Edgar Allan Poe 1809-1849

Early life Born in 1809 in Boston Son of two actors Father abandoned the family in 1810 and Edgar’s mother passed away the year after. Edgar was then adopted by John and Frances Allan and moved to Richmond, Virginia. Poe had a tumultuous relationship with his adoptive father, and then often fought over Poe’s gambling, debt, and early drinking. He adored his adoptive mother Frances, and her death in 1829 was a tragic blow to Poe’s stability.

Adulthood and Career Start Before Frances died, Poe attended the University of Virginia but had to drop out because of the lack of funds. After dropping out, Poe went into the Army under a pseudonym in 1827. In the Army he began publishing poetry anonymously with Tamerlane and Other Poems in 1827.

He failed as an officer at West Point and decided to focus primarily on writing. He began travelling and working in newspapers and periodicals in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia and became known for his particular brand of scathing criticism. In Richmond in 1836, he married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia Clemm.

Poe had sporadic bursts of success, but in 1845 he published “The Raven” and it was an instant success. “The Raven” is a poem about obsession. The speaker is a man obsessed by the memory of Lenore, a woman he loved who is now dead. As he struggles to keep her memory out of his mind, a raven flies into his study and keeps croaking one word, driving the speaker to the brink of insanity. “The Raven”

Part of the poem’s popularity was due to Poe’s clever use of sound devices (rhyme, repetition, alliteration, and onomatopoeia). Although “The Raven” was a huge hit, Poe only earned $14 for it. Poe is considered the inventor of the modern detective story, rivalled masterfully by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and the Edgar Award is given to mystery writers each year.

Poe’s mystery Virginia died of tuberculosis in 1847 and her death was traumatic to Poe; his mental health declined. Poe had a problem with drinking and rumored drugs throughout his life; after Virginia’s death, his habits worsened. Poe died October 7, 1849 at age 40; his death has remained a source of mystery— there are conspiracy theories as well as theories he simply overdosed on a park bench after taking the wrong train.

Poe’s Mystery Continued Though his death certificate listed the cause of death as phrenitis, or swelling of the brain, the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death have led many to speculate about the true cause of Poe’s demise. He was found in a Baltimore gutter, dressed in someone else's clothes, in a delirious state. Theories posited to explain his death include: Rabies Rare brain disease Syphilis Alcohol poisoning Diabetes A scheme involving being kidnapped, drugged, and used as a repeat voter in ballot-stuffing fraud Each year since 1949, the 100th anniversary of the year of Poe's death, on Poe's birthday, a mysterious visitor known as the Poe Toaster leaves a half-empty bottle of Martel cognac and three roses on this grave. The roses are assumed to represent Poe, his wife Virginia, and her mother, Maria Clemm.

“The masque of the red death” - In this story, half of a kingdom’s population is wiped out by plague. The kingdom’s prince quarantines himself and his rich friends in his castle. What would you do to try and survive death in the event of a plague?