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Edgar Allen Poe's Birth
Edgar Allen Poe, born in Boston Massachusetts, was the son of two actors named Elizabeth Arnold Poe and David Poe Jr. -
David Poe Abandons his family
David Poe’s father abandoned his family, leaving his wife and three kids including Edgar. He left due to money issues and alcohol abuse, which Edgar would soon inherit through college and the rest of his life. -
Elizabeth Arnold Poe Dies of Tuberculosis
Since Edgar's mother was his only guardian at the time and she passed, the siblings were separated. Edgar, his younger sister Rosalie, and older brother Henry were separated into different families. Edgar ended up living with Frances and John Allan who gave him his middle name though he was never formally adopted. -
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Poe Moved to England and went to boarding school
He went to boarding school in England and did quite well though he later returned to Richmond Virginia. -
College at the University of Virginia
Poe ended up going to college at the University of Virginia. He was especially good at Latin and French though he couldn’t finish his education due to his gambling addiction, which his other father didn’t want to pay off. Since he was out of college, he started his literary career by publishing his first book of poetry “Tamerlane and other poems”.
(The picture is the university in 1856) -
Engagement with Elmira Royster
Their relationship began in Richmond Virginia where they were neighbors at the time. Her father did not approve of their relationship, but they got secretly engaged anyway in 1826. When her father caught wind of their marriage, he broke it off immediately and forced Elmira to marry an older, wealthier man. -
Poe Enlists in the Navy
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy since he couldn’t pay off his debt. He enlisted under the name “Edgar A. Perry” and age 22 though he was only 18 at the time. He was very skilled and his college experience in language and math helped his ranking as a Sergeant major of the first artillery regiment. Although in the navy, he still wrote a bit during his time away. -
Francis Keeling Allan (Poe's foster mother)
the cause of death was a long lingering illness. She was especially close to Poe so he was devastated to hear the news of his foster mother dying. -
"Alone" (Primary source)*
"Alone", very clearly an autobiographical poem, was written facing his loneliness. It explores how his life has been filled with loss and because of this, he was not able to connect with others. This left him feeling isolated because he couldn't confine in anyone with the same issue. -
Poe gets court-martialed
He was court-martialed and thus dismissed from his duties. Certain accounts predict that it was his intention to be dismissed due to how well he was doing before.
(the image is his court-martial case file) -
"MS. FOUND IN A BOTTLE." Contest
He won a contest of $50 given by the Baltimore Saturday Visiter and published his short story called “MS. Found in a bottle”. This work got him notoriety later landing him a job at Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond. -
Poe marries his cousin Virginia
Poe was 27 and Virginia was 13 although her marriage certificate lists her as being 21 at the time. -
"Tell-Tale Heart"*
The “Tell-Tale Heart” is about a person who tried to get away with a crime that they thought to have been perfectly plotted, however, the police pay them a visit and they start hearing a heartbeat through the floorboard of which he put the bodies and in. This shows Poe’s interest with insanity and how his life descended just like the main character, leading them to madness, which is a recurring theme in his works that some say he related with.
(illustration by Authur Rackham) -
"The Raven" Poe's greatest literary success*
Virginia on her deathbed left a recognizable appearance in the renowned poem. It’s about a man who mourns his wife Lenore and now leans into insanity asks the raven its name and it replies “Nevermore”. A clear parallel to the story and Virginia is shown in the man's question “ Are you going to leave me, just as everyone I ever loved has done? ”(Lowe 2012) But every time the bird replies “Nevermore”. The bird is there to remind him of his grievances. -
"The Cask of Amontillado"*
The story dealt with two sides of the same person and the fear of live burials which was quite prevalent in Poe's time. There was Montresor, cold and cunning, and Fortunato, cocky and foolish. Montresor had a vendetta against Fortunato though the reason is not explained. In the end, Montresor buries Fortunato alive. This symbolizes repression of one's personality which is a repeated theme in poes works. poe goes into horrifying detail about the burial, also a repeated theme. -
Virginia dies of Tuberculosis
She had been sick for five years in advance which left Poe anxious if she was going to die like the other women in his life had inspired some aspects of "The Raven" written beforehand. Before her death, she told a friend "I know I shall die soon; I know I can't get well; but I want to be as happy as possible, and make Edgar happy." (“Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe”, n.d.). -
"Annabel Lee"*
The narative is written about a young and beautiful girl, presumably based on Virginia and her untimely death. -
Poe gets engaged to Elmira again (Primary Source)
"I think she loves me more devotedly than any one I ever knew & I cannot help loving her in return."(“MPT...”, n.d.) was his last letter to his aunt about Elmira. They manage to rekindle their relationship from the past and get engaged once again against her kid's approval. However, Poe died a couple of days before the marriage ceremony that was supposed to take place. In later years Elmira would deny their past relationship. -
Poe's mysteries death
It's a complete mystery as to what killed him. he was found a week before his death lying in a gutter intoxicated and in abnormal clothing for what he usually wore. There were many medical speculations however, a theory in 1872 suggests Cooping, a fraud that gangs pulled with other people to get votes in. Some sources claim it was his alcohol abuse and lack of tolerance, passed down in the family. Even after his death, his works live on now, over 100 years later.