Edgar Alan Poe - Biography
...1845 of a dozen stories as well as of
The Raven and Other Poems, and he enjoyed a few months of calm as a respected critic
and writer. After his wife died in 1847, however, his life began to unravel even faster as he
moved about from city to city, lecturing and writing, drinking heavily, and courting several
older women. Just before marrying one, he died in Baltimore after being found
semiconscious in a tavern - possibly from too much alcohol, although it is a myth that he
was a habitual drunkard and drug addict.
Admittedly a failure in most areas of his personal life, he was recognized as an
unusually gifted writer and was admired by Dostoevsky and Baudelaire, even if not always
appreciated by many of his other contemporaries. Master of symbolism and the macabre,
he is considered to be the father of the detective story and a stepfather of science fiction,
and he remains one of the most timeless and extraordinary of all American creative artists.
Edgar Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 19, 1809, the second of
the three children of David Poe and Elizabeth (Arnold) Poe, both of whom were
professional actors and members of a touring theatrical company. Eclipsed by his more
famous wife, his own promising career ruined by alcoholism, Poe's father deserted the
family when Edgar was still an infant; nothing conclusive is known of his life thereafter.
While appearing professionally in Richmond, Virginia, Poe's mother became ill and died on
December 8, 1811, at the age of twenty-four. Her three children, who would
maintain contact with one another throughout their lives, were sent to live with different
foster families. Edgar became the ward of John Allan, a successful tobacco merchant in
Richmond, and his wife Frances, who had no children of their own. Although never
formally adopted by them, Poe regarded the couple, especially...
View Full Essay
