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Poe's Life
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Death of Poe's Real Parents
Edgar was born on January 19, 1809. By the time Poe was 3, both of his parents had died. After their death's, him and his siblings were separated and given to different foster families. Also, his foster parents, John (pic) & Frances Allan, were not very supportive of his desire to be a poet. This event is significant to his life and my letter because I believe that if he hadn't been exposed to this kind of loss at such a young age, he wouldn't have had such a negative energy and outlook on life. -
Poe Leaves Richmond to Attend UVA
In 1826, Poe leaves Richmond to pursue his dream of becoming a famous poet. Unforunately, Poe has to drop out because he was not able to keep up with the payments. His foster father, John Allan, provided him with less than 1/3 of the money he needed, even though Poe had written severval letters showing how desperate he was for some financial help. This is significant to his life because if he would have had a better relationship with his foster dad, he might not have been such a negative person. -
Publishes First Book
After having to leave UVA, Poe made a promise to himself that he would publish a book and enlist in the US Army. He accomplished both. He published his first book at age 18 called "Tamerlane and Other Poems," and then signed up for West Point. This is significant to Poe's life and my letter because I see this as a time of reconciliation for him. He was finally starting to do something right, even though his life seemed to be going down hill fast. -
Goes to Live with Maria and Virginia Clemm
After being at West Point for only 8 months, he got expelled. At this point he was broke and all alone. So he writes to his aunt, Maria Clemm. He ends up going to live with Maria and her daughter, Virginia (pic). He has a very strong and stable relationship with them. Maria becomes a mother-like figure to him and he eventually falls in love with and marries Virginia. -
"The Raven" is Published
By January of 1845, "The Raven" had made Poe famous. He was now able to draw large crowds to his lectures & started to demand better pay for his work. In that same year he published 2 books and purchased a magazine company; Virginia died later in the year. This is significant in Poe's life because Lenore in the poem represents his "long lost love" & then he loses his real wife, so he becomes very depressed and was unable to write for months.
