Alcoholism In Edgar Allan Poe's Death

Edgar Allan Poe, 40, passed October 7th 1849 in Baltimore of congestion of the brain. He was born Edgar Poe on January 19th 1809 in Boston, MA to David Poe Jr. and Elizabeth Poe, later John Allan and France's Allan. He was married to his first cousin, Virginia Clemm Poe on September 22nd 1835, who died of tuberculosis at age 24. He wrote short stories about his struggles in life and his misfortunes. He survived by his siblings, William and Rosalie Poe. He did not have any children or remaining immediate family. His stories will forever be a part of American Literature as pieces of art.

The location of Poe’s death was on the outside of a saloon near a barrelhouse. He was found in soiled clothes that did not belong to him and seemed to be unaware of where he was. Apparently flooded with drink, he may also have been ill from exposer. Poe was more than likely ill because he was drunk and

Did you know that they still don’t know what caused the death of the famous spooky poet and author Edgar Allan Poe? Edgar was an American author and poet from the 1800’s who died from undetermined causes. There is still a great mystery surrounding Poe’s death and there are two main theories of what caused him to die. He died of alcoholism because he had a history with drinking, had a very rough life, and the rabies theories has some holes in it.

Many people believe Poe died of rabbies however, there is more then enough evidence that supports he died of alcohol. In "Poe's Final Days"the author says '' Many others who had known Poe, includuing the professsionally trained Dr. Snodgrass, also attributed his death to lethal amounts of alcohol." (Silverman 186). I believe this quote means that even his family knows he had gained his drinking problem back. If he did possibly get his drinking problem back then possibly he could not stop himself from drinking a lot at once. "Poe was found outside a Baltimore saloon in an alcohlic stupor on October 3, 1849, and died four days

“Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dreamed before” (Edgar Allan Poe). Darkness and sadness are strong characteristics of Edgar Allan Poe’s writing. The tragedies during his life, such as the death of his biological and adoptive moms, followed by the death of his young wife Virginia were important factors which formed his gothic style. Poe is known for his drinking problems and use of drugs. Those habits had a big influence in his life and in his works.

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

To begin, many people believe Poe died of alcoholism, however he did not and there is no actual evidence of this. According to Jeff Jerome, by the time Poe was forty he almost always avoided alcohol (188). If Poe had stopped drinking as he aged, it is extremely unlikely that he would have returned to it and drank enough to kill him. The text states, "(Jeff Jerome) said that he had heard dozens of tales (of Poe dying a victim to his alcoholism) but that almost everyone that has come forth with a theory has offered no proof" (NY Times 188). Many people who attributed Poe's death to alcohol only

Poe was taken from a tavern to the hospital days before death. He was seen in a drunken stupor, but some say this is not true. Others say that he was taken from a tavern but not drunk, rather sick from the elements. Another is he was found drunk on stairs. That theory is very unlikely for what every other source says.

Edgar Allen Poe was married to Virginia Poe when she was only thirteen years old. They were the happiest couple in the Poe family, they were always laughing and singing together. All this rapidly changed when Virginia became sick, she was later diagnosed with tuberculosis. Tuberculosis was a well known disease to Poe, as many of his loved ones died from tuberculosis, so he knew that his love would not live for long. Upon the diagnosis of Virginia's disease, “Poe began to drink more under the stress of Virginia’s illness.”(CSI: Edgar Allen Poe) He would spend hours at taverns attempting to drink his sorrows away, but alas it did not work, it only caused the poet to become an alcoholic. His heavy drinking habits prove that he would very likely died from alcohol as his consumption level was far too high.

But first lets do a backup of the death and of the conditions of Edgar Allan Poe when was found in the streets of Baltimore; Poe was described as in a state of strong shock when was found, the author was immediately brought to a college hospital in Baltimore where he died in the middle of the night.

According to the CDC, over 88,000 people die every year due to the excessive use of alcohol in the United States. Now this proves that alcoholism is a very serious and common issue in our country. Poe’s death to this day has been thought of as a great mystery, most believing he died from either alcohol or rabies. According to several sources saying that Poe was sent to the hospital after being to drunk, not being able to tell doctors the names of his family members/where he lived, and the fact that his cat, Caterina, was proven to not have rabies, I believe he died from alcohol.

Apparently flooded with drink, he may have also been ill from exposure (Kenneth Silverman pg.184). It was clear that Poe was drunk when he came in, but the cold weather could have also affected him. According to Moran and his wife, Poe reached the hospital in a stupor, unaware of who or what got him there (Kenneth Silverman pg.185). Poe had no idea what was going on around him. He remained thus “unconscious” until three the next morning, when he developed a tremor of the limbs and what Moran called “a busy but not yet violent or active delirium” (Kenneth Silverman pg.185). Poe could not completely control his body, he was shaking and moving uncontrollably. The condition he was in before he died plays a big role on figuring out how Poe actually died.

“Mr. Poe could not possibly send forth a book without some marks of his genius, and mixed up with the dross we find much sterling ore.” — (From a review of Poe’s Tales, September 6, 1845.) In 1845, Poe, 27, and Virginia, 13, married, and were happy for a time. In 1842, Virginia ruptured a blood vessel; the first sign of the ill health that plagued her short life. Poe turned to alcohol to cope with her illness and the stress of his dying wife. Two years later, Virginia died of tuberculosis, and Poe’s own death would follow shortly two years after that.

Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most well-known authors in the world. He has wrote many poems,and short stories from: Annabel Lee, The Black Cat, and The Raven.Sadly, with all of his successful stories, Edgar Allan Poe was an alcoholic.Most of the money he made, which was only three hundred dollars his whole life,was spent on alcohol. His life was rough starting out due to tuberculosis that killed: his mom, his brother, adoptive mother, and his first wife Virginia. Since mostly everyone he ever loved was now dead because of a disease he lived a lonely life. He chased women and faced multiple heartbreaks yet, the most heartbreaking part of his life was the way he would die. Poe had disappeared for six days without a trace, he later turned up drunk

Edgar Allan Poe had married his fourteen year-old cousin, whom died ten years later at the age of twenty four, from Tuberculosis (Ljungquist N.P.). After Virginia died, Poe became lost, alcoholic, drug addicted, and debauchery (Szumski 20). “Under the adroit cover of the special mechanism he had constructed, Poe could unveil his inner, introverted self