In memoriam
19th January 1809 – 7th October 1849
“Lo! Death has reared himself a throne
In a strange city lying alone
Far down within the dim West,
Where the good and the bad and the worst and the best
Have gone to their eternal rest.”
-The City In The Sea
One of the most well-known and now recognised writers of his time, Edgar Allan Poe was a American poet, critic, journalist and writer. He is considered to be one of the most significant figures in the American Romantic Movement but few know that he was also the father of detective fiction. In January 1845 his hauntingly beautiful poem The Raven took the country by storm and earned Poe his rightful place among the greatest poets of all time. The rhythm and musical quality of the poem made it extremely popular and soon several copycats and parodies started to emerge, making Edgar Allan Poe a popular guest in high-society gatherings where he would recite the poem in a quiet, dramatic voice in dimly lit rooms. Even today The Raven is frequently read in school classes, and from time to time emerges in films, TV shows and music. Poe’s influence and inspiration on underground music genres, artists and writers is indisputable. Many are familiar with Poe’s writings but unaware of the ordeals and struggles of his life that are forever imprinted in his stories.
Edgar Allan Poe (born Edgar Poe, 19th January 1809, died 7th October 1849) was the second son of touring actors David Poe Jr and Eliza Poe. Eliza was a beautiful but frail woman with a doll-like face and large eyes. She made her debut on stage at the age of nine and over the course of her career acted some 300 roles, including classics such as Shakespeare’s Ophelia and Julia Capulet. She received quite good reviews whereas her husband, David Jr, was more or less frequently crushed by the critics. An alcoholic, David Poe abandoned the family when Edgar was very little. Very soon after this, in December 1811, tuberculosis claimed Eliza after months of illness. The image of his withering and blood-coughing mother must have left a permanent mark in young Edgar and indeed, the theme of a dying woman is very strongly present in many of his works. This would also become a strangely repetitive theme in his own life.
The only known picture of Edgar Allan Poe’s mother
After Eliza’s death, Edgar and his two siblings were separated. Edgar was taken in by the Scottish merchant John Allan and his wife Frances in Richmond. Life in the house was not as rosy as one might imagine, even if Frances was a kind woman. Edgar’s foster father both spoiled and disciplined the little boy (now named Edgar Allan Poe). John Allan was a practical man, whereas Edgar was a dreamer. This difference of character, as well as Edgar’s gambling debts would later on lead to open hatred from both sides. When the relationship between the two grew too inflamed, John Allan ended up disowning Edgar. He presumably did not even write to Edgar to let him know that Frances Allan was severely ill. She was the second woman the young writer lost to death.
The dislike towards his foster father made Poe drop the name “Allan” and use “A.” instead. Poverty and struggling against alcoholism would shadow the poet’s entire life and ill luck seemed to follow him despite his best efforts. Poe joined the army in order to support himself and for a while did quite well. During the time in the army, the witty young man amused the other soldiers by coming up with outrageous poems. He collected money in order to publish his first book, Tamerlane And Other Poems, but it was not written in the smutty style that his colleagues in the army had been expecting. The life of a soldier was not the career Edgar Allan Poe yearned for, so he abandoned the steady pay of the US Army and sought the life of an artist instead. He would become the first well-known American author who tried to live solely on writing. This was extremely difficult as there was no copyright laws to speak of and publishers would rather relay on piracy than pay to the writers, or the payment would be very late. On several occasions throughout his career Poe was wronged, humiliated and ridiculed.
Poe’s manners were extremely irritating to some and his sarcastic, merciless critique would earn him enemies in the writing world. He openly accused Henry Wadsworth Longfellow of plagiarism and ended up in bizarre warfare with Rufus Wilfot Griswold who did his best to destroy Poe’s career. A gruesome biographic of Edgar Allan Poe was published by Griswold after Poe’s death where Poe was accused of being a drunk madman and a drug addict (which was a lie). Griswold even forged Poe’s letters and used them as evidence to support his wild theories. It is true that when Poe drank he was unable to stop and would drain the bottle to the last drop. But when he was sober he was reported to be a gentleman, well-behaved and thoughtful. His literary skills and intellect cannot be denied. Poe was frequently described as “charming and bright” or, by his enemies as a man who was very fast to criticise others but was unable to stand the same treatment himself.
Poe would often amuse himself with clever tricks, such as creating a false scoop on a newspaper of a Irish aeronaut who accidentally crossed the Atlantic with a balloon. The newspaper sold like mad and the incident went down in literary history as “The Balloon Hoax”. Poe would also write in newspapers under false identities, stirring much drama. The writer boasted that he was the best cryptographer in the world and openly challenged anyone to dare him, knowing that there was no code that he would not be able to break. And indeed, there was not. His contribution to cryptography is notable.
