Example research essay topic: David And Elizabeth Aunt Maria - 949 words

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Edgar Allen Poe was born on January 19, 1809 to two struggling actors, David and Elizabeth Poe. When his father died at the age of 36, Edgar was left alone with his pregnant mother. He traveled with his mother and sister from theatre to theatre, often sleeping backstage. When his mother died of Tuberculosis on December 11, 1811 at the young age of 24, Edgar and his sister, Rosalie, were orphaned. Edgar was only two years old. His sister was sent to live with Mrs.

Mackenzie when she was one, Edgar went to live with John and Frances Allen, and Edgar's older brother, William, was already living with their grandfather, David Poe, Sr. , because at the time of his birth, David and Elizabeth could not afford to care for him. Edgar moved to Richmond, Virginia with the Allens, where he had many luxuries that he had never had before. He had his own bedroom in the apartment above John Allens store, Ellis &# 038; Allen, and even servants to help him wash before bed and put away his clothes. Growing up, Edgar never got along with his foster father, often arguing with him, and rarely showing his affection. John Allen once even described his son as miserable, sulky, and ill-tempered.

There was also the matter of Edgar's alcoholism, which brought shame upon his foster family and friends, even his beloved first fianc e, Sarah Elmira Royster, eventually refused to see him. One night after a particularly bitter argument with Mr. Allen, he decided to leave his home and go to Boston. After an unpleasant month in Boston, Edgar was once again on the road. After having a few poems published and withdrawing from a military academy he eventually wound up in Baltimore, Maryland, penniless. He soon found that his relatives there were as poor as he was.

Even so, they welcomed him into their homes and hearts. He stayed for a while in the home of his aunt, Maria Clemm. Also living with Mrs. Clemm were her two children, Henry, 13, and Virginia, Poe's cousin and future wife, who was nine, his paralyzed grandmother, and his dying brother William, 24. He tried unsuccessfully to get a job at several newspapers, and seeing an ad for $ 100 for the best short story sent to the Philadelphia Saturday Review, proceeded to writing short stories. Even though he did not win the $ 100 for his efforts, he did have some of the stories published in the year to come, but he never had anything to show for it, however, because the newspaper did not give him credit for writing the stories.

Poe was offered a job back in Richmond, and he had to leave Baltimore (and worse, Virginia, with whom he had fallen involve) to take the job. He fell into despair and depression in Richmond over the absence of his beloved Virginia and was driven once again to drinking. Virginia had grown to embody Poe's ideal woman: pale and dark haired. Poe's drinking had gotten out of hand and he was fired. He went back to Baltimore on the spot and asked for Virginias hand in marriage. They got married a year later.

Soon after he was wed, he was re-offered the job in Richmond, but only if he promised to never drink again. He promised to never let another sip of liquor pass his lips, and went to Richmond, this time taking Virginia and his Aunt Maria. In the years to come, he wrote and published several poems and stories, like The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Purloined Letter, and most famous, The Raven. He eventually broke his vow and went back to drinking, which only caused problems. Several times he was found wandering drunk in the streets of New York where he had recently relocated with his wife and mother-in-law after taking an editing job at the Broadway Journal. Virginia did not take to life in the city, however, and asked Edgar to move to the country.

Eager to please his beloved wife, who was stricken with tuberculosis, he agreed. In the years to come there would be both better and worse times in Edgar's life. After moving from the city his life totally fell apart, he had to shut down his newspaper because of bad reviews, his wife was growing increasingly ill, and he was sick as well. Virginias long struggle finally ended on January 29, 1847 at the age of 24, the very age as Edgar's mother when she died. After her death Poe was inconsolable, once again thrown into the depths of depression and despair. After being nursed back to a pretty healthy mental state, Edgar once again felt ready to work.

Virginias death gave his new motivation, the first poem that he wrote after her death was Ulalume, a poem recalling a lovers visit to his loved ones grave. In the next to years his career fell apart. He wrote a book on his beliefs on the creation and future of the world and the universe. The book was a failure and was called the end of his writing career because after that book, everything he published was not widely read.

For the next year and a half of his life he seemed desperate for love. One of his life long goals was always to start a family with a woman that was devoted to him. He fell in love with two women at once. He never did get around to marrying either one of them, however, because he was found unconscious in a Baltimore tavern. Edgar died of some unknown ailment on October, 7, 1849 at the age of 40.

Research essay sample on David And Elizabeth Aunt Maria