Edgar Allan Poe Throughout His Life example essay topic

Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and "The Raven" Edgar Allan Poe is considered to be the father of the short story by many. Over the course of his life, he wrote hundreds of short stories and poems. His writing style is unique and influenced by the tragedies that occurred over the course of his life. In fact, he is most well known for writing morbid stories and gruesome, dismal poems. Indeed his writing habits were heavily influenced by his life. His life was full of depression, angst, and woe.

Many of the people he cared for fell victim to deadly plagues and diseases. To cope with this pain, Edgar Allan Poe sought comfort in the bottom of a bottle. In his times of depression he would drink heavily and become sick for days at a time. In between his fits of alcoholism and depression, he wrote. When he wrote, he wrote well. Edgar Allan Poe led a life full of tragedy and troubled times.

Although he kept an air of dignity and pride around him, he often felt very lonely and depressed. This feeling of desperation greatly influenced his unique and often morbid writing style. Edgar Allan Poe had very humble beginnings. Within the first three years of his life, he lost both of his parents and was separated from his siblings. Edgar Allan Poe's parents had a background that can be credited for his imagination and love of writing poems and short stories. His parents, David and Elizabeth Poe, were both actors and stage performers.

Although poor, David and Elizabeth were well known on the stage, and played as important characters in assorted plays including comedies and Shakespearean dramas. David Poe preferred to take on minor roles in plays, but was credited by critics as good nonetheless. Elizabeth scored many lead actress roles, but still the two only had enough money to live poorly. They were too poor to care for their firstborn son, William Henry Poe, and had to send him off to his grandparents who were to care for him. On January 19, 1809, Edgar Poe was born.

Edgar's father was suffering heavily from alcoholism, and eventually left Elizabeth to care for her son alone. Elizabeth, however, was showing signs of tuberculosis and was pregnant with a third child. She was struggling to support her family by playing various theatrical roles for money. Soon she was too weak to continue acting.

The owner of the theater company she worked for placed adds in newspapers to raise money for the Poe. Unfortunately, on December 11, 1811, Elizabeth Poe died of tuberculosis at the very young age of twenty-four, leaving her two children, Edgar and Rosalie alone. Edgar Poe was almost three years old at the time of his mother's death. His mother had hopes of her children being cared for by their uncle, but that did not happen. Instead, Edgar was adopted by Frances Allan. Frances was a friend of Elizabeth Poe and frequently visited her family knowing that Elizabeth was going to pass away soon, and provided them with money, food, and toys for the children.

Edgar Poe was now living in a world totally new to him. Instead of musty rented rooms and sickly mother, he now was living with a well-to-do Virginian merchant and his family. The Allans lived in large house that sat on top of John Allan's shop. Edgar was treated as a son by the Allans and he referred to John Allan as "Pa" and Frances Allan as "Mama" (Le Vert 30). During his childhood with the Allans, Poe was badly spoiled by Frances Allan. John Allan however was not as openly affectionate with his adopted son.

He did nonetheless want the best for him, and spared no expense when it came to sending Edgar to school. At age four, he was enrolled by John in a dame school to learn to read and write. Suzanne Le Vert wrote, "By the time he was six, Edgar was proficient in reading, drawing, and ballroom dancing" (Le Vert 30). This only proves that John Allan did care for Poe and wanted only the best for him. Despite his academic accomplishments, John was still very strict with Poe. Poe's attitude was very outgoing and mischievous, and he liked to play practical jokes.

John, however, was rarely amused by Poe's antics, but on the occasion was charmed by the speech craft of the youngster. John's strict ways were quoted as "a counterbalance to his wife's overindulgence" (Le Vert 30). Troubled times were about to hit the Allan household. After the war of 1812, the United States and Great Britain became unstable trading partners. Businesses like John Allan's depended on imported goods from Europe. In order to try and save his business, John had to travel to Europe and try to re-establish key ties to business partners, so that the Allan's business could once again flourish.

In June of 1815, Edgar Poe and the Allans left for the British Isles. After a month long boat trip, they arrived in Liverpool. Only staying for a week, they left to stay at John Allan's relatives in Scotland for several months. The Allans eventually left their relatives and found a small house to stay in while John conducted business. Once again, John Allan spared no expense in sending Edgar, now eight, to school. Apparently, Edgar did very well.