Poe’s wife Virginia, post mortem
Edgar A. Poe married his cousin Virginia Clemm when he was 27 years old and she was only 13. As she was an underaged girl, her mother Maria Clemm supposedly helped to lie about Virginia’s age. On the official marriage paper Virginia was listed as 21 years old. The relationship between Virginia and Edgar remains a mystery but it is possible that their feelings towards one another were more like those of a brother and a sister than those of husband and wife. It has been suggested that Poe was not interested in women in a sexual way but needed them to love, inspire and care for him. Letters written by Poe do speak of a deep affection towards Virginia who, like Edgar’s mother Eliza Poe, was destined to die of tuberculosis. As Virginia’s (or “Sissy” as he would call her) health grew steadily worse Poe began drinking, unable to bear the wings of approaching death that would again claim from him a loved woman. His poverty was extreme and the family suffered starvation and at times lived on alms. Poe felt extremely humiliated with having to beg for opportunities and ask for money from people and it must have been intolerable for him that he was unable to support his wife or even get her proper medication. Virginia Poe was the light of his life – a pale, dark-haired and delicate creature like the women in his poems. It has been suggested that the poem “Annabel Lee” was inspired by Virginia Poe. One picture of her survives, painted by a family friend after Virginia’s death. As the mourners gathered around the deathbed they understood there was not a single picture of Virginia and they decided to paint one, propping her body against pillows. This was another unplanned and to the modern reader, a very “Gothic” event in Edgar Allan Poe’s life.
Even the happiest moments of Poe’s life were shadowed with worry. A recording of the couple’s family life survives of a day in the garden when Poe would climb the apple trees and throw apples on the ground and Sissy would catch them, laughing. Suddenly she would cough blood and grow weak, laying in bed for days afterwards. Victoria Poe died at the age of 24, after fighting tuberculosis for five years. Poe never married again, but he did court poet Sarah Helen Whitman and for a short period was engaged to his adolescent sweetheart, Sarah Elmira Royster.
Through his entire life, perhaps because of having to witness so much death, misery and poverty, Edgar Allan Poe wanted to be admired and loved. He was a romantic and a dreamer and his life echoes through in the macabre yet beautiful stories and poems he wrote. A shadow of ill luck seemed to follow him, never two steps behind. Even his death is shrouded in mystery. Speculations for the cause of death ranges from delirium tremens, alcoholism, heart attack and syphilis to even something as radical as rabies. It is more than probable that we will never know for sure.
Poe was always convinced of his talent, knowing he was a genius. Future generations must be thankful that he had so much faith in himself, otherwise it is most certain that he would have been crushed by the struggles of his life. For if there ever was a man born under unlucky stars, his name was Edgar A. Poe.
In this obituary series I honour the memory of Edgar Allan Poe who has done more than one person’s share for literature and arts. He has influenced notable science fiction writers (such as Lovecraft), received praise from numerous poets (Baudelaire), contributed to music scenes and aesthetics and personally made my trips to the library as a teenager quite a lot more interesting. Edgar Allan Poe died on this exact date, 7th October, but his memory and works live on. Perhaps now the poet has achieved what he sought in life – to be loved, admired and recognised.
Written by Katla
Bibliography:
Poems:
“Poetry” 1824
“O, Tempora! O, Mores!” 1825
“Tamerlane” July 1827
“Song” July 1827
“Imitation” July 1827
“A Dream” July 1827
“The Lake” July 1827
“Spirits of the Dead” July 1827
“Evening Star” July 1827
“Dreams” July 1827
“Stanzas” July 1827
“The Happiest Day” September 15, 1827
“To Margaret” circa 1827
“Alone” 1829
“To Isaac Lea” circa 1829
“To The River ——” 1829
“To ——” 1829
“To ——” 1829
“Romance” 1829
“Fairy-Land” 1829
“To Science” 1829
“Al Aaraaf” 1829
“An Acrostic” 1829
“Elizabeth” 1829
“To Helen” 1831
“A Paean” 1831
“The Sleeper” 1831
“The City in the Sea” 1831
“The Valley of Unrest” 1831
“Israfel” 1831
“Enigma” February 2, 1833
“Fanny” May 18, 1833
“The Coliseum” October 26, 1833
“Serenade” April 20, 1833
“To One in Paradise” January 1834
“Hymn” April 1835
“To Elizabeth” September 1835
