Edgar Allan Poe - (1809-1849)
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Chilhowie High School, Virginia
Read another essay on Poe by New York City students
Andrew Michaelson and Ellis Rosen or by Pennsylvania student Maurice Barnes.I. Biography
Edgar Allan Poe's odd life begins with his birth on January 19th, 1809 to the actor David Poe, and the actress Elizabeth Arnold Poe. The best way to begin the story of his life would be to have a bit of understanding about his parents.
His father, David, was a member of a band of traveling actors
known as the "Charleston Players". He toured around until he met Elizabeth Arnold, whom he married. Elizabeth was also in the theater business. A young, talented actress, she had been
married to an actor by the name of Hopkins before she met David. Unfortunately, Elizabeth was suffering from tuberculosis, which was known as "consumption" at this time. Her having children
only accelerated her condition. She stayed in pretty good health after her first child, William Henry Leonard, but she started to turn for the worse after Edgar's birth. By the time that her third
child, Rosalie, was born, she was in poor health.
No one knows what happened, but during a show in 1810 Poe's father David disappeared. Mrs. Poe and the children then rented a room from a Mrs. Phillips. By this time Elizabeth was in such poor health that she often had to skip plays. It was in this rooming house that Edgar met Mrs. Allan, who would later become his foster mother. Mrs. Allan and a Mrs. Mackenzie helped Elizabeth as much as they could. They even wrote an announcement in the newspaper asking for people to help Elizabeth's situation. All this was in vain, because on December 8, 1811, she died.
After Elizabeth's death the Allan family took in Edgar. John Allan was a Scotch merchant. He was fairly wealthy and had servants to help around the house. John and Frances sent Edgar to school before he was six. He also went to school when the Allan family went to England. John knew that they were going to be there for a long time so he sold the house in America. On Poe's return to New York in 1820, he found himself falling in love with his friend's mother, Jane Stanard. When she died in 1824, he wrote the poem "To Helen".
Poe joined the University of Virginia in 1826. Here he was a very good student who was skilled both athletically and academically. He also had his first experience with the military, as he enrolled in a course in military drill. Edgar had only one difficulty with college life. John Allan was not supplying enough money for Edgar to maintain his position as a student. John would send only small amounts of money and would tell Edgar to be careful not to spend it all. All the pressure of the money problems led to Edgar's experimentation with gambling. He was so enthralled with gambling that he paid no attention to how much he was spending. He drank and gambled his way $2,000 in debt, which John Allan would not pay. This led to Edgar having to leave the school in 1826.
On his return to the Allan home, he found John to be fairly upset with him about everything that had happened, but Frances was happy to see him again. Things stayed pretty stormy between John and Edgar, until March of 1827 when Edgar decided to go off on his own. He left on bad terms and had no money even for food, and John would not send him any. With no answer from John, Edgar went back to Boston where he published his first work entitled Tamerlane and Other Poems. The book was signed by "a Bostonian", Poe's way of remaining anonymous. This book didn't gain much attention and made Poe very little money. Although it had a poor following in his day, that very same book sells for almost $200,000 today, with only a very few copies remaining. Having no luck in attaining funds through the publishing of his book, Poe decided to join the Army.
Poe's Grandfather had been very successful in the army, so Edgar was a natural. He was very successful in his position as a soldier, but he soon tired of the repetitive nature of the military life. He gained the highest title that could be given to a soldier of his type, that of Sergeant Major. While in the army, his beloved "Ma" passed away in Richmond in 1829. He quit the army and ended up moving in with his Aunt, Maria Clemm.
Maria Clemm was a very nice woman. She had very little money and really couldn't afford to lodge Edgar, but she was too nice to turn him away. She had a daughter by the name of Virginia, whom Edgar would grow to love and marry. During this time, Poe published his second book of works, Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems. This book got him some public notice for the first time. After publishing this work, he made his way to the West Point military academy in New York where he passed his entrance exams and became a cadet. During this time his foster father John Allan was seeing Miss Louisa Gabriella Patterson and announced their engagement. This enraged Edgar; he didn't want another "Mother". Edgar had the same problems at West Point as he had at the University of Virginia. John was not giving him enough money to survive on and he had to find other ways to finance himself. This led, once again, to Edgar having problems with alcohol. Poe eventually tired of West Point, but John Allan wouldn't give him permission to leave, so he just started making trouble. He acted up and skipped classes until he was court martialed in 1831, releasing him from the school.
