“Were I called on to define, very briefly, the term Art, I should call it 'the reproduction of what the Senses perceive in Nature through the veil of the soul.' The mere imitation, however accurate, of what is in Nature, entitles no man to the sacred name of 'Artist.'”

American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic

Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. He is best known for his poetry and short stories, especially his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is widely regarded as a central figure in American Romanticism and Gothic fiction, and as an important voice in early American literature. His work is most closely associated with suspense, darkness, and the unsettling edge of the imagination.