Edgar Allan Poe This daguerreotype of Poe was taken in 1848 when he was 39, a year before his death. |
| Born: | January 19 1809(1809--) Boston, Massachusetts U.S. |
| Died: | September 07 1849 (aged 40) Baltimore, Maryland U.S. |
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| Occupation: | Poet, short story writer, editor, literary critic |
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| Genres: | Horror fiction, Crime fiction, Detective fiction |
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| Literary movement: | Romanticism, Dark romanticism |
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| Spouse: | Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe |
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| Parents: | David Poe, Jr. and Elizabeth Arnold Poe (birth parents), John Allan and Frances Allan (foster parents) |
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| Influences: | Lord Byron, Charles Dickens, Ann Radcliffe, Nathaniel Hawthorne |
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| Influenced: | Charles Baudelaire, Oscar Wilde, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle, Clark Ashton Smith, Jules Verne, H. P. Lovecraft, Jorge Luis Borges, Ray Bradbury, Lemony Snicket, Stefan Grabinski, Fernando Pessoa, Harlan Ellison, Edogawa Rampo, Ville Valo, Stephen King, Brenda Walker, Stephen Dedman, Antoni Lange |
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Edgar Allan Poe (
January 19,
1809 –
October 7,
1849) was an
American poet,
short story writer,
editor,
literary critic, and one of the leaders of the American
Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of
mystery and the
macabre, Poe was one of the early American practitioners of the short story and a progenitor of
detective fiction and
crime fiction. He is also credited with contributing to the emergent
science fiction genre.
[1]
Born in
Boston, Edgar Poe's parents died when he was still young and he was taken in by John and Frances Allan of
Richmond, Virginia. Raised there and for a few years in
England, the Allans raised Poe in relative wealth, though he was never formally adopted. After a short period at the
University of Virginia and a brief attempt at a military career, Poe and the Allans parted ways. Poe's publishing career began humbly with an anonymous collection of poems called
Tamerlane and Other Poems (1827), credited only "by a Bostonian." Poe moved to
Baltimore to live with blood-relatives and switched his focus from poetry to prose. In July of 1835, he became assistant editor of the
Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond, where he helped increase subscriptions and began developing his own style of literary criticism. That year he also married
Virginia Clemm, his 13-year old cousin.
After an unsuccessful novel
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, Poe produced his first collection of short stories,
Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque in 1839. That year Poe became editor of
Burton's Gentlemen's Magazine and, later,
Graham's Magazine in
Philadelphia. It was in Philadelphia that many of his most well-known works would be published. In that city, Poe also planned on starting his own journal,
The Penn (later renamed
The Stylus), though it would never come to be. In February 1844, he moved to
New York City and worked with the
Broadway Journal, a magazine of which he would eventually become sole owner.
In January 1845, Poe published "
The Raven" to instant success but, only two years later, his wife Virginia died of
tuberculosis on
January 30,
1847. Poe considered remarrying but never did. On
October 7,
1849, Poe died at the age of 40 in Baltimore. The cause of his death is undetermined and has been attributed to
alcohol,
drugs,
cholera,
rabies,
suicide (although likely to be mistaken with his suicide attempt in the previous year),
tuberculosis,
heart disease, brain congestion and other agents.
[2]
Poe's legacy includes a significant influence in literature in the United States and around the world as well as in specialized fields like cosmology and
cryptography. Additionally, Poe and his works appear throughout popular culture in literature, music, films, television, video games, etc. Some of his homes are dedicated as museums today.
Life and career
Early life
Poe was born
Edgar Poe to a
Scots-Irish family in
Boston, Massachusetts, on
January 19,
1809, the son of actress
Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe and actor David Poe, Jr. The second of three children, his elder brother was William Henry Leonard Poe, and younger sister, Rosalie Poe.
[3] His father abandoned their family in 1810.
[4] His mother died a year later from "consumption" (
tuberculosis). Poe was then taken into the home of John Allan, a successful
Scottish merchant in
Richmond, Virginia, who dealt in a variety of goods including
tobacco,
cloths,
wheat,
tombstones, and
slaves.
[5] The Allans served as a foster family but never formally adopted Poe, though they gave him the name "Edgar Allan Poe."