Edgar, Virginia, and Maria went to talk to John Allan but were ejected from the house. Since John and Edgar were still having problems, when John died in 1834, Edgar's name was not mentioned in the will due to the bad relationship with John. Now with no more John Allan, Edgar and his new "family" went on to Baltimore. While there, Poe was married to his first cousin Virginia. She was only thirteen and he was twenty-seven, so they told everyone that she was twenty-one.
Things turned completely upside down when poor Virginia died of "consumption" in 1847. Her death led Edgar into a tailspin of drinking and erratic writing. He was never the same. He continued writing until, in 1849, he was found lying unconscious in a street in Baltimore. He was taken to the hospital, but he passed away some time later. The man whom he had assigned to be his biographer, Rufus W. Griswold, turned out to be a secret enemy of his, and he wrote terrible things about Poe after his death.
To this day, Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most famous writers in history. Though he had it tough while he was alive, he is recognized as a true genius, but was just overlooked by his peers.
II. Richmond
Richmond is the capital of Virginia. It was incorporated as a city in 1842. It was also home to Edgar Allan Poe, one of the most famous literary figures in history. The city has taken a very important role in many major events in US history. It has been the capital and main center for the Confederacy. Today, it is a bustling city with about 200,000 occupants. It is a hub for entertainment and politics for the entire eastern half of Virginia.
You can find a map of Richmond at
http://msn.encarta.comIII. List of Works
1827 1829 1830 1831 1834 1835 1837 1839 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 IV. Summaries
"The Cask of the Amontillado" This story was one of Poe's most famous works. It involves all the different elements that made Poe's works memorable such as dark places and feelings of dread. The story involves
the deception of Fortunato by his friend the Montresor. Fortunato goes to the carnival to meet his associate Luchresi for wine tasting. Montresor convinces Fortunato to come with
him into the catacombs to sample some Amontillado, a very fine wine. Fortunato quickly forgets about his meeting with Luchresi and ventures into the cold catacombs. Montresor
notices that Fortunato has a cold so Montresor convinces him that he should have a drink to keep warm. Fortunato considered this to be a thoughtful gesture, when in all actuality
Montresor was just trying to get him intoxicated so that he will be unaware of his situation. When Montresor and Fortunato finally get to a dead end, Montresor chains Fortunato to
the wall. Before Fortunato has an opportunity to react, he is already being sealed into the wall of the catacombs. Montresor puts brick across the opening of the niche that contains
Fortunato, but hesitates when he hears Fortunato laughing. Fortunato thinks that Montresor is joking. Montresor continues building until there is but one layer of brick
needed to finish his job, when he calls to Fortunato. He gets no answer, so he finishes the wall. The story finishes with Montresor stating that all of these things happened fifty-years ago.
During all of that time no one has found out about it. He finishes his tale with the proclamation "In Pace Requiescat" (Rest In Peace) "The Raven" "The Masque Of The Red Death" This story is about one Prince's attempt to use his power to rise above the horrible plague
that is devastating the land around him. This story shows us that no matter what kind of power you have, you are still susceptible to nature's wrath.
Prince Prospero got the idea to gather a group of his close friends. They all go into hiding in one of the Prince's isolated castles in an attempt to spare themselves from the
plague-riddled cities and villages. He has brought enough food to last his guests and himself for a very long time. When all of the people are in the castle, the Prince gives strict
orders to his guards that no one is to leave or enter at any time. All of this works out for a while, when one day it is rumored that there is someone new in
the castle. The Prince wants to find out who it is so he arranges for a great dance that everyone is supposed to attend. During the dance, the new figure enters the hall and
begins moving from group to group. He is wearing a mask, which looks like the corpse of someone who has died of the plague. The Prince deems this as being blasphemous and
commands his subjects to seize the figure and take his mask off. No one is willing to do this so the Prince takes matters into his own hands and proceeds to approach the figure.
When he attempts to remove the mask he is instantly killed. The people are horrified as they realize that this is the Red Death who has entered their sanctuary. One by one the
rest of the people die until the Red Death has conquered them all. "Annabel Lee" This is a poem about a man and his love, Annabel Lee. They had a love that was so
wonderful that even the angels in Heaven envied them. The speaker believes that this is the reason that a cold wind blew upon his Annabel Lee. That wind chilled her and this led
to her death. The speaker believes that even after death his Annabel Lee still watches over him. "Eldorado"
This poem is about a knight who searches for a place called Eldorado. He searches until he so old that he can't search anymore, but he still can't find it. Then he meets a shadow that
tells him that Eldorado is "over the mountains of the moon, and down the Valley of Shadow". V. Quotes
"And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all." "In Pace Requiescat" "Quoth the Raven, NEVERMORE" "...the wind came out of a cloud, chilling and killing my Annabel Lee." "...it was the beating of his hideous heart!"
