Final answer:
During Edgar Allan Poe's life, there were instances of premature burials, and these influenced his short story 'The Premature Burial.' The narrator's friend preserves his deceased sister's body in a vault to prevent her from being buried alive, reflecting Poe's fascination with the fear of premature burial.
Step-by-step explanation:
During Edgar Allan Poe's life, there were many instances of premature burials. These occurrences had a significant influence on his short story, 'The Premature Burial.' In the story, the narrator's friend preserves the corpse of his deceased sister in a vault to ensure she isn't buried alive due to her unusual malady and the remote location of the family burial ground. This reflects Poe's fascination with the fear of being mistakenly buried before death.