Edgar Allan Poe, What is the secret behind him?

[mpsmaster]

Recently I have witnessed many influent people describing how Poe’s works have changed their lives. Like the writer Og Mandino and the actor Sylvester Stalone. What do you think is Poe’s great contribution, quotes or takes?

“Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.”

[Bigwig1973]

I think that the secret to Poe is the guilt of someone else. He was labeled an alcoholic, but he doesn't seem to me to have been an alcoholic type. I don't sense the lack of will customarily associated with alcoholics, at least not of that type. I also don't sense that he was an alcoholic due to guilt. I would have assumed from his writing that he was perhaps murdered. His detective Dupine is similar to Dostoevsky's detective Porfiry from Crime and Punishment", perhaps that is what he was worried about. Regardless, his topics have a broad and interesting range: tropical islands, insects, and treasure in "The Gold-Bug", Scandinavia and science with "Maelstrom", royalty and dwarfs with "Hop-Frog", and philosophical references in "Eureka" (this last story might have an alternate title).