The Lost Limericks of Edgar Allan Poe

On a hot summer day, a man in a heavy coat sold Tim Prasil a timeworn manuscript of 100 limericks purported to have been penned by Edgar Allan Poe. Prasil has never been able to prove or disprove the true authorship. Is it possible that the often-melancholy Poe dabbled in writing limericks?

Decide for yourself as you page through these mostly silly — occasionally spooky and serious — glimpses of Poe’s work, his life, and his world.

Read Samples from The Lost Limericks of Edgar Allan Poe

Misquothed

Ascribe the mistake to the Devil or
How sound can rebound on unlevel floor.
That talkative bird
Was simply misheard.
The raven was pagin’ a “Neville Moore.”

▲▼▲

The Pall o’er the Pulse of Usher

Poor Roderick did as he should!
Interring his sister was good.
Tho’ that couldn’t crush her,
Sad Madeline Usher,
Inherited properties could.

▲▼▲

Tender Torture

Once money arrives, I will send you some,
Despite my repute as a friend to rum.
I borrow to pay.
In sorrow, I say
That debt is a pit and a pendulum.

Watch the Video Diary of My Poe-grimage

Seeking inspiration to finish this book, I went on a “Poe-grimage” to Richmond, Virginia, and Baltimore, Maryland, during the summer of 2017. These cities are where Poe spent much of his life. I kept a video diary of the trip, and the first entry is below. There are three more at the Brom Bones Books YouTube channel.

The next time you’re at YouTube, please subscribe to the Brom Bones Books channel! I’m often planning new ways to combine my books with videos.

Poe Lives

Go to the Catalog of Books.