[6]
The Allan family had young Edgar baptized in the
Episcopal Church in 1812. John Allan alternately spoiled and aggressively disciplined his foster son.
[7] The family, including Allan's wife Frances Valentine Allan and Edgar, sailed to England in 1815. Edgar attended the Grammar School in
Irvine, Scotland (where John Allan was born) for a short period in 1815, before rejoining the family in London, in 1816. He studied at a boarding school in
Chelsea until summer 1817. Then he was entered at Reverend John Bransby’s Manor House School at
Stoke Newington, then a suburb four miles (6 km) north of London.
[8] Bransby is mentioned by name as a character in "
William Wilson."
Poe moved back with the Allans to Richmond, Virginia in 1820. In 1825, John Allan's friend and business benefactor William Galt, said to be the wealthiest man in Richmond, died and left Allan several acres of real estate. The inheritance was estimated at $750,000. By summer 1825, Allan celebrated his expansive wealth by purchasing a two-story brick home named "Moldavia".
[9] Poe may have become engaged to
Sarah Elmira Royster before he registered at the one-year old
University of Virginia in February 1826 with the intent to study languages.
[10] The University, in its infancy, was established on the ideals of its founder
Thomas Jefferson. It had strict rules against
gambling, horses, guns, tobacco and alcohol, but these rules were generally ignored. Jefferson had enacted a system of student self-government, allowing students to choose their own studies, make their own arrangements for boarding, and report all wrongdoing to the faculty. The unique system was still in chaos and there was a high drop-out rate.
[11] During his time there, Poe lost touch with Royster and also became estranged from his foster father over gambling debts. Poe claimed that Allan had not given him sufficient money to register for classes, purchase texts, and procure and furnish a dormitory. Allan did send additional money and clothes, but Poe's debts increased.
[12] Poe gave up on the University after a year and, not feeling welcome in Richmond, especially when he learned that his sweetheart Royster had married Alexander Shelton, he traveled to
Boston in April 1827, sustaining himself with odd jobs as a clerk and newspaper writer.
[13] At some point he was using the
pseudonym Henri Le Rennet.
[14]
Military career
Unable to support himself, on
May 27,
1827, Poe enlisted in the
United States Army as a private, using the name "Edgar A. Perry" and claiming he was 22 years old even though he was 18.
[15] He first served at
Fort Independence in
Boston Harbor for five dollars a month.
[16] That same year, he released his first book, a 40-page collection of
poetry,
Tamerlane and Other Poems attributed only as "by a Bostonian." Only 50 copies were printed, and the book received virtually no attention.
[17] Poe's regiment was posted to
Fort Moultrie in
Charleston, South Carolina and traveled by ship on the brig
Waltham on
November 8,
1827. Poe was promoted to "artificer," an officer who prepared shells for
artillery, and had his monthly pay doubled.
[18] After serving for two years and attaining the rank of Sergeant Major for Artillery (the highest rank a noncommissioned officer can achieve), Poe sought to end his five-year enlistment early. He revealed his real name and his circumstances to his
commanding officer, Lieutenant Howard, who would only allow Poe to be
discharged if he reconciled with John Allan. Howard wrote a letter to Allan, but he was unsympathetic. Several months passed and pleas to Allan were ignored; Allan may not have written to Poe even to make him aware of his foster mother's illness. Frances Allan died on
February 28,
1829 and Poe visited the day after her burial. Perhaps softened by his wife's death, John Allan agreed to support Poe's attempt to be discharged in order to receive an appointment to the
United States Military Academy at West Point.
[19]
Poe finally was discharged on
April 15,
1829 after securing a replacement to finish his enlisted term for him.
[20] Before entering West Point, Poe moved back to Baltimore for a time, to stay with his widowed aunt Maria Clemm, her daughter,
Virginia Eliza Clemm (Poe's first cousin), his brother Henry, and his invalid grandmother Elizabeth Cairnes Poe.
[21] Meanwhile, Poe published his second book,
Al Aaraaf Tamerlane and Minor Poems in Baltimore in 1829.
Poe traveled to West Point and matriculated as a cadet on
July 1,
1830.
