Edgar Allan Poe

Lore & Background

Edgar Poe was born in Boston, the second child of actors David and Eliza Poe. His father abandoned the family in 1810, and his mother died of tuberculosis the following year. He was taken in by John and Frances Allan of Richmond, Virginia, who gave him the name Edgar Allan Poe but never formally adopted him. He attended the University of Virginia but left after a year due to lack of money and quarrels with John Allan over gambling debts. In 1827, he enlisted in the U.S. Army under the assumed name Edgar A. Perry and published his first collection, Tamerlane and Other Poems, credited only to 'a Bostonian'. After failing as an officer cadet at West Point, he parted ways with Allan and focused on writing.

Poe switched to prose and worked for literary journals and periodicals in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City. In 1836, at age 27, he married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia Clemm, who died of tuberculosis in 1847. In January 1845, he published 'The Raven' to instant success. He planned to produce his own journal, The Penn (later renamed The Stylus), but died in Baltimore in 1849 at age 40 under mysterious circumstances; the cause of death remains unknown and has been attributed to disease, alcoholism, substance abuse, and suicide.

Reader's Guide

Edgar Allan Poe's significance lies in his foundational role in multiple literary genres. He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism and Gothic fiction in the United States and as a pioneer of detective fiction and science fiction. His works influenced literature worldwide and extended into specialized fields such as cosmology and cryptography. Since his death, his writings have appeared throughout popular culture in art, photography, literary allusions, music, motion pictures, and television. Several of his homes are dedicated museums. The Mystery Writers of America presents an annual Edgar Award for distinguished work in the mystery genre. His life, marked by financial hardship and personal loss, and his mysterious death have contributed to his enduring legacy as a key figure in early American literature.

Did You Know?

• Poe was the first well-known American writer to earn a living exclusively through writing.
• He published his first collection, Tamerlane and Other Poems, under the credit 'a Bostonian'.
• Poe married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia Clemm in 1836.
• The cause of his death remains unknown and has been attributed to disease, alcoholism, substance abuse, and suicide.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Born in 1809 in Massachusetts, Poe was the son of American theatre actress Elizabeth Poe (mother) and David Poe, Jr. (father)." — Edgar Allan Poe "A dark unfathom'd tide Of interminable pride — A mystery, and a dream, Should my early life seem." — Edgar Allan Poe "Imitation", Tamerlane and Other Poems (1884)." — Edgar Allan Poe "O, human love! thou spirit given,On Earth, of all we hope in Heaven!" — Edgar Allan Poe