The life of American writer Edgar Allan Poe was characterized by a dramatic series of successes and failures?? breakdowns and recoveries?? personal gains and hopes dashed through?? despite which he created some of the finest literature the world has ever known. Over time his works have influenced such major creative forces as the French poets Charles Baudelaire and Andre Gide?? filmmaker D.W. Griffith and modern literary legend Allen Ginsberg. Best known for his poems and short fiction?? Poe