"Classic Authors"?

O.k. Major question here. Why in the wide world are homeschooling parents teaching "classic" authors, such as Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Beirce, etc? And why exactly are they teaching that these are "Exelent authors!"
Their writings are sick, twisted works, which have no real value. They lift up ideas that are most definitely negative, they promote depressing thoughts and negative attitudes and they most certainly do NOT bring glory to God.
I don't remember the verse off the top of my head, but I'm sure you know the one I mean, you know, "Whatever things are lovely, whatever things are pure, whatever things are of good repute"? I think in this case the good repute is out of context, as these authors are generally considered brilliant, even though most of them did drugs, were considered for insane assylums and Poe was thought to have died from rabies!
Am I reading too much into what is being taught, or does any of this make sense? The general attitude and thought processes that these stories and poems promote are NOT praiseworthy.
I do believe that things like this should be heavily weighed before being taught, and that it should be evident that the teachers are not suggesting that the stories or authors themselves are good, but that the techniques used are good.
This doesn't make much sense, but what I'm trying to say is that the methods of writing used are definitely good. The writer draws you into the story, makes you feel a part of it. But the stories and authors themselves are not to be even considered as good examples.
If I'm not making sense, or have false logic, someone say so please?