He learned French and Latin very quickly and excelled in all of his other work, especially literature. Reverend John Bransby, the headmaster of his boarding school quoted, "Edgar Allan was a quick and clever boy, and would have been a very good boy had he not been spoilt by his parents" (Le Vert 32). In 1817, a depression came over both the United States and Europe causing debts, high unemployment, and heavy taxes. These conditions forced the Allans to move back to Richmond. On June 14, 1820, Poe was once again setting sail, this time to home. Back in Virginia, Edgar continued his schooling.

Now a teenager, he was spending more and more time reading. Also, his real parentage was widely known by others, and his classmates would make him endure cruel teasing. Although some kids teased him, he did have many friends and was very loyal to them. In the fall of 1823, Edgar met Jane Stanard, a classmate's mother. Edgar became obsessed with her and called her Helen, which he believed was a more beautiful name that suited her more than Jane. "She became the mother he had lost so many years ago" (Le Vert 35).

Poe would go and spend time with her whenever he had problems in school or with his family. She became ill during the winter of 1823 and Poe was not allowed to see her anymore. On April 28, 1824, she died of a malignant brain tumor and Poe was crushed". Like his mother, she had deserted him, dying a painful death at a young age. Helen became Edgar's ideal woman - unattainable, beautiful, and doomed.

In Edgar's mind, beauty was now forever linked with death" (Le Vert 36). Some years later, one of John Allan's relatives died, leaving John an inherited fortune. Once again the Allans had wealth and they displayed it. They moved into another large house and sent Poe off to college to further the obviously bright boy's education. Prior to Poe's departure for college, Edgar and John had taken on a somewhat cold attitude toward each other. Their relationship was now based solely on money.

The only time they contacted each other is when Edgar needed money. College life for Poe was not very demanding. He only had classes for a few hours of the day. He spent most of his time reading in various placed around the campus.

It was also during this time that Poe's relationship with John Allan turned quite bitter. Edgar started to display his habit of drinking and his love of gambling. Assuming that his expenses would be paid, Poe continued to loan and gamble himself into over two thousand dollars of debt. When John Allan heard of this, he traveled to Poe's college to see for himself.

He was disgusted at the amount of money Edgar owed. Allan only paid off what debts he deemed important, all others he refused to pay. John also told of Edgar's actions to Sarah Elmira Royster's father. Sarah and Edgar fell in love before he left for college and were engaged to be married. Now Sarah was forbidden to see Poe, and he was once again crushed (World Book).

Poe, now eighteen, felt betrayed by his stepfather. He decided that he could no longer live under the Allan's care. One night in a tavern, Poe wrote a letter to John stating", [I will] now leave your house and find some place in this wide world, where I will be treated -- -not as you have treated me" (Le Vert 41). Poe left for the city of his birth, Boston, on April 3, 1827. Poe entered Boston with one major goal in mind: to prove to his foster father and everyone else that had doubted him, that he was able to make it into the world on his own. Boston at the time was the center for publishing, and Poe took this as an opportunity to launch his writing career.

It was here that Poe published his first volume of poetry. With the help of his new friend, Calvin F.S. Thomas, Poe printed out about fifty copies of his forty-page pamphlet titled, Tamerlane and Other Poems. Unfortunately, the cost of publication left Edgar in debt once again. Instead of asking John Allan for money again, Poe enlisted in the army on May 26, 1827 under the name Edgar A. Perry.

Like all other things Poe had done up until this point, he excelled greatly in the military. He was promoted once in less than a year. Soon he was promoted again, to Sergeant Major. He did not however feel that a life in the military suited him, and he eagerly sought a way to get out of his five-year enlistment commitment. He wrote to John Allan concerning his military life and about becoming a writer, but never received any mail in reply. Edgar then decided that he would join the West Point Academy in New York and become an officer in hopes of becoming a gentleman and earning a respectable place in society.

He also hoped that this would win John Allan's respect. On February 28, 1829, Edgar A. Poe received the news that Frances Allan had died. Poe was given ten days off to go and visit his foster family. He arrived back in Richmond the night after Frances's funeral. One of her last dying wishes was that Edgar and John make amends.

John agreed only because it was his wife's dying wish. When Edgar came home, Allan gave him some new clothes, a little money, and whatever help he needed to get into West Point. Edgar and Allan made all of the necessary preparations, and then Poe went off to Washington D.C. to deliver his papers to Major John Eaton, the secretary of war. Poe was told that his papers would take several months to be processed. He took this time window as an opportunity to go to Baltimore, Maryland, to seek his real family and learn more about his grandfather, "General David" Poe.

