There are individuals who can probe the darkest depths of reality. They are called visionaries, acclaimed as extraordinary men, but they are also able to annihilate any certainty, forcing even the most glittering positive spirit to question itself.Reflecting on an author like Edgar Allan Poe means confronting a unique, troubled personality whose personal and ambiguous approach to life is reflected between the lines of his works. At the end of the day, which intellectual can absolutely separate his own experience from his own production?What springs from the mind is intimately connected with the essence of each individual. Depending on the author, this aspect may be more or less visible. In Poe's case, the crypticity of his life emerges in a sinister and, at the same time, brilliant way through his stories. Even 170 years after his death, his literary charm still appears intact, capable of stirring shadows and nightmares in the most daring hearts.Seen in retrospect, that of the American writer is a melancholic parable. His was a sad life, persecuted by the cumbersome presence of mourning. Critics and biographers have seen facets of Poe's spirit scattered here and there in the protagonists of the grotesque events he described. These bitter parallels still provoke extreme melancholy today, especially if one reflects on the posthumous success achieved by the author, almost a mockery of destiny.