Poe's achievements as writer.

-- Anonymous, October 14, 2003

Answers

Achieved the literary height of the popular Gothic genre in classics devoid of florid exagerrations and supernatural claptrap.

Invented the modern detective story and several classic plot devices from the wedding of the Gothic with the Byronic Hero as enhanced inutitve rationalist piercing the darkest mysteries leading back to the everyday solution of crime.

Brilliant founding of a truly critical forum for American(stress American) literature not bound to hype of fledgling parochial effforts, imitation of Europe and savage trashing of trash.

The best short opus of any American poet with the most unique, daringly brief and darkly popular poems of any Romantic. "The Raven" was the first true American "hit".

Influenced a whole counter school of imaginative and emotionally intuitive literature and especially through France and the "art for art's sake" school of the Parnasse and Poe's literary soul mate Charles Baudelaire. Leading to Symbolist theory and literature, Surrealism and other mind and imagination liberated personal art.

Expanded, upgradedand innovations to American literary magazines. The creation of the puzzle page and code challenges.

Etc.

-- Anonymous, October 14, 2003