So, what did Poe contribute to the development of the short story?

One critic summed up his contributions:

Edgar Allan Poe, deserves more credit than any other writer for the transformation of the short story from anecdote to art. He virtually created the detective story and perfected the psychological thriller. He also produced some of the most influential literary criticism of his time--important theoretical statements on poetry and the short story--and has had a worldwide influence on literature.

Had Poe not given us his criticism, nor written his stories, literatue would not have evolved to its present-day form. He helped to pioneer the short story. By using existing and innovative elements, he revolutionized short literature, much like Lucas revolutionized action cinema with his Star Wars.

Edgar Allan Poe was the first to define the genre formally (1842), calling it an artistic composition controlled to produce a single unified effect.

Poe placed high value on the short story (or tale), considering it, next to the "rhymed poem," the literary form in which the "highest genius" might most advantageously exert its powers. Its compactness made possible both high excitement in the reader and maximum artistic control by the writer. Defined as a "short prose narrative, requiring from a half-hour to one or two hours in its perusal," the tale could be read in a single session. Thus, the reader would be absorbed in the story until the end, without any "external or extrinsic influences" disturbing the stories effect. (For the same reason, Poe argued that "a long poem is a paradox.") And the brevity of the tale allowed the writer to strive for that "unity of effect or impression" which Poe commended as a supreme criterion of aesthetic judgement.

Prose tales are also have a purpose very different than that of poetry. A poem struggles to obtain beauty, through rhythm and other devices. This rhythm, however, inhibits the use of many modes of inflection in a poem. Truth, not beauty, is often the aim of a tale. Through the pursuit of this aim, a great deal of options, such as horror, sarcasm, and more are at the author's disposal.

In constructing a tale in the Poe fashion, the author first envisions the effect that he wishes to achieve. Then, he invents incidents that will help him to bring about the desired effect. The author paints the picture of a single incident. A tale too short fails to create the desired effect. A tale too long, however, is an even greater evil.

For Poe, "in almost all classes of composition, the unity of effect or impression is a point of the greatest importance." This unity is best achieved within the short time- frame prescribed. In the brief period, the reader is held hostage in the world created by the author. Any longer period of time will result in an interference of the world's affairs, thus destroying the overall effect that the story sought to achieve.

Every facet of the tale should be written to help it achieve its preconceived effect (of horror, sarcasm, passion, or whatever). In his well-known formulation, if the writer's "very initial sentence tend not to the outbringing of this effect, then he has failed in his first step. In the whole composition, there should be no word written, of which the tendency, direct or indirect, is not to the one pre-established design." Only works that aim at adapting each element to the other and subordinating them all to a single effect can produce, Poe observed, the "fullest satisfaction." Ignoring religious, political, or similar concerns, the discriminating reader should judge the work intrinsically and relationally, considering whether it rhythm at a particular place enhances the action being narrated, and whether both promote the overall effect. "The true critic will but demand that the design intended be accomplished, to the fullest extent, by the means most advantageously applicable." In his well-known formulation, if the writer's "very initial sentence tend not to the outbringing of this effect, then he has failed in his first step. In the whole composition, there should be no word written, of which the tendency, direct or indirect, is not to the one pre-established design." Only works that aim at adapting each element to the other and subordinating them all to a single effect can produce, Poe observed, the "fullest satisfaction." Ignoring religious, political, or similar concerns, the discriminating reader should judge the work intrinsically and relationally, considering whether it rhythm at a particular place enhances the action being narrated, and whether both promote the overall effect. "The true critic will but demand that the design intended be accomplished, to the fullest extent, by the means most advantageously applicable."

Thus in his criticism, Poe wrote out the standard for well-written short-stories. Tantamount above all characteristics was the ability of the story to entertain the reader. If a story tried too hard to preach a sermon that it failed to enter tain, Poe would consider it a failure. Short stories should be written to entertain the reader.

He was enthralled with the originality he found in Hawthorne's fiction: "Mr. Hawthorne's distinctive trait is invention, creation, imagination, originality - a trait which in the literature of fiction, is positively worth all the rest. But the nature of originality, so far as regards it manifestation in letters, is but imperfectly understood. the invective or original mind as frequently displays itself in novelty of tone as in novelty of matter. Mr. Hawthorne is original at all points."

In his "Review of 'Twice-Told' Tales," Poe also isolated the tale from other literary forms, effectively defining a short story. He felt unable to classify some of Hawthorne's 'tales' as such, classifying them instead as essays. Poe had a great degree of confidence in the short story (or tale). "The tale proper, in our opinion, affords unquestionably the fairest field for the exercise of the loftiest talent, which can be afforded by the wide domains of mere prose."

In "The Cask of a Amontillado," we find ourselves immersed a tale of one man's vengeance. The narrator never tells us why he is plotting to entomb Fortunato. That is not important. What is important is the actual plot and action in which we, the read ers actively participate. The lack of detail and absence of background information helps drive us to focus on the action The story is short, the pace is fast, and we read eagerly until we reach the end. Any interpretation or any profound message we obtain from the reading is purely our own creation. Poe wrote merely to entertain us. Unlike the transcendentalists, his writing was not controlled by nature, nor did it emerge spontaneously. Poe's works were carefully planned out. He controlled his writings. Thus he was able to introduce a great number of literary devices and plot elements to help achieve his preconceived result.

Poe also "borrowed from the older supernatural tales to illustrate psychological complexities, as in 'The Fall of the House of Usher'." His favorite tale, "Ligeia," came to him through a dream. Having already imagined the end of "Ligeia", Poe was able to craft an elaborate prose poem in which we, the readers, are active participants. Every aspect of the story, down to the character names, were chosen to help attract us to Ligeia while being repulsed by Rowena.

Popular authors, such as Michael Chrichton, write stories that grab the reader with the first page. All sections of the story work together to create a powerful effect on the reader. Even though written as long novels, the books can almost be thought of as series of interconnected short stories. Works such as Jurassic Park seek primarily to entertain, and succeed by using every word to achieve the desired effect. As a consequence of the quest to entertain, the book raises many questions; however, the primary goal is to captivate the audience. Like the works of Poe, these works have popular appeal, and even have found there way in to the high school English curriculum.

Perhaps even more fitting in the Poe tradition can be found in the various forms of screen-acting. Poe would probably despise television. The constant commercial interruptions destroy the overall effect that the program was seeking to achieve. (Just when the bad guy is about to shoot the good guy, the program breaks for a Cool-Whip commercial.) Television series also limit the writer's originality. He becomes forced to use the same characters, using the same amount of time. Thus, instead of picking elements to create a pre-conceived effect, he must create an effect from the already present elements.

Movies, however, would be an almost perfect form of entertainment. The audience is held captive in the theater for the one to two hour movie. The movie has none of the limitations of a stage play, and can take place anywhere, using anything to create a desired audience reaction. The video and sound quality of today virtually surround the audience with sensory impressions. A well made movie will captivate the audience from the opening scene, and keep it involved until the very end. Even the production of a movie is made with the end result in mind. The musical score, the casting, and filming locations are all chosen to help further the desired effect.

Poe's contributions to the short story are similar to the contributions of George Lucas to the modern action film. George Lucas set the standard for modern action films with Star Wars and Indiana Jones. He created films to entertain, and consequently defined the standard. Similarly, Poe wrote entertaining short stories, such as "Ligeia" and "Fall of the House of Usher" that fit his definition of the modern short story. Poe defined and set the standard for entertaining short fiction. Were he alive today, he would probably be Lucas's colleague, setting the standards by which we are entertained.

The counter shows: