Learn All About The Life Of Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was one of the greatest literary geniuses in the world. There are many legends about his unusual life that sometimes overshadow the value of his writing. Poe was an extraordinary storyteller, gifted with infinite creativity.

The world of mystery and horror literature changed completely after Edgar Allan Poe. People consider this great American author to be the inventor of the detective genre. He also revived Gothic literature and incorporated a psychological component into the horror genre.

Poe had many difficult and tragic experiences. Some critics did their best to prepare him as a chaotic and corrupt person, and they succeeded to a certain extent. Though Poe was no role model for prudence and caution, he was not the monster that his enemies made him sound like.

Edgar Allan Poe: His Difficult Childhood

Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 19, 1809. His parents were traveling theater actors. Poe had two siblings. His parents died when he was barely two years old. Thus, he and his siblings were adopted by different families.

Poe ended up in the family of a man named John Allan. Allan was a wealthy businessman who adopted Poe as a charity. The death of his adoptive mother and the difficult relationship with his adoptive father were two recurring themes in his work.

Poe lived with his adoptive family in England and Scotland. It seems that his life in these countries had the gothic air about them that is so characteristic of his work. Eventually, they returned to the United States, where Poe attended the best schools.

A turbulent youth

Edgar Allan Poe wrote his first work at the age of 14. That was when he fell in love with his girlfriend’s mother. He was dealing with this unrequited love when she suddenly died.

When he was young, Poe was a great athlete and loved astronomy. He decided to study languages ​​at the University of Virginia . There Poe fell into the gambling and drinking crowd and was eventually expelled. His adoptive father hired him as an employee in one of his businesses, but it did not last long.

In 1827 he secretly published his first book called Tamerlane and Other Poems . He later enlisted in the army, where he remained for two years. After that, the adoptive father helped him get a new job, but he was fired shortly after. During that time he published two more books of poetry. In 1832 he left to live in Baltimore and married his 13-year-old cousin.

Edgar Allan Poe: A “cursed” writer

Poe’s adoptive parents made him hereditary in the end. To survive, he began working for several newspapers as an art critic and reporter. His sharp and elegant style gave him a certain fame. While working, he continued to publish his works. The Gold-Bug and The Raven and Other Stories dedicated him as a writer.

His young wife died of tuberculosis in 1847. Her dreadful disease got Poe to drink and consume drugs. People say that after her death he even started taking laudanum, a very strong opioid. He also began to suffer from various health problems.

Poe was desperate and eager to find a new wife. He jumped from relationship to relationship without settling down. People say he tried to commit suicide with laudanum.

The end of his life

Towards the end of his life, he made contact with a former love, Sarah Elmira Royster. They decided to marry on 17 September 1849. However, shortly after they became engaged, disappeared Poe mysteriously.

They found him on the street on October 3, very confused and with someone else’s clothes. One of his friends took him to the hospital, where he died on October 7. No one ever found out what happened to him when he disappeared.

The results of his autopsy also disappeared, and so far no one knows the exact cause of his death. It is safe to say that Poe’s work influenced all the great writers who came after him. His works are moving, powerful and deep.