Edgar Allen Poe was one of the most successful writers of all time. He is known for his tales of the mysterious and macabre. He is reported to be the first master of the short story form (Edgar Allen Poe). About 12 of his works are known for their flawless literary construction. Poe had a rough childhood which definitely contributed to his writing. Poe was born in January 19th of 1809 in Boston. Poe was the son of David Poe, an actor and Eliza Poe, an actress. Poe also had a sister. At age three Poe was orphaned when he father disappeared one night and never returned and his mother died of tuberculosis.
Poe then went to a foster house where he was adopted by John and Fanny Allen. Poe then at age six moved to England where he attended private schools. As a teen Poe was very gifted in foreign language. He wrote some of his early works in both French an Latin. At age fifteen Poe had already written enough works to publish a book but John would not allow it. Poe was also very fit as a teen. Poe was supposedly a very fast swimmer and runner. It is reported that Poe once as a teen swam the James river from Lundhams Wharf to Warwick Bar which is six miles against a strong current (Woodberry 20).
At 15 Poe was the Lieutenant of the Junior Morgan Riflemen. Poe was then reviewed by the famous Marquis De Lafayette. Poe’s grandfather General Poe is where Poe most likely got his military influence from. In 1826 Poe enrolled into the University of Virginia. Poe wanted to become a translator. Poe was considered to be “precisely correct” (Moldavia). Poe also loved debating. The student life at the University of Virginia in 1826 was very chaotic. In one student riot the students threw bottles and bricks at the professors.
In Poe’s letters to John Allen he often talked of violence on campus. He once wrote of how a student was struck on the head with a stone and then pulled out a gun and killed his attacker(Moldavia). By the end of the year Poe had started to develop gambling debts. Poe blamed his gambling debts on John Allen saying that he did not provide enough for him to live on. Therefore gambling was the only way to survive. I think that it would have bean quite possible for Poe to get a job. Before the year was over Poe had developed gambling debts exceeding 2,500 dollars (Moldavia).
When Poe went back to Richmond where John lived for the summer he expected John to pay of his debts. John would not pay of the debts and made John work as a clerk at his firm to pay them off. In 1827 Poe moved out of Johns house. In a letter to John Poe wrote, “I have heard you say when you little thought I was listening and therefor must have said it in ear that you had no affection for me” (letters 203). Poe then resorted to gambling again and became even more into debt. Poe then moved to Boston under the alias of Henri Le Renett (Moldavia).
Poe then managed to published his first book Tamerline and Other Poems under the pen name of a Bostonian. Later in 1827 Poe enlisted into the United States Army where he stayed or two years. In 1829 Poe wrote his second book Aarat, Tamberline, and Other Poems by Edgar A. Poe. After Poe left the Army Poe reconciled with Poe’s father and convinced John to send Poe to West Point Military Academy. Poe only stayed at Westpoint for a year a which he was dismissed for neglect of duties. John then disowned Poe forever.
In 1831 Poe moved back to Baltimore to live with his cousin and aunt. In 1831 Poe also wrote his third book Poems by Edgar A. Poe with financial help from his friends at Westpoint. In 1832 Poe won a contest with “AMS found in a bottle”. Then in 1836 Poe married his cousin Virginia Clem whom Poe had bean living with. Virginia was only thirteen when Poe married Virginia. Shortly after Poe had married Virginia she contracted the deadly disease tuberculosis. Virginia then died ten years later. With the death of Poe’s wife Poe became very depressed.
Poe then became addicted to many drugs, mainly opium and laudanum. It is also reported that he used morphine (Mankowitz 259,729). It is said that Poe used these drugs and drank so much because his nervous system was becoming extremely sensitive and it would rid him of the pain (Black). Poe did try to quit drinking many times but he was never successful. In a letter on July 22,1848 Poe wrote, “It has bean a long while since any artificial stimulus has passed my lips” (Letters 239). Poe also to go mad. Poe’s madness was mainly credited to brain lesions or scars in the brain.
