Most Possible Cause Of Edgar Allan Poe's Death

The mystery around Edgar Allan Poe’s death has not yet been completely solved. Edgar Allan Poe was an American fictional horror story and poem writer. He was also a known alcoholic throughout his writing career. Conservative critics continually attacked his works. Poe was also a gambler, leaving him often in need of money. When he was found in a delirious state on October 3rd, 1849, he was sent to the hospital, where he later died. The reason why he died have been narrowed down to the two most plausible theories: alcoholism and rabies. The most reasonable cause of death of the two for Edgar Allan Poe is alcoholism because he had a history with alcohol, he was found in a drunken state, and he was found in a tavern which sold alcohol. Poe’s history with alcohol was not a happy one. He was a known alcoholic by his family and peers. Poe’s uncle by marriage, Henry Herring, was described by Kenneth Silverman as saying: “On former occasions, when drunk, Poe had been abusive and ungrateful” (Silverman, 185). This shows that Poe had abused alcohol before, and he might have done it again. Edgar Allan Poe also had a difficult life, another reason why he might have drunk himself into delirium. His wife, Virginia, died of tuberculosis, critics constantly attacked his

He was delirious and on the verge of unconsciousness. Joseph Walker, a printer who saw Poe on the night he was taken to the hospital, described Edgar Allan Poe’s condition, saying “[Poe seemed] rather the worse for wear… [and] in great distress” (qtd. In Silverman, 184). Burton R. Pollin and Robert E. Benedetto also say “Poe was found… in an alcoholic stupor on October 3, 1849” (Pollin and Benedetto, 189). All three authors agree that Poe was found in a drunken, delirious state. This may have attributed to the theory of his death, alcoholism. Not only was Poe found in a drunken state on October 3rd, 1849, he was also found near a