Edgar Allen Poe 1809- 1849 Poe is one of the best known figures in American Literature. "The death of a beautiful woman is unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world."

Early life Edgar Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 19, 1809. His mother (Elizabeth) and father (David) worked as traveling actors. When Edgar was two years old, his father abandoned his family. Soon after, Edgar’s mother died of TB (tuberculosis) .

Early Life When he was three, Edgar was taken into the home of John Allan, a wealthy merchant in Richmond, Virginia, and was christened Edgar Allan Poe. John Allan and his wife raised Edgar as their own son. Poe was athletic and loved fishing and hunting. Poe’s new family encouraged a love of learning. In 1826, he enrolled in the University of Virginia. He was a successful student but had a fondness for gambling. When Poe incurred a sizable gambling debt, which John Allan refused to pay, he was forced to leave college.

Early life Poe moved to Boston, where he worked at a number of different jobs. He wrote and printed (at his own expense) a small book of poetry called Tamerlane and Other Poems. The book was ignored by critics and the public.

Career beginnings In 1827, Poe enlisted in the United States Army. Poe wanted to go to West Point, a military academy, and won a spot there in 1830. Poe excelled at his studies at West Point, but he was court martialed (kicked out) after a year for his poor handling of his duties. Some have speculated that he intentionally sought to be court-martialed. During his time at West Point, Poe had fought with his foster father and Allan decided to sever ties with him.

Virginia After leaving the academy, Poe focused his writing full time. He moved around in search of opportunity, living in New York City, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Richmond. From 1831 to 1835, he stayed in Baltimore with his aunt Maria Clemm and her daughter Virginia. His young cousin, Virginia, became a literary inspiration to Poe as well as his love interest. The couple married in 1836 when she was only 13 (or 14 as some sources say) years old. She became ill in 1842 and died in 1847.Her early death may have inspired some of his writing.

Major Works Poe continued to write fiction, including “The Pit and the Pendulum” (1842), “The Tell-Tale Heart” (1843), and “The Cask of Amontillado”(1846). Also during this period, Poe wrote The Bells (1849), a poem that echoes with the chiming of metallic instruments, and Annabel Lee (1849), which is addressed to Virginia. Edgar Allan Poe was one of the first American writers to Include a murder in his story Explore the dark side of the imagination Explore the psychology of the criminal

Major Works In 1845, Poe earned national fame with a poem about lost love titled “The Raven.” After the poem was published, Poe said that he believed the two most valuable letters in the English language are o and r- thus the powerful effect created by the raven’s repeated use of the word “nevermore.” Baltimore Ravens????????????????

Poe spent the last few days of his life here in this small cottage in the the Bronx, New York.

Mysterious death Just a few short years after the publication of “The Raven,” Poe was found lying unconscious on a wooden plank outside a saloon in Baltimore. Four days later, he was dead (October 7, 1849). Historians have long disagreed about the cause of Poe’s death. Some believe he died of alcoholism, while others have suggested psychological disorders.

Mysterious death Ten years ago, a well-respected physician and researcher at the University of Maryland announced that Poe had probably died of rabies, which would explain the convulsions and nightmares he experienced in his final days. There’s no question, however, that Poe died confused and alone just like his characters he wrote about.