1. Edgar Allan Poe
Lara Wolff
Period 4

2. Edgar AllanPoehttp://poestories.com/view.php?photo=42bf361288f88
Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809
He died October 7, 1849.
Edgar AllanPoehttp://poestories.com/view.php?photo=42bf361288f88

3. Short Stories and Poems
For Annie
The Raven
Annabel Lee
Alone
The City in The Sea
POEMS
Eleonora
The Balloon Hoax
The Gold Bug
The Tell-Tale Heart
The Spectacles

4. Biography
Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. When he was only two years old, in 1811, his mother passed away so he went to live with his grandparents. He was then adopted by the Allans. In 1826, Poe attended the University of Virginia, but left due to lack of money. Also because of his lack of money (and ability to support himself) Edgar Allan Poe joined the U.S. Army. When he returned from the Army, he finally received funds, and attended West Point. Soon after, though, Poe was kicked out because he was once again out of money.

5. Biography continued
Throughout all this, Edgar Allan Poe frequently sent his stories to be published in magazines. However it was not until 1835 when he finally won a contest. This led Poe to finally get a job. Poe married his cousin, Virginia, in When he got married, he was twenty- seven, and Virginia was thirteen. In 1844, Edgar Allan Poe moved to New York. He still struggled to make money, as he has all his life. When he was thirty-eight years old, his wife, Virginia, died of Tuberculosis, leaving Poe devastated. For the rest of his life, Poe traveled around quite a bit, until he was found barely conscious in Baltimore.

6. My theory on Poe’s Death
I believe that it is most likely that Poe died from alcohol. To begin with, he boarded the wrong train, signaling that he may have been a bit drunk. Also, there were various diary notes that lead to this belief. Although there is a letter he wrote, saying that he was feeling ill, there was also one that said that he was feeling better, which proves the medical issue theory test false.

7. My favorite Story
My favorite story by Edgar Allan Poe that we have read was “The Masque of The Red death.” In this story, a prince attempts to escape death and a horrible disease. To do this, he closes himself and his closest friends in his palace. After a while of well-being, he decides to host a masquerade ball to celebrate. He decorates each room with a different color, symbolizing the path of life. Starting with blue, which represents birth and ending with red and black which represents death and blood.

8. Continued
In the middle of this celebration, though, they receive an unexpected visitor. This mysterious person, dressed in a horrid outfit, represents death and he kills all inhabitants of the palace. Poe creates suspense in this story by explaining what happens when the clock chimes, and describing the black and red room in great detail.

9. Conclusion
I believe Poe is the father of modern day horror stories in many ways.
To begin with, his stories were above and beyond any horror stories that existed prior to his. Poe’s stories were ingenious, mysterious, and thrilling, elements that other horror writers struggle to achieve.
Although I did not make any personal connections to his stories, or his life, (Which I believe is a good thing…) I thoroughly enjoyed reading his work.

10. Works Cited
Giordano, Robert. “Biography of Edgar Allan Poe.“ Poestories.com: An Exploration of Short Stories by Edgar Allan Poe. (27 June 2005). (19 October 2011). < C.D. Merriman for Jalic Inc. “Edgar Allan Poe.” The Literature Network. (2006). (19 October 2011). < “The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe.” The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore. (15 October 2011). (19 October 2011). < Shmoop Editorial Team. “The Masque of the Red Death Symbolism, Imagery and Allegory.” Shmoop.com. (11 November 2008). Shmoop University inc. (19 October 2011). < Spark Note Editors. “SparkNote on Poe’s Short Stories.” SparkNotes.com. (2011). (19 October 2011). <