Effective virtual simulations can embed participants in imaginary worlds. Researchers working in virtual worlds and gaming often refer to "immersion," a state in which a participant or player loses track of time and becomes one with the simulation. Immersive settings have been shown to deepen learning. Ken Hudson's work with students training for duty with the Canadian Border Services via a simulation in Second Life revealed that their performance improved 28 percent compared to the group the year before. While demonstrating an understanding of a literary work is semantically different from grasping the duties needed at a checkpoint, this article explores what a faculty-student team can do with the dark and richly imagined world of Edgar Allan Poe in an immersive environment. (Contains 7 figures and 17 endnotes.)