Edgar Allan Poe has experienced quite an unusual life: destined for most of his living years

to an apparent failure, his inventiveness and way ahead of his time work made him the
leader of what one would call gothic fiction. But his unique style of writing didn’t come out of
nowhere: because of all the adventures he has lived, from an elite upper-class to a
miserable life, all peppers with difficult sentimental loss has made him who he was. So let
me tell you the whole story…

From the very beginning, his life has always been complicated: Edgar Allan, born on January
19th, 1809, was the son of two traveling actors, Eliza and David Poe. But unfortunately for
him, he is quickly left with no family: his father leaves the family, and his mother dies shortly
after of tuberculosis. Let with his siblings in the city of Richmond, he gets taken by a rich
couple of Richmond, and takes their family name. However, even if he has quite a luxurious
lifestyle, he experiences a lot of conflicts with his adoptive father, who gives him a very
aggressive education.

At the age of 17, Edgar Allan Poe travels to the University of Virginia, but things don't really
go as planned: he doesn’t have enough money to pay the school, and gets in debt because
of gambling. He then decides to travel to Boston, where he works in small jobs as a
newspaper writer. He also notably publishes his first poetry book under the pseudonym “A
Bostonian”, but the book receives virtually no attention.

After a stay in the army, he moves again to Baltimore with some members of his adoptive
family, and quits poetry for short stories: that is when he publishes what is today considered
as his first horror story, “Metzengerstein”, followed by many others. His stories are quite a
success, as he gets offered a job for a newspaper called the “Messenger”.

But as he (again) gets in conflict with his editor, he starts to drink a lot. But meanwhile, he
gets married to his cousin Virginia, who has a stabilizing effect on him: historical documents
report that he was much happier for the next four years. This is the climax of his writing
career, as he writes many of his well-known classics: “The Tell-Tale Heart”, the “Masque of
the Red Death”, “The Raven”, to name a few.

But just when things started to go well, his wife dies in 1847. More than a wife, she was
Poe’s emotional support, and the writer never recovers from the loss. He returns to
Richmond, the city of his childhood, and starts a new romance with Elmira Royster Shelton,
the one who married another man while he was at the university of Virginia.

His health started to get worse in 1849: he is found drunk and delirious, and is taken to the
Washington University Hospital. He stays in a weird state for the next 4 days: sometimes
being alert, sometimes screaming at nothing and no one… before dying on October 7th,
1849.

The doctor labeled his cause of death as “phrenitis” (inflammation of the brain) which was
commonly used when the true cause of death was unknown. Because of these mysterious
circumstances, and the persona of Poe, there is much speculation about the true manner of
his death. Even in death, Edgar Allan Poe created a mystery that would live on forever.
 - left with no parents: father left family one year after he was born, letting the mother
on her own, who died of tuberculosis in 1811
- left in Richmond, Edgar gets taken by a rich couple of Richmond, that’s when he gets
his name “Allan”
- however lots of conflict with his adoptive father: aggressive discipline + never
officially adopted
- but he gets to enjoy the life of the elite upper-class
- he goes to London for a while but ultimately returns with the Allan in 1820 (11 y/o)

- at the age of 17, travels to the University of Virginia, but doesn’t have enough money
and create a debt because of gambling: quickly returned to Richmond a few months
later and tensions with his father arose even more, even worse bc his future wife
Elmira had become engaged to someone else
- so he goes to Boston, work for small jobs as a newspaper writer, and publishes his
first poetry book under the pseudonym “A Bostonian” (but only 50 copies printed,
received no intention)

- he moves to Baltimore with some members of his native family (aunt, brother,
grandmother..) for 4 years
- but he quits poesy to start to write short stories: publishes “Metzengerstein”,
considered his first horror story, and “Berenice” in “Southern Literary Messenger”,
and gets some attention, gets offered a job on the “Messenger”

- but he and his editor start to have issue: he starts to drink (a lot)
- gets married with his cousin (yup that’s weird), lives with her an his mom Maria:
stabilizing effect, he seemed much happier
- he moves in 1837 to Philadelphia, and writes many of his well-known classics “The
Tell-Tale Heart”, the “Masque of the Red Death”, “The Raven”
- he has some success, and is the first American writer who gets to live completely on
his writing revenues (even though he has probes sustaining himself and his family)

- but unfortunately, his emotional support, his wife, dies in 1847

- does not recover so returns to the city of his childhood, Richmond
- he start a new romance with Elmira Royster Shelton, the one who married another
man while he was at the university of Virginia

- his health started to get worse in 1849: found drunk, delirious, taken to Washington
University Hospital
- weird state for the next 4 days: sometimes being alert, sometimes screaming at
nothing and no one

Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7th, 1849. The doctor labeled his cause of death as
“phrenitis” (inflammation of the brain) which was commonly used when the true cause of
death was unknown. Because of these mysterious circumstances, and the persona of Poe,
there is much speculation about the true manner of his death. Even in death, Edgar Allan
Poe created a mystery that would live on forever.