Final answer:
Edgar Allan Poe's stories commonly deal with themes such as death, madness, and the supernatural, influenced by his own life experiences and losses. Themes in literature like Poe's connect with universal human emotions and reflect the larger questions of existence, making them enduring pieces of literary work.
Step-by-step explanation:
Edgar Allan Poe's stories are renowned for their exploration of dark and macabre themes. Themes frequently observed in his narratives include death, madness, guilt, and retribution. Poe's preoccupation with the macabre is often attributed to the traumas he experienced in his personal life, such as the loss of his mother when he was young.
Analyzing Poe's life, as Marie Bonaparte did, can provide insights into his work. Her psychoanalytical interpretation suggests Poe's work reflects a desire to reconnect with his deceased mother, which could be a reason for his fascination with death and the macabre. Additionally, Poe's narratives, along with those of other gothic writers, contain supernatural and dream-like events, characteristics that contribute to their endurance in literature.
Themes in literature often reflect universal human emotions and questions, such as love, existence, and one's place in society. Poe's stories investigate these existential queries through a lens of gothic horror, examining what it means to be human in the face of overwhelming tragedy or fear. For instance, the themes in Poe's works like "The Tell-Tale Heart" or "The Fall of the House of Usher" delve into the psyche of his characters, uncovering insights about humanity's darker aspects.