Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. He is best known for his short stories, which are often dark and macabre. His poems include "The Raven" and "The Tell-Tale Heart."
Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and orphaned at a young age. He was raised by John and Frances Allan, a wealthy couple in Richmond, Virginia. Poe attended the University of Virginia but left after two years due to financial difficulties. He then moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where he worked as a printer's apprentice.
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In 1833, Poe published his first collection of poems, Tamerlane and Other Poems. The book was not a success, and Poe struggled to make a living as a writer. He worked as an editor for several magazines, but he was often fired for his drinking and erratic behavior.
In 1845, Poe published his most famous poem, "The Raven." The poem was a critical and commercial success, and it helped to establish Poe as a leading writer of the American Romantic movement.
Poe continued to write short stories and poems, but he also turned his attention to literary criticism. He edited several magazines and published essays on the theory of poetry. Poe's criticism was often harsh and controversial, but it helped to shape the way that American literature was studied and appreciated.
Poe died in 1849 at the age of 40. His death was mysterious, and there are many theories about what caused it. Some believe that he died of alcohol poisoning, while others believe that he was murdered.
Poe's work has had a lasting influence on American literature. He is considered one of the founders of the detective fiction genre, and his stories have been adapted into many films and television shows. Poe's poems are also still widely read and studied today.
Family Overview
The family of Edgar Allen Poe was tragic.
His father left due to failing as an actor, and his mother died when he was three years of age, which left him and his two siblings destitute. They were each raised by different people.
He married his wife when she was 13 years of age, and she died when she was 24 years old.
His brother also died young from tuberculosis, which seemed to be a common theme to many in his family. His mother, wife, and brother had all had the disease.
His sister outlived him, but they were not close. She ended up becoming a beggar due to what occurred to her family during the Civil War.
He and his wife did not have any children, and Edgar passed away at a younger age as well.
Family Tree Chart
Parents:
David Poe Jr. (1784 - 1811) - He met his wife in the year 1806 and married her the same year. In the summer of 1809, after receiving several bad reviews on his work in New -York, he is said to have left his wife and their three children to find work. He and his wife died when their son was only 3 years old. David Poe was last known to have appeared on stage on October 18, 1809, leaving three children behind.
Elizabeth Hopkins Arnold (1787 - 1811) - She was an actress, and after her husband left, she continued to perform. Her last performance was on October 11, 1811. She developed tuberculosis and tried to arrange a place for her children to live prior to her death. After her death, her three children were split up into different homes.
Spouse:
Virginia Eliza Clemm (1822 - 1847) - She was the wife of American writer Edgar Allan Poe. The couple were first cousins and married when Virginia Clemm was 13, and Poe was 27. Many disagree as to the nature of the couple's relationship. Though their marriage was loving, some suggest they viewed one another more like a brother and sister. In January 1842, she contracted tuberculosis, growing worse for five years until she died of the disease at the age of 24 in the family's cottage outside New York City.
Children: None
Siblings:
William Henry Leonard Poe (1807 - 1831) - He became a professional sailor on the USS Macedonian, which took him to the West Indies, the Mediterranean, and Russia. After a short, unsuccessful career as a law clerk, he began publishing poems in 1827, as well as a short story, The Pirate, based on his younger brother's failed teenage romance with a woman named Sarah Elmira Royster. The two Poe brothers maintained a casual correspondence while growing up. For a time, they may have lived together with family in Baltimore as Edgar prepared for a stint at West Point. It is speculated that Henry struggled with alcoholism. He died of tuberculosis at age 24.
Rosalie Poe (1810 - 1874) - Rosalie seems to have had a distant, if not antagonistic, relationship with her famous older brother. She herself claimed that she was "a good size girl" before she even knew she had a sibling--an incredible statement considering they were raised in the same city. Edgar's one-time fiancee, Sarah Helen Whitman, stated that he told her his relationship with Rosalie was characterized by coldness and estrangement. Considering that Rosalie is generally characterized as having a childlike mentality and an off-putting personality, Whitman likely spoke the truth. Rosalie appears to have led a relatively comfortable and stable existence in the Mackenzie home until the Civil War left the family destitute. Thereafter, her story becomes a pure tragedy. The remaining members of her foster family sent her to her Poe relatives in Baltimore. As her kin evidently wanted little to do with her, she was soon left on her own resources--a fate her intelligence, character, and upbringing left her completely unable to handle. She made attempts to gain work as a housekeeper and was said to walk the streets trying to sell pictures of Edgar to passersby, but her main source of support was "the kindness of strangers," motivated to assist her by admiration for her legendary sibling.