Born: January 19, 1809
Died: October 7, 1849
About Me: I was born on January 19th, 1809 in Boston, MA. My Mother was an actress, but died
when i was very young. After her passing, I was taken into the family of John Allen. I was educated in Richmond, Virginia and also England. I enlisted in the American Army as Edgar Allen Perry when I was only 18, though claiming 21. After achieving the rank of Sergeant Major in 2 years of service at West Point, I retired from the army. Meanwhile, I published a second book of poetry in 1829: Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems. In 1832 a third volume was published. I titled it Poems by Edgar Allan Poe, Second Edition. I was married in 1833 to my wife and cousin Virginia Parr. In 1845, I became famous with the spectacular success of my poem "The Raven," and in March of that year, I joined C. F. Briggs in an effort to publish The Broadway Journal.
The Raven is considered to be one of my most popular poems. I have included a few lines below:
The Raven
[First published in 1845]
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more
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 named Lenore -
Nameless here for evermore.
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
`'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; -
This it is, and nothing more,'
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
`Sir,' said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; -
Darkness there, and nothing more.
Michelle's Interpretation: Although many scholars have debated the meaning of this poem, I believe poe wrote it to define the meaning of dying, or passing on. He was in fact writing in my chamber while he heard a tapping, and I beleive he did happen to see a raven perched over the statue of Pallas by his window. I think Poe believed in reincarnation, and that the bird was, in his view, his reincarnated long lost love Virginia. He included the detail of the statue of Pallas because he wanted to defend himself from anyone sstating that he was mentally insane. The statue of Pallas symbolized an eduacated man dwelled in that chamber.
Most Popular Works of Poe:
Poems: Stories:
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Death Theories: "In the early morning hours of October 7, Poe calmly breathed a simple prayer, "Lord, help my poor soul," and died. His cause of death was ascribed to "congestion of the brain." No autopsy was performed, and the author was buried two days later. In dying under such mysterious circumstances, the father of the detective story has left us with a real-life mystery which Poe scholars, medical professionals, and others have been trying to solve for over 150 years."-- The Poe Museum of Richmond Virginia
Possible Death Causes and senarios presented by scholars in the past century:
Beating (1857)
The United States Magazine Vol.II (1857): 268.
Epilepsy (1875)
Scribner's Monthly Vo1. 10 (1875): 691.
Dipsomania (1921)
Robertson, John W. Edgar A. Poe A Study. Brough, 1921: 134, 379.
Heart (1926)
Allan, Hervey. Israfel. Doubleday, 1926: Chapt. XXVII, 670.
Toxic Disorder (1970)
Studia Philo1ogica Vol. 16 (1970): 41-42.
Hypoglycemia (1979)
Artes Literatus (1979) Vol. 5: 7-19.
Diabetes (1977)
Sinclair, David. Edgar Allan Poe. Roman & Litt1efield, 1977: 151-152.
Alcohol Dehydrogenase (1984)
Arno Karlen. Napo1eon's Glands. Little Brown, 1984: 92.
Porphryia (1989)
JMAMA Feb. 10, 1989: 863-864.
Delerium Tremens (1992)
Meyers, Jeffrey. Edgar A1lan Poe. Charles Scribner, 1992: 255.
Rabies (1996)
Maryland Medical Journal Sept. 1996: 765-769.
Heart (1997)
Scientific Sleuthing Review Summer 1997: 1-4.
Murder (1998)
Walsh, John E., Midnight Dreary. Rutgers Univ. Press, 1998: 119-120.
Epilepsy (1999)
Archives of Neurology June 1999: 646, 740.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning (1999)
Albert Donnay
Influences of Future Poets:
Because Edgar Allen Poe was one of the first poets to write dark or tragic poems using the style that he did. Because of this, he paved the road for detective stories such as Sherlock Holmes. Walt Whitman once quoted,"Poe’s verses illustrate an intense faculty for technical and abstract beauty, with the rhyming art to excess, an incorrigible propensity toward nocturnal themes, a demoniac undertone behind every page. … There is an indescribable magnetism about the poet’s life and reminiscences, as well as the poems."
Citations: Helium Studio. “Poe’s Life.” The Edgar Allen Poe Museum. Jan. 2004. Interland. 27 Oct. 2007.< http://www.poemuseum.org/poes_life/index.html>
Portrait of Poe: http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/nation/jb_nation_poe_1_e.html
---This Page was created by Michelle---
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