He found his grandmother's house, and living with her was Edgar's aunt, Maria Clemm, her two children, and Edgar's brother, William Henry Poe. Edgar did not stay long however and moved into a nearby building with a room for rent. Once again in Boston, Poe searched for a publisher who would publish his latest collection of poems. In December, Edgar had Al Aa raaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems published by Hatch & Dunning Publishers. This was his second publication. At the end of December, Poe received a letter from John Allan inviting him home.

Poe gladly accepted the offer and went back to Richmond to stay with his foster father for a while. In March of 1830, Poe received acceptance papers to West Point Academy. He left Allan's residence once again and entered West Point on July 1, 1830. After staying at the academy for a few days, Poe realized that he did not like it. His schedule was much more time consuming than he was used to during his time in college. Instead of a brief two or three hour period of classes a day, he now had classes all day from early morning until late at night, with breaks only to eat, study, and exercise.

His new schedule left him very little time to himself to write poems and read at leisure. Also, there were many rules that Poe did not like. Smoking, card playing, drinking, and the reading of books and poems that did not have to do with student's studies were forbidden. These rules obviously ruffled Poe's feathers.

Wanting to get out, Edgar wrote to John Allan requesting help with a way to get out of West Point Academy. Allan refused to respond, so Poe put it upon himself to get expelled. Poe did not attend his classes, did not go to parades, and disobeyed orders. Finally on January 28, 1831, Edgar A. Poe was court-martialed and was expelled from West Point Academy (Le Vert 54). After leaving West Point, Poe remained in New York in search of yet another publisher to publish more of his works.

Now twenty-one, he had a list of names of cadets who had contributed seventy-five cents each to help Edgar pay for his next publication of poems. In April, Poems by Edgar A. Poe, Second Edition appeared. His third publication was a one hundred and twenty four page booklet. Once again the cost of publication left Poe broke and he left for the only place he felt he would be welcomed, his grandmother's home in Baltimore. He arrived in March of 1831 and worked diligently in his attic room on writing more poems. So far though, his poems never drew much attention so he started writing short stories.

Poe composed five short stories and because he was unknown, he decided to write down a different author for each story and said they were from a group of elite literary scholars who called themselves "The Folio Club". Over the next two years, he continued to write and spend time with his true family. He continually spent more time with his cousin Virginia, who was now starting to remind Poe of his mother. In 1833, Poe searched for a publisher who would prin this Tales of the Folio Club. He never had a chance to print them yet. Rather he noticed there was a fifty-dollar contest for the best short story submitted to the Baltimore "Saturday Visitor".

Poe entered in six of his stories from the Folio Club. Finally, Poe won the badly needed fifty dollars. The judges also critiqued all six of his entries very well, giving Edgar some respect among Baltimore's literary elite. In the winter of 1834, Poe received word that John Allan was dying. Edgar went back to visit but apparently things went wrong and Poe left. John Allan died on March 17, 1834.

In his will, he provided for everyone in his immediate family, even his illegitimate children, but failed to even give mention of Edgar Allan Poe. Edgar was devastated yet again, for all his life he only wanted to earn the respect of the only father he had ever had. The next year however showed some promise for Poe. He became friends with Thomas White, the owner of the "Southern Literary Messenger", the South's biggest literary journal.

White published many of Poe's short stories. In July of 1835, White offered Poe a job as editor. During the summer, Poe left for Richmond to begin working for Thomas White as editor of the "Southern Literary Messenger". Back in Richmond, Poe was haunted by memories of his foster father and his dashed dreams of becoming a southern gentleman.

He also missed deeply his true family, to whom he had become close to during his time in Baltimore. He especially missed Virginia, whom he came to realize he loved. He became very depressed and turned to alcohol once again. This was the first period in a while that he drank so heavily. His drinking left him unable to work, and within a few months, he was fired. Immediately he returned to Baltimore to be with Virginia and her mother Maria.

In 1836, he married his cousin, Virginia Clemm. At the end of September in 1835, Poe received a letter from Thomas White. In the letter, White apologized for firing Poe and requested that he return as editor, on the condition that he would never drink again. Poe agreed and traveled to Richmond, this time with Maria and Virginia Clemm. He was once again editor of White's journal. During this time, Poe printed many of his works and also became a well-known literary critic.

