The Poet's Doom by Ambrose Bierce
In this short story, a poet named Edgar Allan Poe is killed in a tragic accident. His body is buried in a cemetery, but his spirit refuses to rest. Instead, he haunts the graveyard, unable to shake off his passion for writing. Every night, he sits atop his grave and pens verses of mournful beauty, his ghostly fingers moving across the page with eerie grace. As the years pass, Poe's spirit becomes a fixture in the cemetery, a melancholy presence that inspires both fear and admiration from the living. His poetry continues to captivate readers, even as he remains trapped in the afterlife, doomed to forever pine for the life he left behind.
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1890 · Genre: Horror, Suspense, Drama · 207 words
First lines
An Object was walking along the King's highway wrapped in meditation and with little else on, when he suddenly found himself at the gates of a strange city. On applying for admittance, he was arrested as a necessitator of ordinances, and taken before the King.
"Who are you," said the King, "and what is your business in life?"
"Snouter the Sneak," replied the Object, with ready invention;
"pick-pocket."
What this Textopian page supports
The Poet's Doom is listed on Textopian as a fable by Ambrose Bierce, dated 1890 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Ambrose Bierce
- Date: 1890 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Horror, Suspense, Drama, Mystery, Historical Fiction
- Length: 207 words
- Structure: 1 section, 10 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Poet's Doom by Ambrose Bierce
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Poet's Doom?
- How does this fable by Ambrose Bierce fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Horror first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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- An Inadequate Fee by Ambrose Bierce
- A Forfeited Right by Ambrose Bierce
- Yorick by Ambrose Bierce
- The Dog And The Physician by Ambrose Bierce
- The Thoughtful Warden by Ambrose Bierce
Genres
- Horror — Ambrose Bierce is known for his horror and ghost stories, and this title suggests a dark and ominous plot.
- Suspense — The title suggests a looming consequence or danger, common in suspense genres.
- Drama — The word 'Doom' in the title implies a significant conflict or dramatic event.
- Mystery — The title's ominous tone could also suggest a mystery to be solved.
Tags
gothic · horror · supernatural · mystery · thriller · literary · fiction · short story · american literature · classic · 19th century · death