Edgar Allan Poe

Stuff about Poe’s life

• Born 1809• The son of actors• Father left immediately. Mother died when he

was two. • Adopted by John and Frances Allan. Renamed

Edgar Allan• Goes to the University of Virginia. Resorts to

gambling to make up for not getting enough money from his foster father. Loses $2,000.

• Joins the army in 1827 after an argument with his foster father.

• 1829 foster mother dies. EAP enrolls in West Point

• 1830 foster father remarries, severs relations with Poe

• 1831 Poe refuses to attend classes and is court-martialed and expelled from West Point

• 1834 John Allan dies and leaves Poe nothing• Poe has been living in Boston with his

grandmother, aunt, and cousins

• 1836 marries his cousin Virginia just before her fourteenth birthday

• Up until 1845 Poe publishes many short stories, but none had resounding success. He suffered a great deal financially.

• In 1845 Poe publishes “The Raven” which becomes a national sensation.

• 1847 Virginia dies of tuberculosis, Poe falls gravely ill.

• 1849 Poe is active as a writer and lecturer. Stops in Philadelphia sick, confused, and suffering from persecution mania.

• Poe recovers his health and sails for Baltimore, but he is discovered semiconscious and delirious a week after his arrival at a tavern. Dies October 7, 1849.

• He is slandered in an obituary notice by Rufus Griswold. Griswold resented Poe because Poe made fun of his book (The Poets and Poetry of America) and also ridiculed him in one of his short stories, “The Angel of the Odd.” After Poe’s death, Griswold made it his mission to ruin Poe’s reputation. Here are some myths that Griswold encouraged:

Poe Myths• He was an opium addict• Poe wrote under the influence of opium or

alcohol• He was expelled from the University of Virginia

(actually money problems)• He was expelled from West Point for attending

drill in the nude (actually refused to attend class and church)

• Poe died drunk in a gutter (died in Washington College Hospital)

How did Poe die?• Theories of Poe’s death and when they were published:• 1857 Beating • 1860s Cooping • 1874 Epilepsy • 1921 Dipsomania • 1926 Heart • 1970 Toxic Disorder • 1970 Hypoglycemia • 1977 Diabetes • 1984 Alcohol Dehydrogenase Deficiency • 1989 Porphyria • 1992 Delirium Tremens • 1996 Rabies • 1997 Heart • 1998 Murder (Beating) • 1999 Epilepsy • 1999 Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Literary Contributions

• Father of the Detective Genre (“Murders of the Rue Morgue”)

• Pioneer of Science Fiction (“The Man who was Used Up”, “Melona Tauta”)

• Master of the Psychological Horror Story (“The Tell Tale Heart”, “The Black Cat”)

• America’s First Lyric Poet (“The Raven”, “The Bells”)

• America’s First Great Literary Critic

Other Random Poe Facts:• All of the important women in his life (his biological mother, his

foster mother, and his wife) died from tuberculosis• While Poe’s biological mother was still alive, she commonly

played Juliet in Romeo & Juliet. Young Edgar would have a seat in the front row and watch his mother “die” every evening.

• He never actually signed anything ‘Edgar Allan Poe’. His signature was always E. A. Poe due to the fact that he did not get along with his foster father, John Allan. He resented John Allan for being unfaithful to his foster mother while she was dying of tuberculosis.

A Valentine

Edgar Allan Poe

Who is Poe’s secret crush? The answer is hidden within his Valentine poem

For her this rhyme is penned, whose luminous eyes,Brightly expressive as the twins of Leda,Shall find her own sweet name, that nestling liesUpon the page, enwrapped from every reader.Search narrowly the lines!- they hold a treasureDivine- a talisman- an amuletThat must be worn at heart. Search well the measure-The words- the syllables! Do not forgetThe trivialest point, or you may lose your laborAnd yet there is in this no Gordian knotWhich one might not undo without a sabre,If one could merely comprehend the plot.Enwritten upon the leaf where now are peeringEyes scintillating soul, there lie perdusThree eloquent words oft uttered in the hearingOf poets, by poets- as the name is a poet's, too,Its letters, although naturally lyingLike the knight Pinto- Mendez Ferdinando-Still form a synonym for Truth- Cease trying!You will not read the riddle, though you do the best you can do

1 For her this rhyme is penned, whose luminous eyes,2 Brightly expressive as the twins of Leda,3 Shall find her own sweet name, that nestling lies4 Upon the page, enwrapped from every reader.5 Search narrowly the lines!- they hold a treasure6 Divine- a talisman- an amulet7 That must be worn at heart. Search well the measure-8 The words- the syllables! Do not forget9 The trivialest point, or you may lose your labor10 And yet there is in this no Gordian knot11 Which one might not undo without a sabre,12 If one could merely comprehend the plot.13 Enwritten upon the leaf where now are peering14 Eyes scintillating soul, there lie perdus15 Three eloquent words oft uttered in the hearing16 Of poets, by poets- as the name is a poet's, too,17 Its letters, although naturally lying18 Like the knight Pinto- Mendez Ferdinando-19 Still form a synonym for Truth- Cease trying!20 You will not read the riddle, though you do the best you can do