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Madman or Literary Genius? Edgar Allan Poe? s life is almost as strange as his writings. Poe is, perhaps, best known for his bizarre tales of terror, death, decay and madness. To a world fascinated by the bizarre and the macabre, Poe has often seemed an embodiment of the satanic characters of his own fiction, the archetype of the neurotic genius. (Mc Micheal 727).
He was equally as talented at poetry, detective stories, and as a literary critic. Many controversies surrounded Poe in death as well as in life. Some answer we may never know. Here? s what we do know.
Edgar Poe was born on January 19, 1809 to Eliza and David Poe, Jr in Boston. Edgar was the second son of Eliza and David, whose sole income was obtained from acting. In the summer of 1809 the Poe? s moved from Boston to New York. Although Eliza often got great reviews and was offered some good parts, critics didn? t like David.
Frustrated by this David walked out on Eliza and their two sons leaving her alone and desolate. In 1910 Eliza gave birth to a baby girl, named Rosalie. Shortly after that Eliza became ill. On December 8, 1811 Elizabeth Poe died leaving behind three young orphaned children. Rosalie was taken in by a family named Mac Kenzie and the oldest son, William, was taken in by David? s family.
As David? s family had no intention of taking Edgar in, Fanny Allan convinced her husband that they should give Edgar a home. Fanny had helped in Eliza? s sickroom before she died and so was familiar with Edgar. Although the Allan?
s didn? t adopt Edgar they did change his name to incorporate their last name into it. They christened him Edgar Allan Poe on January 7, 1812. This arrangement meant a big change for Edgar.
John Allan was a wealthy business owner. So with the death of his mother Edgar literally went from rags to riches. When Edgar was six and a half the Allan? s moved to England. Enrolled in boarding school using the name Edgar Allan, he received his first formal education here.
The Allan? s lived in England for five years. When the tobacco market took a nose dive, John Allan? s business took a nose-dive also.
With no business and no reason to stay in England the Allan? s left for New York. They ultimately settled in Richmond, Virginia. Here Edgar continued his schooling where his gift for languages and writing was discovered. Upon moving to Richmond Edgar also started using the name Edgar Poe instead of Edgar Allan. With the death of an Uncle the Allan?
s once again came into money. In 1826, Edgar began classes at the University of Virginia. He continued to excel in his studies of languages and worked on developing his writing skills. It was also during this time that Edgar fell in love. The girl, Elmira Royster, was fifteen and her father objected to their relationship.
So Poe experienced both love and heartbreak. While away at school arguments with John Allan grew more frequent. Edgar felt that Allan wasn? t giving him enough money to live on. Therefore in order to survive he gambled to try and get more money.
More frequently then not this lead to him being out of more money instead. When Edgar approached Allan for the money to cover his gambling debts, Allan refused to pay them. Instead Poe was required to take a job at Allan? s firm.
With the relationship between the two men being so strained Edgar left the home in March of 1827 to make his own way. Edgar went to Boston and got a job working for a small newspaper. It was here that Edgar had his first published work. Tamerlane and Other Poems was published and said to be written by A Bostonian.
As Tamerlane was coming out in print Poe was enlisting in a five year stint in the Army. He enlisted under the name of Edgar Perry and by overstating his age to 2 Edgar did well in the Army and in 1828 he became assistant to the A. C. S. (Assistant Commissary of Substance). By 1829 He was promoted to Sergeant Major. Although he was doing well in the Army Edgar wanted to leave it.
He enlisted the help of a friend Lieutenant Howard to reach this objective. Howard agreed to help Edgar but only if Edgar would reconcile with John Allan. Edgar wrote several letters explaining the situation to John Allan and trying to reconcile. Allan, however, did not reply to Edgar requests.
Edgar wrote once again explaining that he wanted to enter West Point to advance his career as a soldier. Whether or not he received an answer is not known as a more important event took precedent. Fanny Allan, who had been sick the majority of Poe? s life was ailing rapidly. Although she asked to see Edgar, he was unable to arrive before she died.
Her death lead the way for a reconciliation between Edgar And John. In addition to reconciling Allan offered his help in securing Poe? s entrance into West Point. Although Poe left the army in 1829, a waiting list prevented him from entering West Point until one year later. During this time Edgar again pursued his writing. Once again money problem besieged him.
Repeated request for money from Allan brought argument and dissent between the two men. During this time Poe had one of his poems published in American Monthly. It was then published again by The Yankee and Boston Literary Gazette. John Neal, editor, described Edgar?
s efforts as though nonsense, rather exquisite nonsense and he thought good of Edgar? s future as a poet. (poe decoder) By November, Edgar was having a volume of poems published. The book called Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems was published under the name Edgar A. Poe. The main poem Al Aaraaf was unfinished and hard to understand. A Baltimore reviewer wrote: all our brain-cudgeling could not compel us to understand it.
