EDGAR ALLAN POE

- A Short Biography -

POE’S EARLY LIFE

Edgar Allan Poe was, and still is, an iconic poet with the distinguished ability to evoke horror and
dread, he was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston (Massachusetts).

Poe was the first well-known American writer to earn a living through writing alone, despite his difficult
life, he is widely acknowledged as an iconic figure of Romanticism and Gotic fiction. He was also
recognized as the father of modern detective stories, and credited for his phenomenal use of
deductive reasoning to elucidate the complexities of criminal behavior. During Poe’s lifetime, his
thorough explorations of his characters’ interior lives paved the way for psychological fiction, inspiring
several authors, such as Fyodor Dostoevsky and Conan Doyle. His writings also had an impact on
French Surrealism and Symbolism, the two movements that profoundly influenced late 19th-century
literature.

Throughout his lifetime, Poe wrote several significant poems in addition to his novels. Several of his
poems are still well-known to modern readers even though they are not as commonly read as they
once were; the most well-known ones are "To Helen" (1831), "Lenore" (1843), and "The Raven"
(1845).

Poe’s character was shaped by the circumstances he was in, with his thoughts and emotions heavily
reflected in his works. Poe was the 2nd son of David Poe Jr. and Elizabeth Arnold Poe, both being
stage actors. The family experienced poverty and migrated frequently during Poe’s first years.
However, it wasn’t long until Poe’s father abandoned the family, leaving his mother to support three
young children.

Tragically, Eliza contracted tuberculosis and lived in Richmond for the final few months of her life. At
the age of 24, she passed away on December 8th, 1811, leaving her three children behind. John
Allan, a wealthy Richmond merchant, and his wife, Frances, took in two-year-old Edgar. In 1815,
young Poe traveled with the Allans to Great Britain, living in Scotland and London for the next five
years. When they returned to Richmond in 1820, Poe attended private schools, where he displayed
an exceptional talent for literature, excelling in classics, thus beginning his journey as an author and
poet.

THE REOCCURRENCE OF ISOLATION AND DEATH

Despite his academic achievements, Poe remained relatively isolated. According to scholar Eric W.
Carlson, Poe's humble origins and mentality caused him embarrassment throughout his life, and as a
result, he was never accepted by Richmond's social elite.

Poe enrolled at the University of Virginia in 1826 to study modern and classical languages. While his
adoptive father covered Poe’s tuition and living expenses, John refused to provide additional funds for
books and other necessities. Poe therefore resorted to gambling to pay for his living expenses, and
after running up enormous debts, he was forced to leave the institution. As such, Poe found himself
drowning in the uncontrollable grips of alcoholism and drugs, all to cope with his struggles.

Unlike John Allan, the cold and distant merchant, Frances was a doting foster mother. As Poe later
said to John, "Your love I never valued - but she, I believe, loved me as her own child." In a similar
situation to Poe’s first mother, Frances died on the 2nd of March, 1829, after suffering a long illness,
which a local newspaper claims to be “lingering and painful”. Her death was a significant turning point
in Poe’s emotional and mental well-being, ‘forcing’ him into deeper depression. John was, after all,
never truly a father in Poe’s eyes – only a guardian. To Poe, it was Frances who cared for him, and
hence Poe struggled so much with her death. Ultimately, by the age of 20, Poe had already outlived
two mothers. This led Poe to write his poem that was never titled or published in his lifetime, named
“Alone”, to portray his loneliness.
In March 1831, Poe went back to Baltimore to see his aunt, brother, and cousin because his older
brother Henry had sadly died from alcoholism-related illness. One of the many deaths that profoundly
impacted Poe's emotional and mental state was that of his sibling.

In 1836, Poe and Virginia got married a year later. He was 27 and she was 13. There is a lot of
discussion over the nature of their relationship, despite the odd pairing. It now would be impossible to
find out what transpired in their marriage behind closed doors, even though a lot of people now
assume their relationship was family. For Poe, Virginia and Maria provided stability. When they were
with him, he appeared to be happy and more responsible.

Unfortunately, his spouse Virginia started displaying signs of tuberculosis. She passed away in 1847
while the couple resided in New York, having been ill for several years. Virginia passed away at the
age of 24. Poe never fully recovered from his wife's death. It was clear that he needed her emotional
and psychological assistance. Poe started to drift back south, towards Richmond, the city of his youth.

THE 1800’S
The 1800s were very different from the modern era, and this was felt strongly in Edgar Allan Poe's
poetry and other publications. Poe's literary works bear the permanent influence of a distinct set of
social, cultural, and historical events that defined the 19th century. The United States was a very
young country experiencing an abundance of growth and change at this time. Urbanization and
industrialization were booming, which accelerated city growth and gave rise to a new industrial
civilization. This historical period was marked by invention and advancement, but many social
problems, such as urban poverty, illness, and unrest also marked it.

Poe frequently captures the conflicts of his day in his poems. His works are infused with the themes of
death, which might be interpreted as a mirror of the terrible reality of the 19th century. This was
influenced by some factors, including high mortality rates, the prevalence of infectious diseases, and
the general uncertainty of life during his lifetime.

INFLUENCES
Edgar Allan Poe left a distinctive and enduring legacy in American literature because of his ideals,
attitudes, and beliefs, which shaped his literary works. Poe's writing was infused with an interest in the
eerie and peculiar, which was central to his worldview. His works aimed to leave a deep emotional
impression on readers since he felt art should provoke strong emotions. His personal experiences,
such as the death of loved ones, financial hardships, and his struggles, were the source of his
fascination with the darker sides of human nature.

Poe's comprehensive examination of the human psyche was also mirrored in his literature. His stories
of psychological horror and suspense explore the theme of his fascination with the human mind's
capacity for both genius and madness. His stories frequently blurred the boundaries between truth
and illusion by delving into the domains of dreams, insanity, and the subconscious (i.e. “The Tell-Tale
Heart” - 1843).

Poe also valued skillful writing and thought that each word and detail in a poem or story should have a
particular purpose. Poe meticulously selects words and details to highlight the importance of writing
craftsmanship in his poetry. His use of precise and vivid language heightens the tension and
atmosphere of his writing. His deliberate word choice and meticulous attention to detail demonstrate
his passion for writing and its power to influence his readers.