Edgar Allan Poe can be regarded as one of America's best writers, and by some, even the original goth kid. Poe seems to enjoy being in a dark state of mind, which is deemed perfect for writing horror stories. Poe is the modern day inspiration for many modern stories, even making appearances in the satirical South Park.

Poe's short story Fall of the House Usher features many characteristics ideal in a horror story. For instance his use of an ominous setting creates the mood for the story, and creates foreshadowing of misfortunes about to occur. I would use this tactic the very same way.

Poe's use of death in his stories is another great example. Death creates obvious suspense and a sense of fear. I would use death to establish a very dark tone, give the story a mournful feel to it.

The use of the supernatural elements gives the story a very peculiar feel to it. By the means of logic it's obvious the dead don't rise in a decayed state, but it sure scares many readers, and may incite them to leave their nightlight on, after all, we have an obsession for the occult. The supernatural will surely hook the reader and which is why I would use it.

Diction is surely an essential way to express your standpoint, you're choice of words certainly set a mood for a story. Poe's use of strong words such as dark, dull, and soundless create an image of a desolate place. I would peruse Poe's work to use strong words that effectively express what I want to say.

Poe's use of cliffhangers make the reader interpret the ending or resolution in whatever way they want, after all he's dead he can't write a sequel to Fall of the House of Usher. To have my work venerated and become a cultural phenomenon I would adopt Poe's use of cliffhangers.

Poe's elements have him regarded as the quintessential mystery/horror writer, with great reason, it's evident throughout all of his work. His work seems to have these elements implemented to create the ideal story.