Who Was Responsible For Edgar Allan Poe's Death

In the world of writing, Edgar Allan Poe has been remembered by many historians to be one of the first American writers to have a lasting impact on world literature. He was remembered by the French Symbolists at the time as a “Literary Precursor”, and is known for his dark and mysterious poems. However, one of the great mysteries that still lies within Edgar Allan Poe's life is his death, as nobody knows how he really died. Struggling through lifelong depression, Edgar Allan Poe died in 1849, but prior to his passing, laid the groundwork for a new genre of writing (“Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore”; “Edgar Allan Poe”). While many historians agree that Poe's death was intriguing, many agree that Poe's life was as well (Thomas; Pullman

Edgar Allan Poe was also ignored by his father after he dropped out of college. When Poe asked his father for financial support, no help came. And when John Allan died, Poe was not mentioned in his will. To help allay his debts, Poe became an editor for the “Southern Literary Messenger”. Poe quickly became a sensation and increased the circulation for the paper by six times, but he did not get a raise so he continued to struggle in poverty ("A Short

However, as stated before, Edgar Allan Poe's cause of death is enigmatic. According to Joseph Walker, a passerby that happened to find Poe, Poe was found next to a tavern “in great distress” and “in need of immediate attention”. Poe was quickly sent to a hospital where his doctor wrote that he had lesions on his brain, fever, and occasional spasms. Poe's spasms bring up the theory of rabies, but this is quickly brought down because Poe did not have hydrophobia (“Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore; “Edgar Allan Poe”). Also, because Edgar Allan Poe was a heavy alcohol user, he may have died of alcohol poisoning. Poe's location next to a tavern supports this theory, however, there was no sclerosis on the liver nor did his breath smell like liquor according to his doctor. Alas, Edgar Allan Poe may have been beaten to death by gangs. Poe was next to a tavern that, at the time, was a popular place to hold election polls. Fanatic gangs roamed around these election polls, searching for people to vote at the polls repeatedly, pushing them with physical force and liquor. If Poe encountered one of these gangs, he might not have been able to withstand the pressure forced upon him. However, Poe had a cane with him that was valuable for his income. Had he really encountered one of these gangs, he would have been robbed, but he wasn't. So that theory is also brought down. No other theories have been formed, but the mystery