Final answer:
Edgar Allan Poe's work remains popular due to its timeless themes, his innovative contributions to detective fiction, and the intriguing link between his troubled life and his writing, which has sparked scholarly exploration and analysis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The enduring popularity of Edgar Allan Poe's work over the past 170 years can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the themes of his poetry and stories, which often explore the macabre, the mysterious, and the human psyche, continue to fascinate readers.
Additionally, Poe's masterful storytelling and pioneering work in the genre of detective fiction have cemented his legacy as an icon in literature.
Lastly, his life, marred by tragedy and loss, has intrigued scholars and readers alike, making the connection between his personal experiences and his work an area of interest and scholarly analysis.
Marie Bonaparte's psychoanalytic interpretation of Poe's desire to reunite with his deceased mother, as discussed in her work 'The Life and Works of Edgar Allan Poe', is an example of how examining an author's life can provide insights into their literature.
This relationship between an author's personal history and their creative output contributes to the ongoing interest in Poe's work, as it does to the works of many other celebrated authors in the literary canon.