This book, however, unlike Tamerlane, brought Edgar some small public attention, it was reviewed in at least four different publications and some of the criticism was good, and the work was even described as highly creditable to the Country. (poe decoder) Finally in the spring of 1830 Poe was admitted to West Point. Here he excelled in classes in French and Math, placing 17 th in math and 3 rd in French. In addition to his academic studies, Poe became the sort of class clown. He amused the other cadets be writing poems about their instructors. One such poem was written about Joseph Locke, whose duty it was to report cadet? s violation of regulations: John Locke was a notable name Joe Locke is a greater; in short The former was well known to fame, But the latter?
s well known to report (poe decoder) Allan remarried and once again the two were at odds. Edgar felt that Allan didn? t provide well enough for him and that he drove Edgar into debt. Although Edgar began writing to Allan to ask his permission to leave West Point, Allan didn? t answer his letters. Finally, Edgar decided to get thrown out of West Point.
To do this Edgar began violation the regulations In 1831 he had 66 offences and a court martial was convened. He was found guilty and dismissed. He stayed long enough to get money from the other cadets to print a new edition of poems. This edition, published as Poems By Edgar A. Poe Second Edition was dedicated to the cadets.
He revised Tamerlane, and Al Aaraaf and added new poems such as To Helen. Edgar? s new poems showed his preference on mixing past and present, dream and reality and myth and science. (poe decoder) It was around this time that Edgar got back in touch with his father? s (David Poe) relatives.
This also led to him spending time with his brother, William Henry Leonard Poe, better known as Henry. Edgar sometimes tried to turn to Henry when he needed help. Unfortunately Henry drank and was often unable to offer any assistance. In a strange twist of fate Henry also wrote. Both Henry and Edgar named characters in their story after each other.
Strangely enough they both published a poem that was almost identical. Henry: The happiest day- the happiest hour My sear? d and blighted heart has known, The brightest glance of pride and power I feel has flown Edgar: The happiest day the happiest hour My sear? d and blighted heart hath known, The highest hope of pride and power, I feel hath flown In addition to this poem, there was a poem published in Edgar? s 1827 edition that both men seem to claim part of. Unfortunately Henry meet his fate on August 1, 1831.
It was said the cause of his death was his fondness for drinking. This is ironic because eighteen years later doctor? s would say the same of Edgar. Edgar would fall in love with Mary Starr, a seventeen year old. Mary? s brother disapproved of Edgar because Edgar couldn?
t support a wife. It has been suggested that losing Mary because of money was part of the reason Edgar switched from writing poetry to try his hand at fiction. On August 13, 1831 the Philadelphia Saturday Evening Post published a story, The Dream, believed to have been written by Poe. Whether Edgar wrote the story or not is uncertain, it was published with the signature P but the circumstances around the story and the character of the story suggests that he did (poe decoder) Although Poe did not win the Saturday Courier? s contest, it was through this contest that he had published his first acknowledged story Metzengerstein. This was just the beginning.
In 1832 four more stories were published Duke de L? Omelette, A Tale of Jerusalem, A Decided Loss, and The Bargain Lost. Edgar also entered a contest in the Saturday Visitor. No contest Edgar won hands down. This led to the publication of MS. Found in a Bottle and a week later of his poem The Coliseum.
Then in 1834 Henry Carey got Edgar? s manuscript published. This time in a magazine with a national circulation. During this time Edgar kept in contact with John Allan only through his requests for money. Finally in 1833 Edgar went to live with his Aunt, Maria Clemm. In 1834, John Allan died leaving three quarters of a million dollars.
Edgar was not even in the will. White, a Richmond printer and owner of the Southern Literary Messenger, began publishing Poe? s tales. White eventually offered Poe a job. The timing of this was excellent since Edgar had fallen in love again. This time with his thirteen year old cousin Virginia.
Poe was successful at his new job. However despair still haunted him. It is said that he turned to drinking and even talked of suicide. Leaving his job, Poe returned to Baltimore to marry Virginia. Whether married or only engaged Poe hoped to return to Richmond and wrote White and asked to get his job back. (poe decoder) White consented on the grounds that Edgar Refrain from drinking. Not only did Poe work as the editor but he still published stories of his own.
Poe? s stories had a very gothic influence. Poe especially liked the kind of personal narration called tale of sensation where the persons are usually solitary victims of a life threatening predicament, about to be executed, or about to have a fatal accident. (poe decoder) Poe also devoted a large section of the Messenger to the critical department. He was a force to be reckoned with in this capacity. Poe became a critic to be feared and was not afraid of giving bad criticism to respected authors.
One of his reviews started with: The most remarkable feature in this production is the bad paper on which it is printed. (poe decoder) Poe gave credit where credit was due. In 1842 in Graham? s Magazine Poe reviewed Nathaniel Hawthorne? s Twice Told Tales. Poe had this to say: The style of Hawthorne is purity itself.
