Edgar Poe was, and still is, one of the world’s most renowned authors in gothic literature history. He wrote many short stories and poems in his lifetime. He was an amazing man because he wrote all of his incredible works even though he was very poor through most of his life, suffered from addiction, and lost many of the people he loved.

He was the second child born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809 to David Poe, Jr. and Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe. His parents were actors and travelled all over to be on stage. Edgar had an older brother and a younger sister. The year after her was born, his father died. According to an article written by Madhavi Ghare, and published on buzzle.com, his mother died a year after his father of consumption, which means her body deteriorated, probably due to tuberculosis.

The children were split up and Edgar went to live with John Allan, a rich tobacco merchant, and his wife, Frances Allan, who were very close friends of his mother’s. They lived in Richmond, Virginia. To show respect, Edgar took on his adoptive family’s name as his middle name.

The Allans made sure he got the very best education that could be provided. For six years, Edgar went to school in England, and for three years after that, he was tutored privately at home with the Allan family. He tried to attend the University of Virginia when he was 17, but did not last there for very long. His adoptive father did not like that he was so interested in writing, so all he paid for was the tuition. Edgar had to find his own way to live, and began drinking and gambling heavily.

In 1827, he joined the military under the assumed named of Edgar A. Perry. He reached the rank of sergeant major within the two years of being enlisted. He then enrolled as a cadet at West Point, but was expelled not long after that because he drank too much and was not succeeding on his schoolwork. Soon after, Frances Allan died.

Because of his failure, he and John became distant. When Frances died, John decided it was okay to get rid of Edgar. He was kicked out of the house and once again had to fend for himself. John Allan completely disowned Edgar, and did not even put him in his will.

Edgar searched for his family and found his aunt, Maria Clemm, in Baltimore, Maryland. His older brother was living with her. Edgar moved in with them, and fell in love with and eventually married his cousin Virginia. His brother died in 1831 of tuberculosis. He had a few jobs during this time, and seemed to lose every one of them because he was always drunk. It was evident that he had a problem.

In 1847, Edgar once again lost a family member to tuberculosis. This time, it was his wife, Virginia. By this time, he was drinking very heavily from all the stress. He also got addicted to absinth and opium. He was going through major bouts of madness and depression. In 1849, he was found wandering the streets completely delirious, and died two days later.

Edgar wrote many famous short stories and poems throughout his life. Most of the things he authored were very gothic, and fell in line with his frame of mind. Some of his most famous works include “The Raven”, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “The Cask of Amontillado”, “The Pit and the Pendulum”, “The Masque of the Red Death”, “The Premature Burial”, and “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.”

Edgar’s death is still a mystery to this day. There have been many theories throughout the years. Some of these theories state that he may have died of beating, epilepsy, dipsomania, heart problems, a toxic disorder, hypoglycemia, diabetes, alcoholism, porphryia, delirium, rabies, murder, and even carbon monoxide poisoning. Though it has been 160 years since his death, there is still no true answer to this mystery.

Along with that mystery, another mystery follows it. Some believe that his ghost haunts the streets of Baltimore. Some have seen him on the streets and alleyways, the halls of the hospital where he died, and at his gravesite. It has even been said that on his birthday each year, he is seen leaving three red roses on his own grave.

While he gained much acclaim during his lifetime, Edgar became more famous after he died. His great works have inspired many famous gothic authors and artists into their own international acclaim. Some of those include Jules Verne, Gustave Doré, Charles Baudelaire, Kobo Abe, and Stephen King.

As a salute to Edgar Allan Poe, The Poe Museum was established in 1922 in Richmond. According to the museum’s website, “The Poe Museum provides a retreat into early 19th century Richmond where Edgar Allan Poe lived and worked. The museum features Poe’s life and career by documenting his accomplishments with pictures, relics, and verse, and focusing on his many years in Richmond.” It has one of the most extensive collections of Poe memorabilia in the world, and the site even has an online store for gift items relating to Edgar Allan Poe. The museum offers events that revolve around him, and got together with other organizations to celebrate his 200^th birthday this year.

The life and death of this man was tragic, but his afterlife is magnificent. The people of our time hold him in reverence to this day. They read his stories and poetry, travel to Virginia to see his gravesite and museum, and are inspired to write amazing stories of their own. He is an author whose presence will be felt for many more years to come.