Edgar Allan Poe's association with the Southern Literary Messenger gave him an opportunity unprecedented in his personal experience. It brought him greater intimacy with the printed word than he had yet known, permitted him the chance to read a nearly countless number of publications, and allowed him an extraordinary opportunity to broaden his base of knowledge and deepen his understanding of contemporary print culture. Books from the prominent New York and Philadelphia publishers, virtually every newspaper from Virginia and all the major papers from Boston to Savannah, every important magazine in America, and the British quarterlies passed across his desk at the Southern Literary Messenger office. While there, he wrote nearly all of the reviews for the magazine. Taking advantage of the editorial freedom White allowed him, Poe ably developed his unique critical voice. The Messenger provided a vehicle for his imaginative literature as well, White paying extra for any stories or verse published in the magazine. In large part, Poe's critical notices generated more notoriety for him than his creative work, though some of his finest early tales and verse appeared in the magazine.

Poe left the Southern Literary Messenger for several reasons. For one, White refused to pay the salary Poe demanded. He and Virginia had married in 1836, and Poe had found the wages of an editorial assistant – ten dollars a week – inadequate to support his household.