He reviewed many works by many famous authors of the time. However, his standards were very high and many times his opinions were harsh and ruthless, and he made many enemies during his time as editor for White. Eventually, he began drinking again and was fired. Poe felt good though, he distrusted and disliked White, and knew if he was to become truly successful, he would need to make an impression in New York, Philadelphia, or Boston. Poe and the Clemm now left in search of more work.

Their first stop was in New York. Poe's harsh criticism kept him from holding a steady job. They then moved to Philadelphia. There, Poe sold several more stories, yet did not gain the recognition he felt he deserved. Edgar had several jobs with several magazines and other forms of journalism, and in each, he continued to viscously attack other author's works. In the summer of 1839, Lea & Blanchard Publishers published twenty-five of Poe's stories.

It was a two volume set of two hundred and forty pages each, titled Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque. This publication was considered to have many of Poe's best works, but in its time, it never even sold out its first printing. It did not get any major literary criticism or fame at the time either. Poe still wished to start his own magazine. By owning his own magazine, he could generate all of the profits for himself and he could print only what he felt worthy of printing. On June 14, 1840, Poe placed an add in a local magazine stating that he was going to start his own magazine, the "Penn", in an effort to raise money to actually do it.

He said the first issue would be published in January of 1841. For six months he desperately tried to raise money, but stricken with the flu and unable to work, he could not raise the money he needed. So instead he continued to work as editor for other magazines and papers. While working for "Graham's Magazine", Poe printed his most groundbreaking story, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue".

This story, unlike other detective stories, Poe's story used logic to solve the crime, instead of making wild guesses or forcing someone into revealing the mystery. Poe called this type of writing, ratiocination. Poe now gained more and more of a reputation, and gained a better standing in the field of literature. This was probably the greatest time of Poe's life. He now made close to one thousand dollars a year, and bought a cottage to live in.

Times were good; Poe met with many great authors of the time, including Charles Dickens, and was holding down a loyal and loving relationship with his wife. Unfortunately, Poe began to drink again. Not as heavily as before, but he did drink. Also, he was becoming uncomfortable with taking orders from his employer, and resigned from his job.

Poe once again took on the dreams of owning his own magazine. He became partners with a man named Thomas Clarke, who would provide him with the money if Poe sparked enough interest. Poe then made a trip to Washington D.C. in search of a job, but, things went wrong and Poe became drunk and disgraced himself. After hearing of this, Clarke broke the partnership and refused to support Poe's plans. To make matters worse, Virginia began to cough up blood, a sure sign she was sick with tuberculosis. Poe could not bear the thought of losing his wife and gave into alcoholism.

Once again Edgar lost everything due to alcohol and they decided to move to New York. Poe became depressed to the point where he did not want to make a living writing anymore. Maria Clemm took it upon herself to find him a job, and did indeed get him a job as editor for the "New York Evening Mirror". Poe once again did his job well but also continued to harshly criticize authors. In January of 1845, Poe released his poem, "The Raven" (see appendix A). This poem by far gained more attention than anything he had written up to this point.

It drew all attention away from his harsh critiques and even some of his worst enemies had to admit that this poem exceeded the quality of almost all American or English poems. The Wiley & Putnam publishing company published Tales, and The Raven and Other Poems for Poe, who was now earning eight cents a copy for each book that sold. Poe became a small celebrity almost overnight. His fame however did not last long. "By the end of 1846, Poe's life was in shambles" (Le Vert 94).

Virginia died on January 29, 1847, and Poe became inconsolable. He fell into fits of depression and alcoholism and became obsessed with two ideas; the creation of his own magazine, and to find a wife totally devoted to him. He did have several women to choose from who cared for him, but his alcoholism all but scared them off. He continued to drink and his mind slowly wasted away over the next few months. Finally, on October 7, 1849, Edgar Allan Poe passed away, of drink, rabies, or some other unknown cause. Edgar Allan Poe's life indeed was one of tragedy and heartbreak.

He lost both of his parents at a tender age. He was adopted into a wealthy merchant's family, and lived with them for most of his childhood. Unfortunately, his foster mother was the only person in his new family he could rely on. After she died, his relationship with his foster father, John Allan, slowly declined to the point where communication was only necessary on issues concerning money. Poe's first love, Jane "Helen" Stanard, was taken away from him as well.