"... Ride boldly ride.' The Shade replied, -'if you seek for Eldorado!'" "... sat the hideous beast whose craft had seduced me into murder, and whose informing
voice had consigned me to the hangman. I had walled the monster up in the tomb!"
"... there was a long tumultuous shouting sound like the voice of a thousand waters- and the deep and dank tarn at my feet closed sullenly and silently over the fragments of the House of Usher." "... and amid a roaring, and bellowing, and shrieking of ocean and of tempest, the ship is quivering, of God! And going down." "... where lay the corpse of the old lady, with her throat so entirely cut that, upon an attempt to raise her, the head fell off." "Down--steadily down it crept. I took a frenzied pleasure in contrasting its downward with its lateral velocity." VI. Links
VII. Bibliography Bonaparte, Marie, Princess. The Life and Works of Edgar Allan Poe, a psycho-analytical interpretation. Forward by Sigmund Freud. Trans.by John Rodker. London: Imago
Publishing Company, 1949. The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore, INC. "The Works of Edgar Allan Poe." The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore. May 1, 1997.
Poe, Edgar Allan. The Best Tales of Edgar Allan Poe New York, 1941. poe, Edgar Allan. The Fall of the House of Usher and other Tales of Horror. New Jersey, 1976.
Poe, Edgar Allan. The Murders in the Rue Morgue and the Gold Bug. 1977. The Poe Museum. "Selected Works From Poe" 1997. VIII. Photos
"A Dream"
"A Dream Within a Dream"
"Dreams"
"Evening Star"
"The Happiest Day, The Happiest Hour"
"The Lake To---"
"Song"
"Spirits of the Dead"
"Stanzas"
"Tamerlane"
"Al Aaraaf"
"To the River--"
"Romance"
"Sonnet to Science"
"To ----"
"Alone"
"To M --"
"To ---"
"The City in the Sea"
"The Valley of Unrest"
"Israfel"
"Lenore"
"The Sleeper"
"To One in Paradise"
"Hymn"
"To F--"
"To F--S S. O-D"
"Bridal Ballad"
"Ballad To Zante"
"The Haunted Palace"
"The Murders in the Rue Morgue"
"The Masque of the Red Death"
"The Pit and the Pendulum"
"The Conqueror Worm"
"The Gold Bug"
"The Black Cat"
"The Tell-Tale Heart"
"Dreamland"
"Eulalie"
"The Raven"
"A Valentine"
"The Cask of the Amontillado"
"To M.L.S."
"Ulalume"
"An Enigma"
"Annabel Lee"
"The Bells"
"Eldorado"
"Fairy Land"
"For Annie"
"To My Mother"
"The Raven" is the story of a lovelorn man who is spending his long night without his love by reading a book of
forgotten lore. It is really late at night and the fire is just about to go out when he hears a slight tapping at his chamber door. He thinks that it is just a late night visitor and
nothing more. He goes to see who it is, but when he opens the door there is no one there. He thinks that it may be the spirit of his lost love, Lenore. He goes back in and begins
reading again when he hears the tapping again. This time he goes to the window. When he opens it, a raven flies in and lands on the man's bust of Pallas Athena, the Goddess of
Wisdom. The man begins questioning the bird, but the only things that the bird will do are look at him and say "Nevermore". The man sees this as a sign that he will never be happy again without his Lenore.
"The Masque of the Red Death"
(Rest in Peace)
"The Cask Of The Amontillado"
"The Raven"
"Annabel Lee"
"The Tell-Tale Heart"
"Eldorado"
"The Black Cat"
"The Fall Of The House Of Usher"
"M.S. Found In A Bottle"
"The Murders In The Rue Morgue"
"The Pit and the Pendulum"
http://www.eapoe.org (14 March 2001).
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This is a really cool gray-scale picture that I found at The E.A. Poe Society of Baltimore's website. |
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This is what Poe's house may have looked like in 1833. |
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This is how the same house looks today. |
This essay was submitted by Wes Martin, a student in Jean Hamm's Dual Credit English class at Chilhowie High School, Chilhowie Virginia.