Edgar Allan Poe: An Afternoon at the Wissahickon

Photo - Michael W. Murphy, used by Creative Commons License via Flickr
by Melissa Juliet Sagendorph

Even during a bleak, snowy December afternoon, it’s hard to imagine the Wissahickon Valley Park serving as inspiration for one of the most notoriously macabre poets in American history. A wide brook flows quietly through sloping trails and thick forests, edged on either side by rocky hills. The knobbly paths have been battered down by hikers and joggers, cheerily zig-zagging past the spinning wheels of mountain bikes. A favorite spot for pet owners, the mossy grounds are overrun by midday with ...