Here are some individuals who were roughly contemporaries of Poe, with varying degrees of overlap in their lives and careers:
Writers:
* Nathaniel Hawthorne: While older than Poe, they were contemporaries and both explored dark themes.
* Herman Melville: Another contemporary, Melville's works often explored philosophical and psychological depths.
* Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Though known for different styles, Longfellow was a popular poet of the time.
* Walt Whitman: A younger contemporary, Whitman's poetry embraced a different approach to language and themes.
* William Cullen Bryant: A leading poet and editor, Bryant's career spanned Poe's lifetime.
* Emily Dickinson: While Dickinson was much younger and largely unpublished during Poe's lifetime, she was a fellow poet of the American Romantic period.
Other figures:
* Frederick Douglass: A prominent abolitionist writer and orator, Douglass was a contemporary of Poe's.
* Abraham Lincoln: While Lincoln's political career was on the rise, Poe's literary career was declining. Both were figures of the same era.
* Charles Dickens: Although a British author, Dickens was immensely popular in America, and both writers shared some thematic concerns.
* Mary Shelley: While Shelley died years before Poe was born, her novel *Frankenstein* significantly impacted the Gothic genre that Poe cultivated.
Important Note: It's crucial to remember that "peers" doesn't imply friendship or admiration. Poe's contemporaries weren't necessarily his friends or supporters. He often clashed with literary circles and faced criticism.
Ultimately, while Poe was a significant figure, he lived during a vibrant literary period with many talented individuals who contributed to the development of American literature.