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Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe was born at 33 Hollis Street, Boston, Massachusetts, on January 19, 1809. His parents were David and Elizabeth Poe. Both of which were actors. However, his father was unsuccessful in his acting and also drank very heavily. (The New Book of Knowledge, 237) Shortly after Edgar s birth, the Poe s moved to New York where Edgar s father, David either died or deserted them. Mrs.
Poe was left alone with Edgar and some time after gave birth to a daughter. Despite Mrs. Poe s failing health, she continued with her acting career. In the winter of 1811, her health worsened and on December 8 th, she died of tuberculosis. At this time, Edgar was two years old and he was taken into the home of John Allan, a wealthy Richmond merchant, while her daughter was given to Mr. and Mrs.
William Mackenzie. The Allan s and Mackenzie s were close friends and neighbors. While staying in the Allan s home, Edgar s nurse often took him to the servants courter's to listen to ghost stories. These stories were the first inspirations for his strange tales he later wrote. (web) Edgar began school in Richmond at an early age. In 1815 the family sailed to England taking Edgar with them. He attended several different boarding schools before returning back to the United States in August 1820.
The young Poe, talks about his early school days in his story William Wilson. Later Poe entered the University of Virginia, where he showed remarkable scholastic ability in classical and romance languages. Unfortunately heavy debts forced him to leave after only one term. Desperate for money, he went to Boston on a coal barge looking for work, but was unable to find any. Although he did meet a young printer who had agreed to publish some of his poems. Still in need of money Poe was forced into the United States Army on May 26, 1827.
He remained there untill 1829 when he went to see his dying foster mother. Mrs. Allan died before Poe arrived home and despite her dying request not to be buried untill her foster son returned, her husband proceeded with the funeral. When Poe arrived at the house a few hours later all that he loved most was in the ground.
His agony at the grave is said to have been extreme. Nevertheless, Mr. Allan did keep one promise to his wife. That promise was not to abandon Poe. He agreed to help him in his plan to enter West Point. During this time he was living in Baltimore and Mr.
Allan gave him from time to time small amounts of money, just enough to keep him alive. He soon moved in with his aunt and her daughter. Poe s desire to write had grown and he deliberately neglected his duties and was dismissed from West Point in 1831. From then he tried to earn a living as a writer, editor, and critic. His magazine stories were first collected into a book, Tales of Grotesque and Arabesque in 1839. He was most successful as literary editor and critic for Graham s Magazine. (Winwer, Frances. 92) In October 1833 he competed for a prize of 50 dollars for the best short story submitted to a Baltimore paper, The Saturday Visitor.
Poe won the prize and this was his first notable success and it marked his beginning into fame. During the competition he met a man named John P. Kennedy who helped him become Editor of the Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond. Poe wrote poems, book reviews, and short stories for the Messenger.
Poe continued with his editorial work, in hope to establish and to be the editor of a great national literary magazine. Poe was one of the first men in America to understand the possibility of modern journalism from a magazine standpoint. Misfortune and his own personality, were responsible for his dream never coming true. Poe s drinking eventually lost him the editorship at the Southern Literary Messenger. (Poe, Edgar Allen Compton's Encyclopedia 258) On September 26, 1835 Poe married his 13 year old cousin Virginia Call and they moved to New York. Poe had plans of starting a magazine of his own. Those plans were not possible at the time due to his financial depression.
Poe then decided to leave New York and move to Philadelphia, which was at that time the publishing center of the United States. After the move, Poe began two literary projects, editing a text book, and the now long awaited publication of his collected tales. Then in 1846, Poe s wife Virginia became very ill, and he began to drink more than before and there was also evidence of the use of opium. During this time, Poe went through periods of insanity. Shortly after, Poe s health also became exceptionally bad, while his wife s continued to worsen. He could neither write much nor obtain employment.
In December 1846, the family was visited by a friend from New York, Mary Shew, who stayed with them and Virginia was able to pass away with peace in January 1847. (web) After the death of Virginia, Poe returned to a somewhat better state of health. Then in 1849 he returned to Richmond and became engaged to his childhood sweetheart Mrs. Shelton. Preparations for the wedding went forward; the date was set, October seventeenth. A few weeks earlier Poe had taken a trip to Baltimore, and exactly what happened to him in that city is not known. An election was in progress, and evidence points to the fact that he began to drink and was probably given drugged liquor.
He was found on October third by an old friend, Poe was in horrible condition and was taken to a resident doctor. Then finally on Sunday morning, October 7, 1849, he became quiet and seemed to rest for a short time. Then he gently moving his head, he said, Lord help my poor soul. As he lived so he died- in great misery and tragedy. (Winwer, Frances. 97)
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