Which Edgar Allan Poe Tales Feature In The Fall Of The House Of Usher?

When it comes to the mysterious and the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe might be one of the most famous authors of them all. The writer dominated the 18th century with his work, and it’s something that’s truly stood the test of time all these decades later. In fact, so many are in love with Poe’s work that it’s recently been transformed for the big screen.

The gothic horror drama ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ might be based on a book by the author, but it turns out there are more of his stories in the miniseries than many people realize. There’s a reason the show has been so popular with fans, but which Edgar Allan Poe tales feature in ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’?

The Raven might be Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous piece of work

It might not win the title of the most famous poem in the world, but it’s certainly Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous piece of work. That’s right; we’re talking about ‘The Raven,’ which might be why it’s no surprise that it appears in ‘The Fall of the House of Usher.’ The poem talks about a narrator who is kept up on a cold winter night because he is grief-stricken over his love, Lenore. A raven continually arrives at his window, merely speaking the word “nevermore,” with readers interpreting this as the fact the narrator will never recover from his grief. The names of episodes one and eight are direct references to ‘The Raven,’ but that’s not all. The character Verna (played by Carla Gugino) appears to be determined to take her revenge on the Ushers, but the twist? Her name is actually an anagram of “raven.” Plus, Roderick’s granddaughter, Lenore (played by Kyliegh Curran), just so happens to share a name with the original narrator’s love.

The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket helped inspire a character’s name

While it might not be a direct link, the name of Arthur Pym (played by Mark Hamill) is a connection to Edgar Allan Poe that many might not see at first. The name is actually inspired by Poe’s first - and only - novel titled ‘The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket,’ with the author only writing the book because his horror stories weren’t selling. It was meant to be a departure for Poe, with the story bringing to life a young man who seeks adventure in his life by heading to the high seas. It’s something very different from the author, but the abrupt ending of the story certainly brings things back around to Poe’s natural talent for horror.

Annabelle Lee comes through in the form of flashbacks on the show

‘The Fall of the House of Usher’ certainly knows how to keep us on our toes, with most of Annabelle Lee’s (played by Katie Parker) story told through flashbacks. This comes when Roderick Usher (played by Bruce Greenwood) tells the story of his first wife, who just so happens to be named, you guessed it, Annabelle Lee. The original Edgar Allan Poe poem is about a childhood romance that comes before she passed away, with many thinking it was actually about Poe’s wife, Virginia Eliza Clemm. She just so happened to be his cousin, too, and the pair married when Virginia was just 13 years old before she passed away years later at 25.

The Fall of the House of Usher is also filled with other Edgar Allan Poe Easter eggs

Of course, it’s not just the direct references to Edgar Allan Poe that fill ‘The Fall of the House of Usher.’ Long before Sherlock Holmes came along, Poe was credited with inventing the detectives in literature genre with Dupin. In the show, he’s played by Carl Lumbly and spends his time fighting to see the Ushers brought to justice through the courts. Of course, this is a direct reference to C. Auguste Dupin, who appeared in three of Poe’s stores over the years. Dupin isn’t the only character to be lifted from Poe’s stories and poems, with many other main characters taking a lot of inspiration from his work. However, you might want to pay attention to the names of the episodes, as many are either linked to forgotten Poe characters or to tales he brought to life throughout his career.

When it comes to the Edgar Allan Poe tales that feature in ‘The Fall of the House of Usher,’ it seems there’s no end to the Easter eggs, hints, and direct lifts from his poems and stories littered throughout the series. Still, the miniseries is inspired by his many writings, so it only makes sense, right?