[22] In October 1830, John Allan married his second wife, Louisa Patterson.
[23] The marriage, and bitter quarrels with Poe over the children born to Allan out of affairs, led to the foster father finally disowning Poe.
[24] Poe decided to leave West Point by purposely getting
court-martialed. On
February 8,
1831, he was tried for gross neglect of duty and disobedience of orders for refusing to attend formations, classes, or church. Poe tactically pled not guilty to induce dismissal, knowing he would be found guilty.
[25] He left for New York in February 1831, and released a third volume of poems, simply titled
Poems. The book was financed with help from his fellow cadets at West Point, many of whom donated 75 cents to the cause, raising a total of $170. They may have been expecting verses similar to the satirical ones Poe had been writing about commanding officers.
[26] Printed by Elam Bliss of New York, it was labeled as "Second Edition" and included a page saying, "To the U.S. Corps of Cadets this volume is respectfully dedicated." The book once again reprinted the long poems "Tamerlane" and "Al Aaraaf" but also six previously unpublished poems including early versions of "
To Helen," "Israfel," and "
The City in the Sea."
[27]
Publishing career
He returned to Baltimore, to his aunt, brother and cousin, in March 1831. Henry died from tuberculosis in August 1831. Poe turned his attention to prose, and placed a few stories with a
Philadelphia publication. He also began work on his only drama,
Politian. The
Saturday Visitor, a Baltimore paper, awarded Poe a prize in October 1833 for "
MS. Found in a Bottle." The story brought him to the attention of
John P. Kennedy, a Baltimorian of considerable means. He helped Poe place some of his stories, and also introduced him to Thomas W. White, editor of the
Southern Literary Messenger in
Richmond. Poe became assistant editor of the periodical in July 1835. Within a few weeks, he was discharged after being found drunk repeatedly. Returning to Baltimore, he secretly married Virginia, his cousin, on
September 22,
1835. She was 13 at the time, though she is listed on the marriage certificate as being 21.
[28]


Virginia Poe, in a painting created after her death.
Reinstated by White after promising good behavior, Poe went back to Richmond with Virginia and her mother. He remained at the
Messenger until January 1837. During this period, its circulation increased from 700 to 3500.<ref name="hervey" /> He published several poems, book reviews, criticism, and stories in the paper. On May 16,
1836, he had a second marriage in Richmond with Virginia Clemm, this time in public.<ref name='Poe Museum' />
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym was published and widely reviewed in 1838. In the summer of 1839, Poe became assistant editor of
Burton's Gentleman's Magazine. He published a large number of articles, stories, and reviews, enhancing the reputation as a trenchant critic that he had established at the
Southern Literary Messenger. Also in 1839, the collection
Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque was published in two volumes. Though not a financial success, it was a milestone in the history of American literature, collecting such classic Poe tales as "
The Fall of the House of Usher," "
Berenice," "
Ligeia" and "
William Wilson." Poe left
Burton's after about a year and found a position as assistant at
Graham's Magazine.<ref name='Poe Museum' />
In June 1840, Poe published a prospectus announcing his intentions to start his own journal,
The Stylus.
[29] Originally, Poe intended to call the journal
The Penn, as it would have been based in
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. In the
June 6,
1840 issue of Philadelphia's
Saturday Evening Post, Poe purchased advertising space for his prospectus:
"Prospectus of the Penn Magazine, a Monthly Literary journal to be edited and published in the city of Philadelphia by Edgar A. Poe."[30] The journal would never be produced.
The evening of
January 20,
1842, Virginia broke a blood vessel while singing and playing the
piano. Blood began to rush forth from her mouth. It was the first sign of consumption, now more commonly known as
tuberculosis. She only partially recovered. Poe began to drink more heavily under the stress of Virginia's illness. He left
Graham's and attempted to find a new position, for a time angling for a government post. He returned to New York, where he worked briefly at the
Evening Mirror before becoming editor of the
Broadway Journal and, later, sole owner. There he became involved in a noisy public feud with
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. On
January 29,
1845, his poem "
The Raven" appeared in the
Evening Mirror and became a popular sensation, making Poe a household name almost instantly.
