The Baltimore Years
Edgar Allan Poe

a #1 new Short Stories CD
on amazon.com in 2008

In time for the bicentennial celebration of his birth, Classic CD Books' 3-CD set The Baltimore Years includes many of the stories and poems believed to be written by Edgar Allan Poe during his time in Baltimore, some for the first time on CD.

Listen to Poe's first published work, his personal favorite story, and the original version of the story considered so gruesome that Poe himself was compelled to edit it.

An arabesque tale with gothic influences, "Metzengerstein" was Poe's first published short story.

Poe won a $50 prize for "MS Found in a Bottle." It was his first published work to appear with his name and also his first decided success. The story was published on the front page of Baltimore Saturday Visiter on October 19, 1833 as the winning tale of a contest the paper sponsored.

"King Pest" is a predecessor to "The Masque of the Red Death." It is very similar to "Berenice" in its grotesque subject matter.

Although humorous, "Lionizing" can also be looked upon as a story with a moral to be learned.

"Morella" explores the question of identity and what happens to it after death. The short story explores the idea of metempsychosis as does "Metzengerstein."

Originally, "Mystification" was titled "Von Jung, the Mystic." Later, in Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque, the title was shortened to "Von Jung."

"Berenice" is a horror story first published in the Southern Literary Messenger in March 1835. Public outcry forced Poe to self-censor the work due to its violent nature. Poe deleted 4 paragraphs from the original publication after complaints of them making the tale too "gruesome." The four removed paragraphs describe a scene where Egaeus visits Berenice before her burial and clearly sees that she is still alive. Poe said in a letter to the editor of the Messenger: "I allow that it approaches the very verge of bad taste -- but I will not sin quite so egregiously again." The version here is the original including the offending paragraphs. Incidentally, this is one of the few Poe stories whose narrator is named. The National Museum of Dentistry in Baltimore will host a performance of "Berenice" in September 2009.

"Ligeia," published by the Baltimore American Museum, was well received by critics and said to be Poe's personal favorite. He received $10 for it.

In "Shadow--A Parable," Poe speaks of a "terror for which there is no name upon earth." The "terror" of which he speaks is in reference to his harsh encounter with cholera - an epidemic that was plaguing Baltimore during his time there. There were also active meteor showers. This story is considered to be among the greatest of Poe's earlier works. Poe made very few changes to "Shadow--A Parable," indicating his satisfaction with the work.

Poems

"Enigma [on Shakespeare]"

First printed in the February 2, 1833 issue of the Baltimore Saturday Visiter, "Enigma" is a riddle that hints at 11 noted authors. Line 2, for example, references Homer and the 9th refers to Alexander Pope. It was signed only with "P.", though Thomas Ollive Mabbott attributed the poem to Poe - and solved the riddles.

"Serenade"

This poem is directed at the beauty of untouched nature, as well as an unnamed lover. It was first printed in the Baltimore Saturday Visiter on April 20, 1833 with the name "E. A. Poe." The poem was never collected in any of Poe's anthologies during his lifetime and was re-discovered by John French in 1917.

"To --- [Sleep on]"

This poem first appeared in the Baltimore Saturday Visiter on May 11, 1833. Essentially a lullaby, it was signed "TAMERLANE" and addressed to an anonymous woman.

"Fanny"

First published in the Baltimore Saturday Visiter on May 18, 1833, the poem laments the death of a young love. It was also originally signed as "TAMERLANE."

"The Coliseum"

Poe entered this poem in a contest as well in October 1833; it did not win but was published a few days later in the Baltimore Saturday Visiter on the 26th. It was also incorporated into Poe's unfinished drama "Politian." It refers to Rome as a former glory that still exists in imagination. Poe considered it one of his best poems.