Poe was unique because he was able to incorporate into his poetry and short stories the themes of personal psychology, physical or mental enfeeblement, obsessions, the damnation of death, feverish fantasies, the cosmos as source of horror and inspiration.  Although this certainly anointed him the father of horror as a genre in literature, Poe was most remarkable because he was able did not allude to supernatural beings such as werewolves, ghosts, vampires, etc.  Furthermore, his allusions to the devil are in playful terms rather than fearful terms, another unique characteristic of Poe’s works.  Finally, Poe was an avid journalistic writer who submitted such a volume of journalistic work to newspapers across the country that a complete collection of these works has yet to be completed.