Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American writer, editor, and literary critic. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States and American literature as a whole. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. His most recurring themes deal with questions of death, including its physical signs, the effects of decomposition, concerns of premature burial, the reanimation of the dead, and mourning. Many of Poe's works are generally considered part of the dark romanticism genre.