8The Essential Poe gathers the most thrilling and enthralling of Poe's poems and short stories, including "The Cask of Amontillado," "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," "The Black Cat," and "The Raven" as well as two illuminating essays on the nature of poetry and the art of storytelling. Sweeping yet concise, this new edition offers an engaging introduction written specifically for contemporary readers, pivotal excerpts from French poet Charles Baudelaire's path-breaking essays on Poe, and a detailed biographical timeline of Poe's brief, turbulent life.