A Brief Biography of Edgar Allan Poe Essay

The author gives a description of short story writer, poet and critic Edgar Allan Poe's place in the history of the U.S. is presented. As literary editor of "Graham's Lady's" and "Gentleman's Magazine," Poe became a major figure in American letters. Although his heavy drinking cost him his job, Poe continued to write in a cool style that was the polar opposite of his romantic poems and horror stories. Thomas Fleming gives details for his main idea that Poe’s works are widely known due to his technique of writing. Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “The Black Cat” is perfect examples of his suspenseful writing technique that grabs his audience, holds on to readers throughout the entire story and leaves the audience on the edge of their seats. Edgar Allan Poe’s stories are always thought of as being suspenseful and extremely dramatic. To achieve the suspense in Edgar Allen Poe’s, he uses gothic imagery to help add an unknown, eerie effect. The author, Thomas Fleming, gives an example with “…with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable

Neither of his first two collections attracted much attention. "Poe married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia Clemn. She burst a blood vessel in 1842, and remained a virtual worthless until her death from tuberculosis five years later" (online-literature, pg. 2). He addressed the famous poem "Annabel Lee" to her in 1849. In 1836, he received an editorship at The Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond. Around this time, Edgar began using drugs and dinking very heavily. He even showed up at events drunk. Still, he was writing incredible stories and poems. Poe received a large amount of recognition, not only for his poetry and fiction, but as an exceptional literary critic. He also achieved popular success, especially following the publication of his poem "The Raven." Edgar had fallen for Merrie next and she died of brain cancer. After a period in which he was involved in various romantic affairs, Poe planned to remarry, but in late September, 1849 he arrived in Baltimore for reasons unknown. "Poe suffered from bouts of depression and madness, and he attempted suicide in 1848" (online-literature, pg. 2). In early October he was discovered nearly unconscious in a Baltimore gutter. Edgar was taken to Washington College Hospital. Some say that Poe called out the name "Reynolds" on the night before he died. He died on early in the morning of October 7, 1849. He was buried in the yard of Baltimore's Wesminster Presbyterian Church. People said that his

In retrospect he was born January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. His father an actor abandoned the family when he was one years old and his mother an actress died of tuberculosis when 2 yrs old. His foster parents cared for him as a young child and their last names were Allan. This is where his full name Edgar Allan Poe comes from. When he was in college he wrote all of his walls and came of gloomy and depressed to some classmates. He removed his self from

Poe was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. His father left early on and his mother passed away when he was only three. His sibling were separated, and Edgar was sent to John and Frances Allan. They were tobacco farmers from Richmond, Virginia. Frances and Edgar were close but John did not care for him. Money was always an issue for the Allan’s but Edgar was able to go to the University of Virginia. The family began struggling more than ever with money, so Poe turned to gambling,

Edgar Allan Poe’s life was one of many sorrows and difficulties, filled with deaths of close family and many broken loves. Men disappointed him throughout the entirety of his life, and he saw women as angels that had come to redeem him from the depths of his depression and alcoholism. These occurrences, along with many others, especially those of his childhood, led Poe to become one of the greatest authors of his time. He is called “the father of horror and mystery”, as well as the father of science fiction (Wilson Par. 4).

In 1847, Poe’s wife died at the same age (24) and of the same disease (tuberculosis) as his mother. Poe was unable to write anything for at least half a year while he was in severe depression over the loss of his wife. The first piece he wrote after her death was Ulalume, which was a reflection of Poe’s state of mind at the time of Virginia’s death. So distraught by his wife’s death, Poe began drinking heavily. He was found in the streets of Baltimore, semi-conscious wearing clothes that did not belong to him and he was drunk. He was brought to a local hospital. His last words were said to be “Lord help my poor soul”. Poe died October 7, 1849 at the age of

Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 to Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins and David Poe Jr. in Boston Massachusetts. The young child had a short-lived time with his biological parents because they split up in 1810. This happened because Mr. Poe decided to abandon his recently developed family. Poe traveled from place to place with his mother, who was an actor, until her death in 1811 which was a year after Poe’s biological father abandoned Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins. She is said to have died from what is considered to be pulmonary tuberculosis. A few days later (January 10, 1811) his biological father, David Poe, was pronounced dead from an unknown cause. After going through this horrific incident Edgar was taken in by Frances and John Allan while his two siblings were placed in different homes . His new father was a wealthy merchant in Richmond Virginia.

