爱伦·坡(1809—1849)是美国著名的小说家,诗人,文艺评论家。作为恐怖小说的鼻祖,象征主义的先驱,坡却不为他的美国同时代作家所接纳,身后又为国人误解多年。这固然和他放荡不羁的性格和其作品的超前性有一定的联系,但当时清教主义在美国社会和文化中占据统治地位,对这种状况也产生了重要影响。 Allan Poe (1809-1849) is a famous American novelist, poet and literary critic. As the earliest ancestor of horror novels, the forerunner of symbolism was not accepted by his contemporary American writers, who misunderstood his countrymen for many years. Although this is certainly related to his boastful character and the advanced nature of his work, the fact that Puritanism prevailed in the American society and culture also had an important influence on the situation.