[31]


Poe's cottage in the Bronx
The
Broadway Journal failed in 1846. Poe moved to a cottage in the
Fordham section of
The Bronx, New York. He loved the
Jesuits at
Fordham University and frequently strolled about its campus conversing with both students and faculty.
Fordham University's
bell tower even inspired him to write "
The Bells." The "Poe Cottage" is on the southeast corner of the
Grand Concourse and Kingsbridge Road. Virginia died there on
January 30,
1847.
[32]
Increasingly unstable after his wife's death, Poe attempted to court the poet
Sarah Helen Whitman, who lived in
Providence, Rhode Island. Their engagement failed, purportedly because of Poe's drinking and erratic behavior. However, there is also strong evidence that Whitman's mother intervened and did much to derail their relationship.
[33] He then returned to Richmond and resumed a relationship with a childhood sweetheart,
Sarah Elmira Royster.<ref name='Poe Museum' />
Death


Edgar Allan Poe's grave, Baltimore, MD.
On
October 3,
1849, Poe was found on the streets of Baltimore
delirious and "in great distress, and... in need of immediate assistance," according to the friend who found him, Dr. John E. Snodgrass. He was taken to the Washington College Hospital, where he died early on the morning of
October 7. Poe was never coherent long enough to explain how he came to be in his dire condition, and, oddly, was wearing clothes that were not his own. Poe is said to have repeatedly called out the name "Reynolds" on the night before his death. Some sources say Poe's final words were "Lord help my poor soul."
[34] Poe suffered from bouts of depression and madness, and he may have attempted suicide in 1848.
[35]
Poe finally died on Sunday,
October 7,
1849 at 5:00 in the morning.
[36] The precise cause of Poe's death remains a mystery.<ref name='Poe Museum' />
Griswold's "Memoir"
The day Edgar Allan Poe was buried, a long
obituary appeared in the
New York Tribune signed "Ludwig" which was soon published throughout the country. The piece began, "Edgar Allan Poe is dead. He died in Baltimore the day before yesterday. This announcement will startle many, but few will be grieved by it."
[37] "Ludwig" was soon identified as
Rufus Wilmot Griswold, a minor editor and anthologist who had borne a grudge against Poe since 1842. Griswold somehow became executor of Poe's literary estate and attempted to destroy his enemy's reputation after his death.
Rufus Griswold wrote a biographical "Memoir" of Poe, which he included in an 1850 volume of the collected works. Griswold depicted Poe as a depraved, drunk, drug-addled madman and included forged letters as evidence. Griswold's book was denounced by those who knew Poe well, but it became a popularly accepted one. This was due in part because it was the only full biography available and was widely reprinted, and in part because it seemed to accord with the narrative voice Poe used in much of his fiction.
[38]
The Poe Toaster
Adding to the mystery surrounding Poe's death, an unknown visitor affectionately referred to as the "Poe Toaster" has paid homage to Poe's grave every year since 1949. As the tradition has been carried on for over 50 years, it is likely that the "Poe Toaster" is actually several individuals; however, the tribute is always the same. Every January 19, in the early hours of the morning, the man makes a toast of
cognac to Poe's original grave marker and leaves three roses. Members of the Edgar Allan Poe Society in Baltimore have helped in protecting this tradition for decades. On
August 15,
2007, Sam Porpora, a former historian at the Westminster Church in Baltimore where Poe is buried, claimed that he had started the tradition in the 1960s. The claim that the tradition began in 1949, he said, was a hoax in order to raise money and enhance the profile of the church. His story has not been confirmed,
[39] and some details he has given to the press have been pointed out as factually inaccurate.
[40]
Literary and artistic theory


1860s portrait by Oscar Halling after an 1849 daguerreotype.
In his essay "
The Poetic Principle", Poe would argue that there is no such thing as a long poem, since the ultimate purpose of
art is
aesthetic, that is, its purpose is the effect it has on its audience, and this effect can only be maintained for a brief period of time (the time it takes to read a lyric poem, or watch a drama performed, or view a painting, etc.). He argued that an
epic, if it has any value at all, must be actually a series of smaller pieces, each geared towards a single effect or sentiment, which "elevates the soul".