Have you ever wondered why you are so bothered by the writings of Edgar Allan Poe? Edgar Allan Poe was an American author that wrote the classic stories “The Raven” and “The Pit and the Pendulum.” His writings reflect the common ideas of being weak or weary and a character that has experienced lost love. Poe’s writings also show how he and the main characters are haunted by the actions they have taken. It is through the misfortunes in Poe’s life that his writings reflect these events.

December 1835, Poe fell in love with his thirteen-year-old first cousin, Virginia Clemm. The two cousins were married in May of 1836 and they had an unusual relationship which was more like brother and sister rather than husband and wife, but they were happy. In January of 1842, Virginia began to bleed from the mouth and the dreaded disease that killed his parent and brother would take his wife on January 30, 1947 (Pruette 371). Poe was so distraught by his wife’s death that people thought he had gone insane, something he would deny. Poe would later remarry his childhood sweetheart, Elmira Royster Shelton, and join the Sons of Temperance to try to stop drinking. He would travel to Baltimore on September 28, 1849 and how he spent his last remaining days there will forever remain a mystery. He passed away October 7, 1849 at 40 years of age surrounded by mystery.

Poe decided to really focus and take his writing seriously after leaving the academy. He moved constantly in the search of an opportunity to start his writing career. He lived in New York City, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Richmond. It was between 1831 and 1835 when he was living with his aunt, Maria Clemm, in Baltimore that he meet his future wife, Virginia. Many people would disagree with the relationship between Poe and Virginia as she was his thirteen year old cousin. They were secretly married because of the fear of disapproval; however, in 1836 they had a public marriage.

While in the army he won a spot to West Point but, before he left in 1830 he published a second collection in 1829, Al Aaroaf, Tamberlane, and Minor Poems. After Poe left the academy, he moved town to town, to be a full time writer. Poe moved to Baltimore with his aunt and her daughter Virginia. Virginia and Poe fell in love and married in 1836 when she was only thirteen. Poe moved to Richmond in 1835 working for a magazine company called Southern Literary Messenger and developed a cut-throat critic. Poe created some of his work and wrote a novel. “Poe’s major work started in the late 1830s and became a literary sensation fifteen years later with the poem “The Raven” on of the most famous poems ever written. He explores death and loss. A few years after Poe grief by the death of his wife Virginia. He started struggling financially and had poor health. He left Richmond and supposedly went to Philadelphia and was found where he never left in great distress and was taken to a Collage Hospital where he died October 7. His last word were, “Lord help my poor soul.” Poe died 167 years ago but yet know body can agree how” (“Edgar Allan Poe” 2, 3).

It was after his military career when Poe starting to become a successful writer of poetry and short stories. In 1831, Poems included three of his greatest works: “To Helen,” “The City in the Sea,” and “Israfel” (“Poe, Edgar Allan,” World Book Encyclopedia 591). When his poems failed to reach recognition, Poe began to write short stories such as “MS. Found in a Bottle” in 1833 (591). It was around this time when he married his fourteen-year old cousin, Virginia Clemm, who was a very influential character in Poe’s later works (591).

He greatly expressed his emotions in his poems. In 1836, he married his cousin Virginia, when she was only 13. In the early 1840’s Poe started to write a lot of short stories like “The Pit and the Pendulum”, “The Masque of the Red Death”, and “The Mystery of Marie Rogêt.” In 1845, Poe published one of the most well known poems, called “The Raven.” This poem perfectly encapsulates the emotions of Edgar Allan Poe. Sadly in 1847, Virginia died, and in the same year, Poe fell ill. In 1849, Poe was found delirious in Baltimore, on the 3 of October. Poe later died on the 7 of

Edgar Allan Poe passed away on October 7, 1849 at the age of 40 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Edgar Allan Poe was born January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts to David and Elizabeth Poe. However, Poe’s mother died in 1811 before he was three years old and his father had passed in 1810 (Kennedy). As a result, he was sent to live with John Frances Allan, who was presumed to be his Godfather, in Richmond, Virginia. After being unable to complete college at the University