What was the title of Edgar Allan Poe's first published short story?

Edgar Allan Poe’s first published short story was “Metzengerstein.”

Poe’s Gothic tale, subtitled “A Tale in Imitation of the German,” appeared in the Philadelphia Saturday Courier on January 14, 1832. It follows Frederick, the young Baron of Metzengerstein, whose family has a bitter feud with the rival Berlifitzing family. After a fire kills the rival family patriarch, Frederick becomes fascinated by a mysterious, powerful horse bearing markings associated with the Berlifitzings.

The story ends when Frederick loses control of the horse and is carried into a fire that consumes his castle. Critics have debated whether Poe intended “Metzengerstein” as a serious Gothic horror story or as an exaggerated satire of popular Gothic conventions. Either way, it introduces themes that recur throughout Poe’s writing, including obsession, inherited conflict, supernatural suggestion, and destructive guilt.

“Metzengerstein” is often confused with “MS. Found in a Bottle,” another early Poe story that won a writing contest and gained attention. “Metzengerstein,” however, was the first Poe short story to see print, making it the canonical answer to this question.