Poe was obsessed with death and insanity which were evident throughout his works. He was heavily influenced by deaths in his own life including his wife and other family members. This took a toll on his mental health and he used writing as an outlet to express his emotions, often including death and madness as themes or driving forces of the plots and characters. Two of his most famous works, "The Raven" and "The Black Cat" prominently featured these themes.