What is a gothic story? Describe it referring to the works of E.A. Poe.

Edgar Allen Poe is famed for his short fiction which
characterises the word Gothic so excellently. Gothic is a term used to describe literary
works that contain supernatural, wild or/and mysterious and natural elements. The
majority of Gothic fiction is characterised by gloomy, depressing and scary settings and
an overwhelming atmosphere of terror and mystery. The shorter fiction of Poe is Gothic
because it combines the gloomy setting with action that creates terror and fear in our
hearts as we read it. Consider how "The Fall of the House of Usher" opens, for
example:

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During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless
day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I
had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and
at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the
melancholy House of
Usher.

Note how the setting,
the "dull, dark and soundless day" combined with the clouds and the season of autumn
combine to create a gloomy atmosphere, perfectly preparing us for the horrors that
follow in this tale. Of course, the mysterious connection between Roderick and his twin
sister, Madeline, and the terror of her "resurrection" and her final union with her
brother, combined with the destruction of the House of Usher, presents themes of
mystery, evil and the supernatural that remain unexplained and ambiguous. This, in a
sense, is another aspect of Gothic literature: it always leaves us with questions,
unsettled and wondering. Gothic literature as in the short stories of Poe leave us
doubting our perception of the world. They rob us of easy answers that can explain away
the marvels that we have read and profoundly unsettle us.