John Allan eventually severed all ties with Edgar and left him constantly in need of capital. Poe did however experience times of prosperity. He became married to his cousin, Virginia Clemm, who along with her mother devoted themselves to Edgar. Unfortunately, Edgar's alcoholism always led them to poverty and always sent them in search of a place to start over. Edgar always clung to dreams of owning and operating his own magazine, but because of his financial problems and his bad standing with other writers, he never did accomplish his dream. Soon enough, his beloved wife died of tuberculosis, the same illness that took from him his mother.

After that, Poe fell to the edge of insanity, and slowly deteriorated until his own death. Edgar Allan Poe, throughout his life, wrote and composed hundreds of poems and short stories. Many of which were toned to a gruesome and horrific nature, which is what he is probably most noted for. In many people's opinions, and certainly in my own, his greatest composition as a poet is, "The Raven" (see appendix A). "The Raven" is the tale of a grief-stricken lover who is mourning over the lost love of Lenore. This entire poem could be considered a direct portrayal of feelings that Poe had, knowing that his wife Virginia was probably going to die soon with tuberculosis.

Also, the passion and feeling that is expressed in the poem is unlike any other, it truly shows that Poe wrote poems not for the purpose of meaning, but for conjuring true feelings within the reader using words of rhyme and rhythm. His writing style is unique in that every description he uses does not distract from the main feeling or feelings he is trying to portray. This stanza from "The Raven" for example: Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December; And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow; -- -vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow -- -sorrow for the lost Lenore -- -For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore -- -Nameless here forevermore. He makes careful note to describe the dreary mood that remains present throughout the poem. He points out how each dying ember of a burning out fire sets its own eerie light out onto the floor, not into the room, but the floor.

It also tells of how the man wishes that his day will end, and how he is trying to read books to keep his mind off of the sorrow felt for the lost Lenore, which he describes as "rare", and named by angels. The description of Lenore there is made to sound godlike to make her loss seem all the more great to the man. When the man hears the rapping at his door, he opens it to find nothing there. Poe tells of the man dreaming dreams that should never be dreamed by any mortal. This could be derived from Poe's own demons that were created from the loss of his loved ones and from his depressions and fits of alcoholism. In the lines: ...

". Other friends have flown before; On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before. ' Then the bird said, 'Nevermore. ' Poe writes of how the man feels as if this bird will leave tomorrow like other people of significance have in his life, namely Lenore. The bird merely replies with "Nevermore". Once again a connection can be made in that the raven, being a black stately bird of ill omen, could symbolize Poe's inner demons that never did leave him, hence "nevermore".

The man then continues to be skeptical of the bird replying with "Nevermore", and tries to convince himself that the word has no meaning for it is the only word the bird utters. From here, the man wheels a chair of velvet in front of the perched bird and begins contemplating the meaning of such a presence, which only speaks "nevermore". Here, Poe describes quite vividly the gaze of the bird, and how it seems to lock with the man's own gaze and burn to his very soul, once again making sure that the mood of the story remains mysterious and frightful. The man then comes to conclude that the bird is there to remind him of how his love, Lenore, shall be with him, "Nevermore". After assuming the bird is a prophet, he continues to ask if there is salvation after death. The bird continues his singular reply and the man in the chamber becomes obviously upset by this answer.

Now, determined to know of the fate of his love, the man asks: Tell this soul with sorrow laden, if, within the distant Aidenn, It shall clasp a sainted maiden, whom the angels name Lenore -- -Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels name Lenore? He asks if within the lands of heaven, Aidenn, there is a woman named Lenore, his lost love Lenore. The raven once again answers with "Nevermore". Now enraged by what he is hearing, the man orders to bird to vacate his door and his life, and "Take thy beak from out my heart". The bird does not leave and the poem ends describing how the bird's looming shadow crushes the man's soul beneath it, trapping the man forever in a state of gloom and misery.

So it was that Edgar Allan Poe led a life filled with misery, depression, loss, and heartbreak. He sought respect from his foster father and fame among his peers. But because of the ravages of alcohol, he drank all of his blessings away, and what he was left with, abandoned him. His life long dream was to own his own magazine but his lifelong financial problems kept the dream always just out of reach.

He did however manage to become the father of the short story, and the first comprehensive detective story author. During his time, his literary works were overlooked or slandered by his many enemies. But now, to this day, Edgar Allan Poe is a household name. His works such as "The Raven" are known to almost everyone for their rhythmic meter and captivating emotions. The tragedies in Edgar Allan Poe's life left him lovesick and depressed, and compelled him to write about tales of beauty, love, and loss. bibliography lost.