Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) By Ryan & Isaiah

Brief Overview of the Antebellum Era (1836-1860) The Antebellum period was the point of time after the war of 1812 leading up to the Civil War. Abolition movement, Westward expansion(Manifest Destiny), advancement of technology, social & religious movements

Who was Edgar Allen Poe? (January 19, 1809 - October 7, 1849) Poe was an American poet & writer Well known for his short stories that captivate the minds of his readers. He most commonly wrote horror stories.

Early life Born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. Parents were actors named Elizabeth Arnold Poe and David Poe Jr. Edgar Allan Poe’s father abandoned the family in 1810. That next year Edgar’s mother died of tuberculosis thus orphaning Edgar Allan Poe, Edgar had to move into John allan's house. (A tobacco farmer and possibly his God father) His older brother William Henry Leonard Poe and younger sister Rosalie Mackenzie Poe were also split up. Henry went with family in Baltimore while Rosalie went to a different family like Edgar. Went to england for school, in 1826 Edgar attended the university of Virginia but then his love for gambling gets him taken out.

Midlife When he arrived back to Richmond he fell in love with his sweetheart Elmira Royster. In the time of getting engaged he went to boston where he got his youthful Byronic poems published in 1827 shortly after he enlisted into the US army due to poverty. He was admitted for West Point and kicked out after only 8 months due to lack of presentation/ tardiness. Became an editor of a newspaper in Richmond( The Southern Literary Messenger) in 1835- Moved to Richmond with his aunt and cousin. In 1836 he married his cousin who was 14 at the time. Alcohol became a necessity in his life

Famous Works

The Raven (1845) The Raven is about widower who is visited many times by a raven. The tapping the raven creates on his door make the man believe his wife is knocking at the door. As the story goes on he begins to talk to the raven and expect to get a reply. This short story is important, because it shows examples of social diversity and unethical decisions similar to Poe life.

The Fall of the House Usher (1839) The Fall of the House Usher is about a man (narrator) who visits a childhood friend, but then the friend reveals that his twin sister is in the family vault and not quite dead. The twin sister then appears to the narrator in her bloodstained shroud, once witnessing this the narrator runs to the door but then for the door while it collapses on him.

The Tell-Tale Heart (1843) The Tell tale-Heart is about a man who must prove his sanity along with the effects of murdering a man. This short story is also important, because it shows examples of social diversity and unethical decisions similar to Poe life.

The Bells (1848) The Bells was best known for the use of diacope and heavily onomatopoeic style of writing. Edgar tried to get it published time and time again but, The Bells was unfortunately not published until after his death.

Later Life and Death In 1847 Virginia died from Tuberculosis This increased his alcohol intake and worsened his depression Published many more poems & short stories In 1849 he set out for Philadelphia and for an unknown reason he stopped in Baltimore. He was found at a state of semi consciousness and a four days later he died of acute congestion of the brain. Later research done by medical practitioners reveals he most likely had rabies

Why is Edgar Allan Poe important? Edgar Allan Poes is important, because he captured the minds of his audience through his literature. In fact it’s still capturing the minds people today. His scary stories not only told a short story, but they also revealed Poe’s pitiful life. He also created new writing style that changed the time period, it did not only influence american literature but international literature by being the first to develop a genre of detective fiction and horror.

Works Cited “Edgar Allan Poe.” Poets.org, Academy of American Poets, 1 Aug. 2016, www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/edgar-allan-poe. Mabbott, Thomas Ollive, et al. “Edgar Allan Poe.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 3 Aug. 2017, www.britannica.com/biography/Edgar-Allan-Poe. Biography.com Editors. “Edgar Allan Poe.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 2 Aug. 2017, www.biography.com/people/edgar-allan-poe-9443160. Brinkley, Alan. Unfinished Nation. Mcgraw-Hill Education, 2013.