E.A. Poe Biography – a search for the roots of the macabre

Early life ( ) Born in Boston, 1809 Second child of actors Elizabeth and David Poe His father left in 1810 and his mother died a year later, followed shortly by his father’s death Adopted by the Allan family, wealthy tobacco merchants Went to Britain in 1815 to become educated Aspired to be a writer but his father disapproved

Teens and Young Adult ( ) 1829(20 years old) Mrs. Allen, adopted mom, dies and Poe returns home Poe & John temporarily reconcile differences Poe applied to West Point, John sponsors him 1831(22 years old) Deliberately gets kicked out of West point 1832(23 years old) Submits a bunch of storied to magazines, all rejected 1833(24 years old) Poe writes desperate letter to John Allen asking for help-ignored 1834(25 years old) John Allen dies and leaves nothing for Edgar in his will 1835(26 years old) Poe wins a contest for “The Manuscript Found in a Bottle” Finally gets a job 1836(27 years old) Marries his cousin Virginia in Mary, she is 13

Genius and Struggle ( ) Poe goes to work for Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine, he publishes Ligeia, and he publishes The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym among other works Poe publishes a book of previously published stories, including The Fall of the House of Usher Poe works for a magazine in Philadelphia, and he publishes The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Masque of the Red Death, and The Pit and the Pendulum 1843 Poe publishes The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Gold-Bug 1845 Poe reaches a peak in popularity, and he produces a five-part plagiarism series 1846 Poe moves to New York with Virginia. He falls ill, but he is still able to publish numerous stories Virginia dies of tuberculosis. Poes’ nurse says that Poe shows signs of a lesion on one side of his brain Poe writes a letter stating that he attempted to commit suicide 1849 Poe dies after having arranged to marry Sarah Elmira Royster.

Death in the Gutter (1849) Poe’s death is a mystery. When Poe was found, he was incoherent and dressed in clothes that were not his own. He was brought into a hospital in Baltimore, MD where he spent 4 days before dying on October 7, While in the hospital, Poe slipped in and out of consciousness and could not explain what had happened to him. Several Theories Regarding Poe’s Death: 1. Poor nutrition from alcoholism brought on illnesses that killed him. 2. Possible brain lesion 3. “Cooping Theory”

“Issues” for Poe Death Terror Evil Perversity Self-destruction Madness Alcohol and other substances Mystery