Poe associated the aesthetic aspect of art with pure ideality claiming that the mood or sentiment created by a work of art elevates the soul, and is thus a spiritual experience. In many of his short stories, artistically inclined characters (especially Roderick Usher from "
The Fall of the House of Usher") are able to achieve this ideal aesthetic through
fixation, and often exhibit obsessive personalities and reclusive tendencies. "
The Oval Portrait" also examines fixation, but in this case the object of fixation is itself a work of art.
He championed
art for art's sake (before the term itself was coined). He was consequentially an opponent of
didacticism, arguing in his literary criticisms that the role of
moral or
ethical instruction lies outside the realm of poetry and art, which should only focus on the production of a beautiful work of art. He criticized
James Russell Lowell in a review for being excessively didactic and moralistic in his writings, and argued often that a poem should be written "for a poem's sake". Since a poem's purpose is to convey a single aesthetic experience, Poe argues in his literary theory essay "
The Philosophy of Composition", the ending should be written first. Poe's inspiration for this theory was
Charles Dickens, who wrote to Poe in a letter dated
March 6,
1842,
- Apropos of the "construction" of "Caleb Williams," do you know that Godwin wrote it backwards, — the last volume first, — and that when he had produced the hunting down of Caleb, and the catastrophe, he waited for months, casting about for a means of accounting for what he had done?[41]
Poe refers to the letter in his essay. Dickens's literary influence on Poe can also be seen in Poe's short story "
The Man of the Crowd." Its depictions of urban blight owe much to Dickens and in many places purposefully echo Dickens's language.
[42]
He was a proponent and supporter of
magazine literature, and felt that short stories, or "tales" as they were called in the early nineteenth century, which were usually considered "vulgar" or "low art" along with the magazines that published them, were legitimate art forms on par with the novel or epic poem. His insistence on the artistic value of the short story was influential in the short story's rise to prominence in later generations.
Poe often included elements of popular
pseudosciences such as
phrenology[43] and
physiognomy[44] in his fiction.
Poe also focused the theme of each of his short stories on one human characteristic. In "
The Tell-Tale Heart", he focused on
guilt, in "
The Fall of the House of Usher", his focus was
fear, etc.
Much of Poe's work was
allegorical, but his position on allegory was a nuanced one: "In defence of allegory, (however, or for whatever object, employed,) there is scarcely one respectable word to be said. Its best appeals are made to the fancy — that is to say, to our sense of adaptation, not of matters proper, but of matters improper for the purpose, of the real with the unreal; having never more of intelligible connection than has something with nothing, never half so much of effective affinity as has the substance for the shadow."
[45] In his criticism, Poe said that meaning in literature should be an undercurrent just beneath the surface and that works whose meanings are too obvious cease to be art.
[46][46]
Legacy
Literary influence
Poe's work has inspired literature not only in the United States but throughout the world.
France in particular ranks Poe very highly, in part due to early translations by
Charles Baudelaire.
Poe's early
detective fiction tales starring the fictitious
C. Auguste Dupin laid the groundwork for future detectives in literature. Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle said, "Each [of Poe's detective stories] is a root from which a whole literature has developed.... Where was the detective story until Poe breathed the breath of life into it?"
[47] The
Mystery Writers of America have named their awards for excellence in the genre the "
Edgars." Poe's work also influenced
science fiction, notably
Jules Verne who wrote a sequel to Poe's novel
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket called
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym, Le sphinx des glaces.
[48] Science fiction author
H. G. Wells noted that "
Pym tells what a very intelligent mind could imagine about the south polar region a century ago".
[49]
Even so, Poe has not received only praise.
William Butler Yeats was generally critical of Poe, calling him "vulgar."
[50] Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson reacted to "The Raven" by saying, "I see nothing in it."
[51] Aldous Huxley wrote that Poe's writing was the equivalent of wearing a diamond ring on every finger and that his poetry tried to be "too poetical" and "falls into vulgarity."
[52]
Physics and cosmology
Eureka, an essay written in 1848, included a cosmological theory that anticipated
black holes[53][54] and the
big bang theory by 80 years, as well as the first plausible solution to
Olbers' paradox.