A good example of Poe breaking down is when he arrived at John Sartains office begging him for protection from an imaginary Army. Poe then shaved of his mustache so that they would not recognize him (Mankowitz 232). Poe describes his illness in a letter on August 7, 1849, “I have suffered worse han death-net so much from cholera as from its long continued consequences in debility and compression of the brain” (Letters 365) Poe’s condition continued to grow worse. Poe was brought to the Washington Hospital of Baltimore on the night of October 6, 1849 after being found in the middle of the road (Moran 78).
Poe then recited his final poem. Father I firmly do believe I know, for death who comes for me from the regions of blast afar where there is nothing to deceive hath left his iron gates ajar and rays of truth you cannot see are flashing through eternity (Moran 24) Poe died the following morning. It is reported that Poe ended up dying of Lobar pneumonia complicated by transient retardation or depression which is excessive nervous prostration affecting the brain and resulting from exposure and encephalitis or inflammation of the brain (Scarlet 365).
With Poe’s burial there has bean a lot of mix up. Poe was originally buried next to his grandfather General Poe in Westchester. A headstone was not placed on his grave because it had bean run over (Parker). Then in 1875 they decided to move Poe to Baltimore where a monument would be erected over his grave. When they went to dig up Poe to move him, since there weren’t good markings on the grave, they dug up Pvt. Philip Mosher who was on the opposite side of Poe’s grandfather and moved him (Parker).
They know that Poe isn’t buried in Baltimore because when Poe was supposedly dug up the coffin description didn’t match the description of Poe’s coffin. When Thomas G. Scarf first discovered of the Poe burial mix up he questioned the church committee and they said, “Does it matter, we did find a skeleton and some persons said it looked like Poe. We honor the memory of Poe and his works” (Scarlet 373,374). Now all that lies on Poe’s headstone in Westchester is a number eight engraved on a stone. Of Poe’s entire life “The Raven” is said to be Poe’s best known and written work.
It is said to have his favorite theme the death of a beautiful women. “The Raven” was first published in the American Review on the first of February, 1845 on pages 143-145. It has also bean published in numerous other literary publications. The story of the Raven is about Poe and his lost wife. Poe uses a great amount of symbolism in the raven to express his feelings. For start the raven is a symbol of mournful and never-ending sadness. This is said to not only be a description of the “The Raven” but the description of the majority of his work.
Poe also talks of the Balm In Gilead which is a fictitious place in the old testament where there is no suffering. Poe also refers to a bust of pallas above his chamber door. Pallas was the Greek God of Wisdom. Poe also refers to the Plutonium shores which is referring to Hell. There are also a lot of themes in “The Raven” that relate to Poe’s life. In “The Raven” Poe talks a lot of loneliness. Poe suffered from loneliness and depression, both clinical and chemical. It is also said that Poe had a bust of Pallas over his door when he lived in New York city (The Raven).
Poe also writes of imagining that there is someone at his door when he said, “Here I opened wide the door, darkness there and nothing more”. This can be incorporated with is madness. Poe also talks of a beating heart when he writes, “to still the beating of my heart”. This can be compared to his own erratic heart. Poe has also bean accused of plagiarism in writing “The Raven”. Supposedly he stole the purple curtains that appear in “The Raven” from Elizabeth Barrel Browning. It is also said that Poe took the idea of a talking bird from Charles Dickens Barnaby Ridge (A Look At The Raven).
Whether these accusations are true or not we will never no but certainly the majority of “The Raven” is 0riginal work. In Baltimore, Maryland, since 1949, Poe’s grave has bean visited by a mysterious man every year on Poe’s birthday in the early hours. The man, described as an elderly gentleman draped in black with a silver tipped cane, kneels at the grave for a toast of Martel Cognac and leaves the half-full bottle and three red roses. “He leaves quietly and we don’t know who he is nor do we ave any intention.
We’re very careful to protect his anonymity” ,said Lou Marshal, a tour guide at Westminister Hall cemetery. “In the last few years, It has bean a younger man with a cane who tries to walk with a limp, but it isn’t natural looking” ,said Jamie Parker (Stephanie). Edgar Allen Poe has bean dead almost 150 years. Despite so much time, people are still fascinated by his life and work. Many scholars actively explore and discuss his writings and the things that are known and unknown about his life. Although he lived only forty years, Poe’s work is still important to us today.