Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was one of the greatest and unhappiest American poet, and mystery book writer. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His father David Poe Jr. died around 1810. Elizabeth Hopkins Poe, the mother died in 1811, leaving three children. Edgar was adopted into the home of a Richmond merchant named John Allan. He wasn’t legally adopted. Others took in the other children. Edgar’s brother William died young and sister Rosalie become later insane. At the age of five Edgar could memorize passages of English poetry. In school he wrote poetry most of the time. Poe was brought up in England (1815-20), where he attended Manor School at Stoke Newington. Later it was used as the setting for his story ‘William Wilson’.

Edgar attended the University of Virginia, but was expelled for not paying his gambling debts. This started his problems with John Allan; the person u illegally adopted him. This led him to later disown him. In 1826 he became engaged to Elmira Royster, but her parents broke off the engagement. Then In 1827 Edgar joined the U.S. Army as a common soldier under assumed name, Edgar A. Perry. He was sent to Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, which provided settings for ‘The Gold Bug’ and ‘The Balloon Hoax’ “Tamerlane and Other Poems” which Edgar published at his own expense, sold poorly. In 1833 Poe lived in Baltimore with his father’s sister Mrs. Maria Clemm. After winning a prize of $50 for the short story ‘MS Found in a Bottle,’ he started career as a staff member of various magazines, among others the Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond, Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine in Philadelphia, and Graham’s Magazine. During these years he wrote some of his best-known stories.

Southern Literary Messenger he had to leave because of his alcoholism problem. Then in 1836 he married his 13-year old cousin Virginia Clemm. He continued to drink and when he wrote books or worked he worked long. Really long and he only ate when it was really necessary. He often went into depressions then come back and write books. Then go back to depression. He was a very odd man. He was a expert in mystery solving and everything. This is why his death is very weird. He was the expert of modern mystery and his death was mysterious. His legend still lives on as an odd person who had bad luck and was not a usual person.