Edgar Allan Poe Essay

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Edgar Allan Poe An eerie feeling comes to mind when you hear the name Poe. The detail that he puts in his works are so realistic that you think he would be serving multiple life sentences in a maximum security prison. Some of his works include, the Raven and the Tell Tale Heart. The football team named the Baltimore Ravens adopted the name to instill a sense of fear into their opponents as he instilled in his readers. Edgar Allan Poe’s writing style has been attempted by many, but no one has ever paralleled him due to the fact that he had serious issues like being a major drug addict and his family was very nonexistent and abusive. Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809. His parents were and David Poe, Jr. and Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins. When Poe was 3, both of his parents perished. Edgar then went on to live in with John Allan, a rich tradesman, in Richmond, Virginia, while his siblings went on to live with other families. In his younger years, the Allans treated him as their own, sending him to a private school. But when Edgar grew into adolescence, trouble arose between Poe and John Allan. The trouble began when Poe wanted to pursue his literary aspirations. Poe then enrolled into the University of Virginia, but soon enlisted into the army after not getting financial support from Allan. In two years, Poe became a sergeant major. Then Poe enrolled in West Point. Before recruiting, Poe had published a volume of poetry, Tamerlane and Other Poems. After his army time and while a student at West Point, he published a second volume: Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems, whi... ... middle of paper ... ... surrounded his potentially adulterous relations with Frances Sargent Osgood, Virginia's health was decreasing due to tuberculosis, leading Poe to seek refuge in increased drinking. Although he briefly held a job with Godey's Lady Book, he was incapable of maintaining a steady job and could not afford enough food for his family. Virginia died on January 30, 1847, causing the further deterioration of Poe's mental health. Poe's violent mood swings became common as drugs and alcohol wore away at his body and mind, although he continued to publish works such as Eureka. He made an attempt at rehabilitation, and he traveled to Richmond in 1849 to court a former friend, Mrs. Shelton. Unfortunately, soon after their engagement, Poe was found in a stupor on a Baltimore street and was taken to a nearby hospital. Four days later, on Sunday, October 7, he died at the age of 40.

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