“May Queen Ode” circa 1836
“Spiritual Song” 1836
“Latin Hymn” March 1836
“Bridal Ballad” January 1837
“To Zante” January 1837
“The Haunted Palace” April 1839
“Silence–A Sonnet” January 4, 1840
“Lines on Joe Locke” February 28, 1843
“The Conqueror Worm” January 1843
“Lenore” February 1843
“A Campaign Song” 1844
“Dream-Land” June 1844
“Impromptu. To Kate Carol” April 26, 1845
“To F——” April 1845
“Eulalie” July 1845
“Epigram for Wall Street” January 23, 1845
“The Raven” January 29, 1845
“The Divine Right of Kings” October 1845
“A Valentine” February 21, 1846
“Beloved Physician” 1847
“Deep in Earth” 1847
“To M. L. S—— (1847)”
“Ulalume” December 1847
“Lines on Ale” 1848
“To Marie Louise” March 1848
“An Enigma” March 1848
“To Helen” November 1848
“A Dream Within A Dream”
“Eldorado” April 21, 1849
“For Annie” April 28, 1849
“To My Mother” July 7, 1849
“Annabel Lee” October 9, 1849
“The Bells” November 1849
Tales:
“Metzengerstein” January 14, 1832
“The Duc De L’Omelette” March 3, 1832
“A Tale of Jerusalem” June 9, 1832
“Loss of Breath” November 10, 1832
“Bon-Bon” December 1, 1832
“MS. Found in a Bottle” October 19, 1833
“The Assignation” January 1834
“Berenice” March 1835
“Morella” April 1835
“Lionizing” May 1835
“The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall” June 1835
“King Pest” September 1835
“Shadow – A Parable” September 1835
“Four Beasts in One – The Homo-Cameleopard” March 1836
“Mystification” June 1837
“Silence – A Fable” 1838
“Ligeia” September 1838
“How to Write a Blackwood Article” November 1838
“A Predicament” November 1838
“The Devil in the Belfry” May 18, 1839
“The Man That Was Used Up” August 1839
“The Fall of the House of Usher” September 1839
“William Wilson” October 1839
“The Conversation of Eiros and Charmion” December 1839
“Why the Little Frenchman Wears His Hand in a Sling” 1840
“The Business Man” February 1840
“The Man of the Crowd” December 1840
“The Murders in the Rue Morgue” April 1841
“A Descent into the Maelström” April 1841
“The Island of the Fay” June 1841
“The Colloquy of Monos and Una” August 1841
“Never Bet the Devil Your Head” September 1841
“Eleonora” Fall 1841 “Three Sundays in a Week” November 27, 1841
“The Oval Portrait” April 1842
“The Masque of the Red Death” May 1842
“The Landscape Garden” October 1842
“The Mystery of Marie Rogêt” November 1842, December 1842, February 1843 (serialized)
“The Pit and the Pendulum” 1842–1843
“The Tell-Tale Heart” January 1843
“The Gold-Bug” June 1843
“The Black Cat” August 19, 1843
“Diddling” October 14, 1843
“The Spectacles” March 27, 1844
“A Tale of the Ragged Mountains” April 1844
“The Premature Burial” July 31, 1844
“Mesmeric Revelation” August 1844
“The Oblong Box” September 1844
“The Angel of the Odd” October 1844 “Thou Art the Man” November 1844
“The Literary Life of Thingum Bob, Esq.” December 1844
“The Purloined Letter” 1844–1845
“The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Scheherazade” February 1845
“Some Words with a Mummy” April 1845
“The Power of Words” June 1845
“The Imp of the Perverse” July 1845
“The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether” November 1845
“The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” December 1845
“The Sphinx” January 1846
“The Cask of Amontillado” November 1846
“The Domain of Arnheim” March 1847
“Mellonta Tauta” February 1849 Flag of Our Union
“Hop-Frog” March 17, 1849 Flag of Our Union
“Von Kempelen and His Discovery” April 14, 1849
“X-ing a Paragrab” May 12, 1849 Flag of Our Union
“Landor’s Cottage” June 9, 1849 Flag of Our Union
Essays:
Eureka: A Prose Poem (1848)
“Maelzel’s Chess Player” (April 1836 – Southern Literary Messenger)
“The Philosophy of Furniture” (May 1840 – Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine)
“A Few Words on Secret Writing” (July 1841 – Graham’s Magazine)
“Morning on the Wissahiccon” (1844 – The Opal)
“The Balloon-Hoax” (April 13, 1844) — A newspaper article that was actually a journalistic hoax
“The Philosophy of Composition” (April 1846 – Graham’s Magazine)
“Eureka: A Prose Poem” (March 1848 – Wiley & Putnam)
“The Rationale of Verse” (October 1848 – Southern Literary Messenger)
“The Poetic Principle” (December 1848 – Southern Literary Messenger)
Novels:
The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (First two installments, January/February 1837 – Southern Literary Messenger, issued as complete novel in July 1838
The Journal of Julius Rodman (First six installments, January–June 1840 – Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine) — Incomplete
Plays
Politian (Two installments, December 1835–January 1836 – Southern Literary Messenger)