His tone is singularly effective wild plaintive, thoughtful, and in full accordance with his themes. (early criticism) Again in 1847 in Goldy? s Lady Book Poe does a lengthier review of Hawthorne. In this review Poe gives his opinion of Hawthorne. Now my own opinion of him is, that although his walk is limited and he is fairly to be charged with mannerism, treating all subjects in a similar tone of dreamy innuendo, yet in this walk he evinces extraordinary genius, having no rival either in America or elsewhere; and this opinion I have never heard gainsaid by any one literary person in the country. (early criticism) Also in Goldy? s Lady Book, this time in 1846 was this review: The most favourable estimate of Miss Fuller? s genius (for high genius she unquestionably possesses) is to be obtained, perhaps, from her contributions to The Dial and her Summer on the Lakes. (Sarah Margaret Fuller 7?
In addition to critical review Poe spent time working on his own writings. On May 16, 1836 Edgar and Virginia were officially wed. In the summer of this year White officially acknowledged Poe as editor of the Messenger. However by fall Poe? s work was slipping, possibly due to alcohol. Poe was to leave the Messenger and White was to take over as editor.
Little is known about the next two years. Poe moved to New York for a while and then on to Philadelphia. In 1838, Harper and Brothers in New York published The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, of Nantucket, his first book of fiction. Poe next took a job at Burton? s Gentlemen Magazine as assistant editor. Although the format of the magazine didn?
t suit him, the steady income was irresistible. Poe and Burton had a falling out Burton wished to mollify the tone of Poe? s attacks on some of the authors he criticised. Poe seems to have written a bitter letter, meeting Burton on his own ground, and suggesting that slashing reviews brought subscribers to the paper. (Ransome 29) So Poe and Burton parted company and Poe moved on to Graham? s Magazine. The magazine did well with Poe at the helm.
It was during this time that Virginia started showing signs of tuberculosis. Hoping to give Virginia some relief Poe moved around in search of a healthier environment. There are conflicting reports as to whether or not Poe turned to alcohol for solace at this time. Poe continued his writing and had two tales published in Graham? s Magazine. One of them was his cryptography series, The Murder in the Rou Morgue.
Next Poe tried his hand at autobiographical material. He also reviewed the works of Charles Dickens in order to gain recognition in England in 1842. He also left Graham? s at this time. He went to Washington, supposedly to find subscribers for his own magazine.
He drank too much and fell further into desperate straits. He tried his hand at lecturing. During the summer of 1843, he began lecturing with a fierce attack on Griswold? s Poets and Poetry of America. (Ransome 3 After that he tried his hand at Graham? s Magazine again, but this was short-lived. In 1844 he moved to New York, penniless.
He lived on whatever he could make free lancing and this barely put food on the table. In 1845 he published one of his most famous works The Raven. It was published in the paper he was currently working for The Evening Mirror and reprinted in The American Whig Review. From here he went on to work at the Broadway Journal and was quickly acknowledged as editor. Ultimately as Edgar A. Poe, Editor and Proprietor. (Ransome 36) Unfortunately, the paper collapsed.
Poe moved out of New York to the cottage at Forum. They sank deeper into poverty and needed to rely on the help of friends to get by. Virginia died on January 30, 184 Following Virginia? s death, Poe rapidly disintegrated, returning to Richmond in 1849 still preoccupied with the goal of his lifetime: owning his own journal. Setting off for New York shortly thereafter to visit Mrs.
Clemm, his hopes still high for the future. Poe travelled no further than Baltimore. There he died in delirium of acute congestion of the brain and was buried near his grandfather in the Presbyterian cemetery. (NHS Park Brochure) There are a few different theories as to the cause of Poe? s death.
Dr. J Evans Snodgrass, who was the physician on when Edgar was brought in, believes he died from complications of alcoholism. Dr John Moran, Poe? s own physician, believes he was set upon by thugs and beaten. Dr R. Michael Benitez has yet another theory.
He has reviewed the evidence and published his findings in the September issue of the Maryland Medical Journal. No one can say conclusively that Poe died of rabies, since there was no autopsy after his death. (Gugliotta) But the historical accounts of Poe? s condition in the hospital a few days before his death point to a strong possibility that he had rabies. (Gugliotta) As with many things about Poe perhaps we? ll never know the full truth. Works Poetry Al Aaraaf Alone An Enigma Annabel Lee The Bells Bridal Ballad The City In The Sea The Coliseum The Conqueror WormDreamDream Within A Dream Dreamland Dreams Eldorado Elizabeth Eulalie Evening Star Fairy-Land For Annie The Happiest Day, The Happiest Hour The Haunted Palace Hymn Israel The Lake t Lenore The Raven Romance Serenade The Sleeper Song Sonnet-To Science Sonnet-To Zante Spirits Of The Dead Stanzas Tamerlane T To To F? To F?
S S. O? D To Helen To Helen To M? To M.
L. S. To My Mother To One In Paradise To The Rive UlalameValentine The Valley Of Unrest Articles Criticism The Daguerreotype Marginalia Long Tales The Gold-Bug Hans Phaall The Murders In The Rue Morgue The Mystery Of Marie Roget-A Sequel to The Murder In The Rue Morgue The Narrative Of Arthur Gordon Pym Of Nantucket Short-Stories The Angel Of The Odd-An Extravaganza The Assignation The Balloon-Hoax Berenice
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Research essay sample on Edgar Allan Poe Arthur Gordon Pym