[55] Though described as a "
prose poem" by Poe, who wished it to be considered as art, this work is a remarkable scientific and mystical essay unlike any of his other works. He wrote that he considered
Eureka to be his career masterpiece.
[56]
Poe eschewed the scientific method in his
Eureka. He argued that he wrote from pure
intuition, not the
Aristotelian a priori method of
axioms and
syllogisms, nor the
empirical method of modern science set forth by
Francis Bacon. For this reason, he considered it a work of art, not science, but insisted that it was still true. Though some of his assertions have later proven to be false (such as his assertion that gravity must be the strongest
force—it is actually the
weakest), others have been shown to be surprisingly accurate and decades ahead of their time.
Cryptography
Poe had a keen interest in the field of
cryptography. He had placed a notice of his abilities in the
Philadelphia paper
Alexander's Weekly (Express) Messenger, inviting submissions of ciphers, which he proceeded to solve.
[57] In July 1841, Poe had published an essay called "Some Words on Secret Writing" in
Graham's Magazine. Realizing the public interest in the topic, he wrote "
The Gold-Bug" incorporating ciphers as part of the story.
[58]
Poe's success in cryptography relied not so much on his knowledge of that field (his method was limited to the simple substitution cryptogram), as on his knowledge of the magazine and newspaper culture. His keen analytical abilities, which were so evident in his detective stories, allowed him to see that the general public was largely ignorant of the methods by which a simple substitution cryptogram can be solved, and he used this to his advantage.
[59] The sensation Poe created with his cryptography stunt played a major role in popularizing cryptograms in newspapers and magazines.
[60]
Poe had a long-standing influence on cryptography beyond public interest in his lifetime.
William Friedman, America's foremost cryptologist, was heavily influenced by Poe.
[61] Friedman's initial interest in cryptography came from reading "The Gold-Bug" as a child - interest he later put to use in deciphering
Japan's
PURPLE code during
World War II.
[62]
Imitators
"For my soul from out that shadow
Hath been lifted evermore—
From that deep and dismal shadow,
In the streets of Baltimore! |
| — Lizzie Doten, "Streets of Baltimore", from Poems from the Inner Life, imitating "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe."[63] |
Like many famous artists, Poe's works have spawned legions of imitators and
plagiarists.
[64] One interesting trend among imitators of Poe, however, has been claims by
clairvoyants or
psychics to be "channelling" poems from Poe's spirit beyond the grave. One of the most notable of these was Lizzie Doten, who in 1863 published
Poems from the Inner Life, in which she claimed to have "received" new compositions by Poe's spirit. The compositions were re-workings of famous Poe poems such as "
The Bells", but which reflected a new, positive outlook.
[65]
Poe as a character
The historical Edgar Allan Poe has appeared as a fictionalized character, often representing the "mad genius" or "tormented artist" and exploiting his personal struggles.
[66] Many such depictions also blend in with characters from his stories, suggesting Poe and his characters share identities.
[67] Often, fictional depictions of Poe utilize his mystery-solving skills in such novels as
The Poe Shadow by
Matthew Pearl.
[68]
Preserved homes, landmarks, and museums


The Poe National Historic Site in Philadelphia.
No childhood home of Poe is still standing, including the Allan family's Moldavia estate. However, the oldest standing home in Richmond, the Old Stone House, is in use as the
Edgar Allan Poe Museum, though Poe never lived there. The collection includes many items Poe used during his time with the Allan family and also features several rare first printings of Poe works. The dorm room Poe is believed to have used while studying at the University of Virginia in 1826 is preserved and available for visits. Its upkeep is now overseen by a group of students and staff known as the
Raven Society.
[69]
The earliest surviving home in which Poe lived is in Baltimore, preserved as the
Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum. Poe is believed to have lived in the home at the age of 23 when he first lived with Maria Clemm and Virginia (as well as his grandmother and possibly his brother William Henry Leonard Poe). It is open to the public and is also the home of the Edgar Allan Poe Society. Of the several homes that Poe, his wife Virginia, and his mother-in-law Maria rented in Philadelphia, only the last house has survived. The Spring Garden home, where the author lived in 1843-44, is today preserved by the
National Park Service as the
Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site. Poe's final home is preserved as the Poe Cottage in the Bronx, New York.
