EDGAR ALLAN POE
G'day folks,
Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, editor, and literary
critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly
his tales of mystery and the macabre. Edgar Allan Poe is famous
for his tales and poems of horror and mystery, including "The Fall of the
House of Usher," "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The
Raven."
Synopsis
Born on
January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts, writer, poet, critic, and editor
Edgar Allan Poe's tales of mystery and horror gave birth to the modern
detective story and many of his works, including “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The
Fall of the House of Usher,” became literary classics. "The Raven,"
which he published in 1845, is considered among the best-known poems in
American literature.
Edgar
Allan Poe's evocative short stories and poems captured the imagination and
interest of readers around the world. His imaginative storytelling led to
literary innovations, earning him the nickname "Father of the Detective
Story." Some aspects of his life, like his literature, is shrouded in
mystery, and the lines between fact and fiction have been blurred substantially
since his death.
Poe never
really knew his parents — Elizabeth Arnold Poe, a British actress, and David
Poe, Jr., an actor who was born in Baltimore. His father left the family early
in Poe's life, and his mother passed away from tuberculosis when he was only
three. Separated from his brother William and sister Rosalie, Poe went to live
with John and Frances Valentine Allan, a successful tobacco merchant and his
wife, in Richmond, Virginia. Edgar and Frances seemed to form a bond, but he had
a more difficult relationship with John Allan. By the age of 13, Poe was a
prolific poet, but his literary talents were discouraged by his headmaster and
John Allan, who preferred that Poe follow him in the family
business. Preferring poetry over profits, Poe reportedly wrote poems on
the back of some of Allan's business papers.
Money was
also an issue between Poe and John Allan. Poe went to the University of
Virginia in 1826, where he excelled in his classes, however, he didn't receive
enough funds from Allan to cover all of his costs. Poe turned to gambling to
cover the difference, but ended up in debt. He returned home only to face
another personal setback—his neighbor and fiancée Sarah Elmira Royster had
become engaged to someone else. Heartbroken and frustrated, Poe moved to
Boston.
Early Career
While in
Boston, Poe published his first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems in 1827.
He also joined the U.S. Army around this time. Two years later, Poe learned
that Frances Allan was dying of tuberculosis, but by the time he returned
to Richmond she had already passed away. While in Virginia, Poe and Allan
briefly made peace with each other, and Allan helped Poe get an appointment to
the United States Military Academy at West Point. Before going to West Point, Poe
published a second poetry collection Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems
in 1829. Poe excelled at his studies at West Point, but he was kicked out after
a year for his poor handling of his duties.
During his time at West Point, Poe
had fought with his foster father, who had remarried without telling
him. Some have speculated that Poe intentionally sought to be expelled to
spite Allan, who eventually cut ties with Poe.
After
leaving West Point, Poe published another book and focused on his writing full time.
He traveled around in search of opportunity, living in New York City,
Baltimore, Philadelphia and Richmond. From 1831 to 1835, he lived in Baltimore,
where his father was born, with his aunt Maria Clemm and her daughter Virginia.
In 1834, John Allan died, leaving Poe out of his will, but providing for an
illegitimate child Allan had never met.
Poe, who
continued to struggle living in poverty, got a break when one of his short
stories won a contest in the Baltimore Saturday Vister. He began to
publish more short stories and in 1835 landed an editorial position with the Southern
Literary Messenger in Richmond. During this time, Poe also began to
devote his attention to his young cousin, Virginia, who became his literary
inspiration, as well as his love interest. The couple married in 1836 when she
was only 13 years old.
At
the Southern Literary Messenger, Poe developed a reputation as a
cut-throat critic, writing vicious reviews of his contemporaries. His scathing
critiques earned him the nickname the "Tomahawk Man." Poe also
published some of his own works in the magazine, including two parts of his
only novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym. His tenure at the
magazine proved short. Poe's aggressive-reviewing style and sometimes combative
personality strained his relationship with the publication, and he left the
magazine in 1837. His problems with alcohol also played a role in his
departure, according to some reports.
Poe went
on to brief stints at Burton's Gentleman's Magazine, Graham's
Magazine, The Broadway Journal, and he also sold his work to Alexander’s
Weekly Messenger, among other journals. Despite his success and popularity
as a writer, Poe continued to struggle financially and he advocated for higher
wages for writers and an international copyright law.
Major Works
In late
1830s, Poe published Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque, a collection
of stories. It contained several of his most spine-tingling tales, including
"The Fall of the House of Usher," "Ligeia" and
"William Wilson." Poe launched the new genre of detective fiction
with 1841's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue." A writer on the rise, he
won a literary prize in 1843 for "The Gold Bug," a suspenseful tale
of secret codes and hunting treasure.
In 1844,
Poe moved to New York City where he published a news story in The New York
Sun about a balloon trip across the Atlantic Ocean that he later revealed
to be a hoax. His stunt grabbed attention, but it was the 1845 publication
of his poem "The Raven" which made him a literary sensation. "The
Raven" is considered a great American literary work and one of the best of
Poe's career. In the work, Poe explored some of his common themes—death and
loss. An unknown narrator laments the demise of his great love Lenore. That
same year, he found himself under attack for his stinging criticisms of fellow
poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Poe claimed that Longfellow, a widely popular literary figure, was a
plagiarist, which resulted in a backlash against Poe.
Continuing
work in different forms, Poe examined his own methodology and writing in
general in several essays, including "The Philosophy of Composition,"
"The Poetic Principle" and "The Rationale of Verse." He
also produced another thrilling tale, "The Cask of Amontillado," and
poems such as "Ulalume" and "The Bells."
Poe was
overcome by grief after the death of his beloved Virginia in 1847. While he
continued to work, he suffered from poor health and struggled financially. His
final days remain somewhat of a mystery. He left Richmond on September 27,
1849, and was supposedly on his way to Philadelphia. On October 3, Poe was
found in Baltimore in great distress. He was taken to Washington College Hospital
where he died on October 7. His last words were "Lord, help my poor
soul."
At the time, it was said that
Poe died of "congestion of the brain." But his actual cause of death has been the subject
of endless speculation. Some experts believe that alcoholism led to his demise
while others offer up alternative theories. Rabies, epilepsy, carbon monoxide
poisoning are just some of the conditions thought to have led to the great
writer's death.
Shortly
after his passing, Poe's reputation was badly damaged by his literary adversary
Rufus Griswold. Griswold, who had been sharply criticized by Poe, took his
revenge in his obituary of Poe, portraying the gifted yet troubled writer as a
mentally deranged drunkard and womanizer. He also penned the first biography of
Poe, which helped cement some of these misconceptions in the public's minds.
While he
never had financial success in his lifetime, Poe has become one of America's
most enduring writers. His works are as compelling today as they were more than
a century ago. An innovative and imaginative thinker, Poe crafted stories
and poems that still shock, surprise and move modern readers.
I'm ...
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