Famous author Edgar Allan Poe wrote 69 short stories and 48 poems throughout his literary career, but what makes his work so famous? Poe's striking writing catches readers' attention now, just as it did centuries ago. His literary style of Romanticism mixed with the Macabre makes his work stand out from others, as his gloomy life experiences and the rumors surrounding him set him aside from other writers of his time. From his dark life story involving unstable mental issues and recurring substance abuse to the mystery of his death. Poe's life is one of gloom and mystery. These elements are believed to have been the reason for the unsettling, macabre themes in his writing. In his early years, he wrote poems and stories about his loved ones, …show more content…
While it seems Poe's writing style comes from his intelligence instead of his struggle, it is apparent that he struggled greatly throughout his life. His addiction has been present throughout his life. These addictions heavily affected his everyday life and his writing and are believed to be the cause of his death at age 40. It is known that he was an alcoholic and addicted to opium, but Poe also had issues with gambling in his early adult life. During his short time at Virginia University, he found himself nearly $2,600 in debt from gambling, which averages out to about $58,000-$61,000 today. When his foster mother passed, John Allan, his foster father, refused to pay off his debt and his education as a result of his gambling habits. Due to his financial issues paired with his foster mother's passing, Poe dropped out of university and joined the army. The military only lasted a year before he was kicked out because he neglected his duties. After the military, he worked as a writer and editor for multiple magazines in New York. His inconsistency with magazine publishers and responsibilities can be connected to his erratic and argumentative