Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusettes January 19, 1809. His mother, Elizabeth Arnold Poe, was an actress at the time. Unfortunately, she passed away on December 8, 1811. Poe joined the family of John Allan who was a member of the firm of tobacco agents, Ellis and Allan.
He attended many schools in both England and Richmond after which he registered for the University of Virginia in 1826. He recived good grade, did well in all his classes, and he was a member of the Jefferson Literary Society. Poe took on a life of gambling untill he was two thousand dollars in debt. Mr. Allan then refused to pay for his University expences and Poe was forced to withdraw from the school. Many arguments broke out between Poe and Mr. Allan and Poe left home at eighteen years old.
Poe moved back to Boston where he published his first volume of poetry that included Tamerlane and other poems. Poe had little money and the legal age to join the Army was twenty-one, therefore, he lied about his age saying he was twenty-two. The name he took on during the Army was Edgar A. Perry. He wrote poems in his spare time. He was promoted to the rank of Sergant-major. Poe took a ten day leave from the Army when he discovered that his foster mother, Frances Allan, died.
Poe moved in with his Aunt Maria Poe Clemm before attending the United States Military Academy at West Point. He published a second book of poetry in 1829. After continuous arguments with Mr. Allan, Poe no longer recieved aid from his foster father. To release himself from the academy Poe had to resort to getting Court Martialed in 1831.
Poe published his third book of poems soon after he left West Poems. It was called Poems by Edgar Alllan Poe Second Edition. He also began writing prose tales and five of them appeared in the Philadelphia Saturday Couier in 1832.
Poe married his thirteen year old cousin, Virginia Clemm, on May 16, 1836. They lied and said she was twenty-one to make the marriage leagal. He helped his wife with educating her with tutoring sessions. He later moved to Philadelphia with his wife and his Aunt. The three of them lived off of bread and molasses. To support his family he went to New York to work for the New York Evening Mirror.
In 1840 Poe's Tales of the Grotesque and Arabsque was published in two volumes. Poe became famous from his successful poem The Raven in 1845. Later that year other poems and tales were published by Wiley and Putnam.
Virginia Poe suffered from Tuberculosis and the long-drawn-out tragedy finally came to an end in 1847. After her death Poe was interested in three other women. They consisted of Mrs. Sarah Helen Whitman, Mrs. Charles Richmond, and the widow, Mrs. Sarah Elmira Shelton.
Troughout Poe's life he dealt with his problems by drinking. When he was poor he drank, when his mother died he drank, when Virginia was diagnosed with Tuberculosis he drank. He was a very depressed man and most of his works were written while intoxicated.
Ten days before his planned marriage with Elmira Poe was discovered by a stranger laying unconsious on the sidewalk due to drinking. He was sent to the Washington College hospital and died on Sunday morning October 7, 1849. He was buried on October 9 in the Presbyterian cemetary next to his Aunt and cousin's grave.
| Home | Famous Works | Themes and Style | Bibliography |