[71][72]
Other Poe landmarks include a building in the
Upper West Side where Poe temporarily lived when he first moved to New York. A plaque suggests that Poe wrote "The Raven" here. In Boston, a plaque hangs near the building where Poe was born once stood. Believed to have been located at 62 Carver Street (now Charles Street), the plaque is possibly in an incorrect location.
[73][74] The bar in which Poe was last seen drinking before his death still stands in
Fells Point in Baltimore, Maryland. Though the name has changed and it is now known as The Horse You Came In On, local lore insists that a ghost they call "Edgar" haunts the rooms above.
[75]
Selected bibliography
See also
References
Notes
1.
^ Stableford, Brian. "Science fiction before the genre."
The Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction, edited by Edward James and Farah Mendlesohn. Cambridge: Cambridge University of Press, 2003. pp 18-19.
2.
^ Meyers, Jeffrey.
Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy. Cooper Square Press, 1992. p. 256
3.
^ Allen, Hervey. Introduction to
The Works of Edgar Allan Poe, P. F. Collier & Son, New York, 1927.
4.
^ Poe Chronology. Retrieved on 2007-06-03.
5.
^ Meyers, Jeffrey.
Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy. Cooper Square Press, 1992. p. 8
6.
^ "Poe's Middle Name". Retrieved on 2007-06-03.
7.
^ Meyers, Jeffrey.
Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy. Cooper Square Press, 1992. p. 9
8.
^ Silverman, Kenneth.
Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance. Harper Perennial, 1991. p. 16-8
9.
^ Silverman, Kenneth.
Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance. Harper Perennial, 1991. p. 27-8
10.
^ Silverman, Kenneth.
Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance. Harper Perennial, 1991. p. 29-30
11.
^ Meyers, Jeffrey.
Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy. Cooper Square Press, 1992. p. 21-2
12.
^ Silverman, Kenneth.
Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance. Harper Perennial, 1991. 32-4
13.
^ Meyers, Jeffrey.
Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy. Cooper Square Press, 1992. p. 32
14.
^ Silverman, Kenneth.
Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance. Harper Perennial, 1991. p. 41
15.
^ Cornelius, Kay. "Biography of Edgar Allan Poe" in
Bloom's BioCritiques: Edgar Allan Poe, Harold Bloom, ed. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2002. p. 13 ISBN 0791061736
16.
^ Meyers, Jeffrey.
Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy. Cooper Square Press, 1992. p. 32
17.
^ Meyers, Jeffrey.
Edgar Allan Poe: HIs Life and Legacy. Cooper Square Press, 1992. p. 33-4
18.
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Poe Fan Takes Credit for Grave Legend,"
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Dickens and Poe: Pickwick and "Ligeia".
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General references
- Edgar Allan Poe: Poetry and Tales (Patrick F. Quinn, ed.) (Library of America, 1984) ISBN 9780940450189
- Edgar Allan Poe: Essays and Reviews (G.R. Thompson, ed.) (Library of America, 1984) ISBN 9780940450196
- Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe, Walter J. Black Inc, New York, (1927).
- Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography, Arthur Hobson Quinn, New York, Appleton-Century-Crofts, Inc, (1941). ISBN 0801857309
- Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe, three volumes (I and II Tales and Sketches, III Poems), edited by Thomas Ollive Mabbott, The Belknap Press Of Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, London, England, (1978).
- The Unknown Poe, edited by Raymond Foye. City Lights, San Francisco, CA. Prefaces, Copyright by Raymond Foye, (1980).
- Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance by Kenneth Silverman. Harper Perennial, New York, NY, (1991).
- The Poe Encyclopedia by Frederick S. Frank and Anthony Magistrale. Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut and London, England, (1997). ISBN 0313277680
- The Classics of Style, by Edgar Allan Poe, et al., The American Academic Press, (2006). ISBN 0978728203
External links
About Poe
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Born: April 9, 1821
Paris, France
Died: July 31 1867 (aged 46)
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Writing period: 1844–1866
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