.

Follow along as our unnamed narrator unravels the nature of a mysterious oblong box and the queer obsessive behavior a dearly beloved friend has with it…

This podcast is perfect for educators, teachers, students and schools/colleges looking to educate themselves and others on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Victorian era writing, old ghost stories and classic horror fiction. Also great for fans of horror, Lovecraftian lore, Gothic fiction, poetry, short horror fiction, and timeless classic scary stories.

Support The Poe Show! https://ko-fi.com/thepoeshow

Website: https://www.thepoeshow.com/

Music and narration by Tynan Portillo.

Horror Movie Reviews on The Poe Show YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thepoeshowpodcast

Bluesky: thepoeshow.bsky.social

TikTok: @poeshowpodcast

Instagram & Threads: @thepoeshowpodcast

Email: [email protected]

Intro music by Emmett Cooke on PremiumBeat.

SFX Credit:

nBeats on YouTube

Ambient Academy on YouTube

Sound Effects on YouTube

Authentic Sound Effects on YouTube

Osound on YouTube

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