Team Hawthorne or Team Poe?

I have to say I am a bigger fan of Nathaniel Hawthorne because his stories are easier to understand than Edgar Allan Poe's. Hawthorne's symbolism is easier to find and understand whereas Poe's symbolism is very complex and hidden. I think that Hawthorne's stories have more interesting storylines than Poe's. Plus, Edgar Allan Poe's stories are much more dark and dreary than those of Hawthorne, and I am not a dark and dreary person. Bottomline, I believe that Nathaniel Hawthorne is a much better author than Edgar Allan Poe.

Nathaniel Hawthorne

1804-1864