Born January 19, 1809, Edgar Allan Poe was the second of three children to parents who were traveling actors. Tragedy struck in the early years of his life with the death of both of his biological parents. As a result, he was adopted by a tobacco businessman John Allan and his wife Frances who encouraged him to pursue a life of business and become a fine, outstanding gentleman. However, Edgar had other dreams. He wanted to become a poet due to his admiration for Lord Bryon throughout his childhood. Due to their conflict of interest, John Allan and Edgar had different plans for what path in life Poe should pursue.
In 1826, Poe attended the University of Virginia where he swiftly fell into poverty due to gambling debts and lack of sponsorship from his adopted father. Without sufficient funds, he returns home. Not long after, with the stifling presence of his father's disapproval and his unsuccessful engagement with Elmira Royster weighing down his life, he leaves the Allan home off to prove he could achieve his dream of becoming an outstanding poet.
In Richmond, Poe became a editor at the Southern Literary Messenger which kick started his critic career. His short stories and reviews gained popularity. He married Virginia Clemm, his beloved cousin, and had a happy marriage. Virginia died of Tuberculosis in 1842. Three years later, he published The Raven which skyrocketed his noteworthiness and fame.
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| Virginia Clemm |
In 1849, he died of unknown causes. Poe was only forty years old, and had spent several days in His obituary was outrageously modified for the purposes of Rufus Griswold's revenge for some offensive reviews Poe published which is the cause of the confusion concerning Poe's life to this day. (Poe's Life)
