Edgar Allan Poe Research Paper

Edgar Allan Poe was born in the city of Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. Both of Poe’s parents, Eliza and David Poe, were actors, (Meyers, 1992). However, tragedy struck their family as Meyers (1992) states, “Edgar’s birth sparked a financial crisis and emotional upheaval in the Poe family.” The birth of Edgar led to his father’s desertion nearly a month after he was born, leaving Poe and his two siblings with only a single mother, (Meyers, 1992). As if that was not unfortunate enough, when Poe was not even three years old his mother became very sick, and on December 8, 1811 she died of consumption, (Meyers, 1992). Following the loss of his parents, an online database titled “Edgar Allan Poe” states, “The children were split up,

Poe went to the charitable Richmond, Virginia, home of John and Frances Allan, whose name Poe took later as his middle name.” Now living under the Allans, in 1815 they decided to move to London, England where they enrolled Poe in private schooling for their five-year stay, (“Edgar Allan Poe,” 1998). Although John and Frances Allan cared for Edgar as if he were their own son, tensions grew between Edgar and Mr. Allan as Poe grew older, (1998). John Allan did not support Poe’s interest in writing. The refusal of John to give Poe a hand at any cost finally pushed Edgar to the point of leaving the Allan household and beginning a life on his own, (1998). Shortly after, Poe headed for his hometown of Boston and decided to enlist into the United States Army for five years. The database proceeds to state, “By January of 1829...Poe rose to the highest non commissioned rank in the Army, sergeant major,” (“Edgar Allan Poe,” 1998). Yet, Poe eventually retired from his service and moved to Baltimore, Maryland where he lived with family and published short stories for local magazines,

Not only did his writing begin to take off at this time, but his love life too, as stated by the database, “In 1836, Poe married his cousin Virginia--at the time 13 years old--and moved to Richmond to live with his bride and mother-in-law,” (“Edgar Allan Poe,” 1998). Following up the marriage came some of Poe’s popular works such as “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and “Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque.” However, 1843 brought sorrow to Poe as his beautiful wife, Virginia, began showing signs of tuberculosis just as his own mother had, and soon enough it killed her, (1998). Having no other resort or comfort, Poe’s depression made him turn to alcohol. However, this sorrow brought forth the publication of Poe’s poem titled “The Raven,” which gave him the most fame as a writer. Edgar carried on and continued to publish a variety of works. Eventually Poe found love for another widowed woman in 1849, his childhood companion, Mrs. Shelton. The two had arranged a wedding, but a misfortune called it off. The previously referenced database later claims, “He [Poe] was found on October 3, 1849, in a stupor near a saloon that had been used as a polling place. He died in a hospital four days later,” (“Edgar Allan Poe,” 1998). What happened to Edgar remains a mystery, for there is no existing