Biography

Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809. His parents, David Poe Jr and Elizabeth Arnold Poe, were both professional actors. When Poe was just a year old his father left the family and his mother died a year later from tuberculosis. After their deaths, Poe, his older brother, William, and younger sister, Rosalie, were sent to live with three separate families.

Poe went to live with John and Frances Allan, a well-to-do tobacco merchant and his wife. He took their surname as his middle name. John wanted Poe to go into the family business, while Poe wanted to pursue his writing career. This caused strife between the two. The relationship between them deteriorated after Frances's death. Allan eventually cut Poe off financially and disinherited him.

Poe attended the University of Virginia for two years. After Allan withdrew his financial support, Poe began gambling to help pay for college. He lost over $2,000 in eight months. Poe left college and joined the US Army, where he served for two years. He then went to West Point but was expelled for not obeying the rules.

In 1836 Poe married his 13 year old cousin, Virginia Clemm. The two of them had a happy marriage. Virginia died from tuberculosis when she was just 24 years old. Her death devastated Poe, leaving him unable to write for several months.

In 1827, at the age of 18, Poe self published Tamerlane and Other Poems, his first book. He entered several writing contests after that and went on to write articles and editorial reviews for several magazines. Poe's writing career really began to take off in 1844, when The Raven was published. While he never obtained financial success from his writing, he did achieve a certain level of fame by publishing multiple pieces prior to his death.

Poe was found dead on October 7, 1849. He had stopped in Baltimore while heading to Philadelphia. After going missing for four or five days, Poe was found in a bar and taken to Washington College Hospital, where he died a few days later. Family and friends were not aware of Poe's illness. His former mother-in-law and new fiancee found out about his death from a newspaper article.

A video summary of his biography can be viewed here.

Works Cited:

Cestre, C., Mabbott, T., and Barzun, J. (No date given). "Edgar Allan Poe: American Poet." Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edgar-Allan-Poe

Edgar Allan Poe Facts. (2010). Retrieved from http://biography.yourdictionary.com/edgar-allan-poe

Biography.com Editors. (2014, April). "Edgar Allan Poe Biography." Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/edgar-allan-poe-9443160

Biography. (No date given). Retrieved from https://www.poemuseum.org/poes-biography

Poetic Devices

Device Example 1: Because I Could Not Stop For Death” by Emily Dickinson, lines 2, 5, 8, 9. Personification.

In “Because I Could Not Stop For Death,” Emily Dickinson uses personification in reference to the topic of death. She portrays death as a living thing: a man sitting beside her in the carriage. He stops to pick up his passenger and they drive through the town before heading towards heaven. Portraying death in this way helps the reader deal with the difficult topic. It also removes the mystery and fear of the unknown. Personification is a powerful tool writers can use to help the reader relate to the subject matter.

Device Example 2: “Out, Out” by Robert Frost, lines 1 and 7. Onomatopoeia.

In “Out, Out,” Robert Frost uses onomatopoeia when he describes the sound of the saw. The buzz saw: “snarled and rattled.” This poem is based on true events of a farm accident in 1910, where friends of Frost lost their son to a freak accident. Using onomatopoeia helps bring the story to life, enabling the reader to hear what the boy in the poem heard as the saw swung towards his hand. Devices like this help the writer draw the reader deeper into the story, creating a visual and auditory image for the reader. Frost helps us see the horror of a child dying too young due to a freak accident.

Device Example 3: “Ozymandias,” by Percy Bysshe Shelley, line 10. Metaphor.

In “Ozymandias,” Percy Bysshe Shelley, uses Ozymandias as a metaphor. It represents how temporary empires are their focus is on power and politics. Metaphors are commonly used to help the reader identity with something unknown. It allows clarification of the topic being discussed, helping to deepen the readers comprehension. Just like the fall of Rome, all great empires will one day grow too large, too powerful, and will collapse in upon themselves. This has been seen time and again throughout history.

Works Cited:

Literary Devices in “Because I Could Not Stop For Death.” (No date given). Retrieved from https://www.owleyes.org/text/because-i-could-not-stop-for-death/analysis/literary-devices

Robert Frost Poetry. (No date given). Retrieved from https://robertfrostnotes.wordpress.com/out-out/

Ozymandias. (No date given). Retrieved from https://literarydevices.net/ozymandias/

Literary Merit

The 1800’s are a fascinating time to study. It was a time of transition, the beginning of our modern world. A lot of inventions, ideas and concepts were developed during these years that have led to the world we enjoy today. Electricity, indoor plumbing, the printing press, the telephone, the typewriter, and motion pictures, all these and more were products of the 1800’s. Writers were prolific and the art of penmanship truly seemed to have come alive during this era. Many of the best classics are from this time period: Charles Dickens, Walt Whitman, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and, of course, Edgar Allan Poe. Seen as the “architect of the modern short story,” Poe had a profound and lasting impact on the literary world.

The academic essay, Edgar Allan Poe Pathologically, was absorbing to read. I’ve often felt the same way the author describes Poe, as though my thoughts were consuming me. My brain never seems to be still, instead it is always striding down one avenue just to come upon a side street that it is drawn down. It becomes wearisome, sometimes. I can see how this might lead Poe to drink, to slow down the constant stream of his thoughts. Having suffered so much hardship in his life, I’m sure Poe’s thoughts were often depressing and distressing. It is sad that Poe couldn’t find a healthier alternative to alcohol and drugs.

Reading Poe’s writing is still enlightening today. Digging deeply into the depths of another person’s thoughts can show us ways of dealing with life and with our own problems. One way Poe dealt with the hardships he endured in life was through his writing. I have often found that when I am troubled, writing helps clear my thoughts and brings clarity when I am confused about a topic. I see Poe’s writing as a type of therapy, a diary in poetic form. Three poems that display this the best are: To Helen, Lenore, and The Raven.

Works Cited:

Edgar Allan Poe. (No date given). Retrieved from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/edgar-allan-poe

Bellis, M. (2017, November). "Most Important Inventions of the 19^th Century." Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/inventions-nineteenth-century-4144740

McNamara, R. (2017, November). "Notable Authors of the 19^th Century." Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/notable-authors-of-the-19th-century-1773693

Yewdale, M. (1920). "Edgar Allan Poe, Pathologically." The North American Review, 212(780), 686-696. Retrieved from http://0-www.jstor.org.library.acaweb.org/stable/25151120

My Favorite Poem

My favorite poem by Edgar Allan Poe is The Raven. I first read it in eighth grade in English class. Though it is dark, it draws the reader in. It is easy to visualize a distraught man, who has just lost the love of his life, sitting and conversing with a raven.


The Raven click here to read the poem.

The Raven click here to listen to James Earl Jones read the poem.

Discussion Questions

Here are two questions about the poem, Annabel Lee, for you to answer on Moodle.

1. Do you believe Annabel Lee is a representation of Poe's wife, Virginia? Do you think losing Virginia sent Poe over the edge into madness?

2. What is the wind representative of?