Edgar Allan Poe

What's the difference between the blackbird and the raven? “Blackbird” (1968) is a classic Beatles song, while “The Raven” is a famous poem by the American poet and short story writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809‐1849). Poe was a literary genius whose life story is often colored by the madness and sadness of his poems, stories, and characters.

Although not all the mysterious tales of Poe's life are true, it is true that his poetry poignantly captures the eerie atmosphere that surrounds death and the grief of lost love. Though his name is associated with death, macabre, sadness, and the darkness of Gothic fiction, Edgar Allan Poe is also a light of the literary world.

Fig. 1 - Edgar Allan Poe was rumored to be a terrible madman due to false claims made by his rival, the American editor, Rufus Wilmot Griswold.

Edgar Allan Poe: Biography

Edgar Allan Poe's biography starts when he was born as Edgar Poe in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. Poe’s biological parents were both traveling actors. His father left his mother a year after he was born, and his mother died a year after that.

Poe was taken in by a wealthy merchant family called the Allans after his mother died. He was only two years old. They gave him the full name, Edgar Allan Poe. Poe lived an upper-class lifestyle with the Allans in Richmond, Virginia.

Edgar Allan Poe had a difficult relationship with his foster father, John Allan. He cut ties with his family at the age of 18 after his father refused to give him adequate funds to attend university. Poe attended the University of Virginia briefly, but accumulated great debts from gambling and left school heartbroken after finding that his fiancée, Sarah Elmira Royster, had married another man.

Edgar Allan Poe moved to Boston and enlisted in the United States Army around 1827. During this time, he wrote his first book of poetry entitled Tamerlane and Other Poems (1827). Poe eventually went to West Point Military Academy but left to pursue writing after facing some issues at the school.

Poe moved to Baltimore, where he lived with his aunt, Maria Clemm, and her daughter, Virginia Clemm. During this time, Poe began working on writing short stories and was eventually offered a job at the Southern Literary Messenger, prompting his move back to Richmond.

Maria and Virginia Clemm moved to Richmond with Poe, and he eventually married his cousin, Virginia (She was 13 when he was 27). Around this time, Edgar Allan Poe began having issues at work, likely due to his drinking habits.

In 1837, Edgar Allan Poe moved to Philadelphia, where he wrote famous short stories such as:

• “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839)
• “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” (1841)
• “Masque of the Red Death” (1842)
• “The Tell-Tale Heart” (1843).

“The Murders in the Rue Morgue” is known as the first modern detective story.

Fig. 2 - Edgar Allan Poe is known as the inventor of the detective fiction genre of writing.

In 1845, Poe published his most famous poem, “The Raven.” The publication of “The Raven” made Poe a household name and gave him many literary opportunities. However, he hardly made any money from the poem's publication.

Around the same time as Poe’s literary success, his wife Virginia began suffering from tuberculosis. She died in 1847, at the age of 24. Poe was gravely impacted by Virginia’s death and struggled with his mental and physical health.

Edgar Allan Poe: Death and Legacy

Much like his stories, Edgar Allan Poe’s death is also infamous for having an air of mystery that it has left a lasting legacy. Poe was spotted at a restaurant in Richmond at four in the morning on September 27^th, 1849, and then boarded a ship to Baltimore.

No one knows where he was from September 28^th until October 3^rd, when he was found drunk in a bar in Baltimore wearing someone else’s clothes.

Poe was taken to a hospital and was in an out of consciousness for four days. He died on October 7^th, 1849, at the age of 40 and was diagnosed with inflammation of the brain (this was a common diagnosis at the time for unknown deaths).

Edgar Allan Poe is remembered for his great contributions to the detective, horror, mystery, and science fiction genres. His writings are dark and explore themes of death, madness, and lost love. Although Poe often struggled financially, he is known as the first American writer to support himself solely as a writer.

Fig. 3 - Summary of the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe.

Edgar Allan Poe: Books and Poetry

Edgar Allan Poe's early writing was collected in three poetry volumes entitled, Tamerlane and Other Poems (1827), Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems (1829), and Poems (1831). His third poetry book, Poems, contains the notable poems, “To Helen” (1831) and “The City in the Sea” (1831).

Poe is often recognized for his later works, including the poems “The Raven” (1845) and “Annabel Lee” (1849) and short stories such as “The Tell-Tale Heart” (1843), “The Cask of Amontillado” (1846), and “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839).

Edgar Allan Poe's poem: “To Helen” (1831)

“To Helen” is a short, three-stanza poem that is an allusion to Helen of Troy, a figure in Greek mythology known to be the most beautiful woman to have ever lived. Poe reflects his romantic nature through the imagery of nature, in this poem about the beauty and power of a woman. Here is the first stanza of “To Helen”:

Edgar Allan Poe's poem: “The Raven” (1845)

“The Raven” is Edgar Allan Poe's most famous poem. It was popular upon its publishing and made Poe a household name. “The Raven” tells the story of a man's gradual descent into madness due to his inability to forget his lost love. Here is the first stanza of “The Raven”:

Edgar Allan Poe's poem: “Annabel Lee” (1849)

“Annabel Lee” is a poem about a man whose childhood love died. Here is the first stanza of “Annabel Lee”:

Edgar Allan Poe: Quotes

Edgar Allan Poe's poems and stories often have a quality of strangeness which helps him develop intriguing characters and plots. Here are some quotes from his various works that showcase such strangeness.

Poe had often linked beauty with macabre, or dark ideas such as death. He was particularly fascinated by the death of women. This is likely because he experienced the deaths of many of the women who were closest to him—his biological mother, his foster mother, and his wife, Virginia Clemm.

Although Edgar Allan Poe is associated with horror and eerie darkness, he was also a romantic at heart. Poe frequently wrote about the theme of lost love.

Interesting facts about Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer known for his dark, mysterious poems and short stories. However, here are some facts about his work and life that proves he had a very interesting biography too!

• The crime-solving main character in Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s inspiration for Sherlock Holmes.
• Poe initially did not use his real name when indicating the authorship of his works. In his early life, he wrote under the pseudonym Henri Le Rennet. His first collection of poetry, Tamerlane and Other Poems, was simply signed “by a Bostonian.”
• Edgar Allan Poe's third volume of poetry, Poems (1831) was published with finances raised through donations from his fellow cadets at West Point. The book is dedicated to the cadets.
• Although Edgar Allan Poe is known for his dark tales and contributions to the horror and mystery genres, he wrote many comedies and explored the use of irony, satire, and dark humor.
• There are over 26 published theories regarding the circumstances of Edgar Allan Poe’s death.

Fig. 4 - Edgar Allan Poe's character, Auguste Dupin, inspired the creation of the character Sherlock Holmes.