"The Premature Burial" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe that delves into the themes of fear and paranoia surrounding burial and death. The narrator expresses his deep anxiety about being buried alive, driven by various historical accounts of this horrific fate. His obsession demonstrates how the fear of death can consume an individual, leading to an irrational mindset. Poe effectively builds a sense of dread, as the narrator imagines the various ways in which one could wake up after being interred, trapped and helpless.