Edgar Allan Poe
On the 27th of May 1827, a young man named Edgar A. Perry enlisted in the United States Army under an assumed name. He was actually eighteen years old and had no money to support himself. His first book appeared that same year as Tamerlane and Other Poems. Only fifty copies were printed and credited simply to "a Bostonian". The collection received virtually no attention from readers or critics. This early silence set the tone for a life of financial struggle despite literary talent.
Poe entered the United States Military Academy at West Point on the 1st of July 1830. He quarreled constantly with his foster father John Allan over money and discipline. Allan had married again in October 1830, which worsened their relationship. Poe deliberately got court-martialed by refusing to attend formations and classes. On the 8th of February 1831, he was tried for gross neglect of duty. He pleaded not guilty knowing he would be found guilty so he could be dismissed. He left West Point without ever graduating and decided to become a professional writer instead.
In 1835, Poe became assistant editor of the Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond. He claimed circulation grew from seven hundred to three thousand during his tenure. White discharged him within weeks allegedly for being drunk on the job. He later edited Burton's Gentleman's Magazine and Graham's Magazine in Philadelphia. One editorial note in Graham's stated that no periodical witnessed such increase in such a short time. Poe published numerous articles, stories, and reviews while enhancing his reputation as America's foremost literary critic. His work forced him to move between Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City repeatedly.
On the 29th of January 1845, Poe's poem The Raven appeared in the Evening Mirror newspaper. It quickly became a popular sensation and made him a household name almost instantly. Despite this fame, he received only nine dollars for its publication. The poem was concurrently published in The American Review: A Whig Journal under the pseudonym "Quarles". This success marked the peak of his public recognition before his death four years later. He had planned for years to produce his own journal called The Penn but died before it could begin publishing.
Poe was found semiconscious in Baltimore on the 3rd of October 1849. Joseph W. Walker reported him to be in great distress and needing immediate assistance. He died at Washington Medical College at five o'clock in the morning on Sunday, the 7th of October 1849. He never explained how he came to be there or why he wore clothes that were not his own. Newspapers reported his death as congestion of the brain or cerebral inflammation. These terms served as euphemisms for alcoholism or other disreputable causes. Speculation has included delirium tremens, heart disease, epilepsy, syphilis, meningeal inflammation, carbon monoxide poisoning, and rabies. One theory from 1872 suggests cooping caused his demise.
Immediately after Poe's death, literary rival Rufus Wilmot Griswold wrote a slanted obituary under the pseudonym Ludwig. It appeared in the New York Tribune signed by "Ludwig" on the day Poe was buried. The piece described Poe as a lunatic walking streets with lips moving in indistinct curses. Griswold later became Poe's literary executor and attempted to destroy his enemy's reputation. He published a biographical article called Memoir of the Author in an 1850 volume. Many claims within it were outright lies including assertions that Poe was a drug addict. Letters presented as proof were later revealed as forgeries yet the book remained popularly accepted for decades.
Poe created early mystery tales featuring detective C. Auguste Dupin that laid groundwork for future characters worldwide. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stated each story served as a root from which whole literature developed. The Mystery Writers of America named their awards for excellence in the genre The Edgars. His work also influenced writings eventually called science fiction notably Jules Verne who wrote An Antarctic Mystery as a sequel to Poe's novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. H.G. Wells noted Pym told what a very intelligent mind could imagine about the south polar region a century ago. In 2013 The Guardian cited Pym as one of greatest novels ever written in English language.
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Common questions
When did Edgar Allan Poe enlist in the United States Army under an assumed name?
Edgar Allan Poe enlisted in the United States Army on the 27th of May 1827. He was eighteen years old and used the name Edgar A. Perry to join the service.
Why did Edgar Allan Poe leave West Point without graduating?
Edgar Allan Poe deliberately got court-martialed by refusing to attend formations and classes at West Point. He left the academy on the 8th of February 1831 after being tried for gross neglect of duty so he could become a professional writer.
How much money did Edgar Allan Poe receive for publishing The Raven?
Edgar Allan Poe received only nine dollars for the publication of his poem The Raven. The poem appeared in the Evening Mirror newspaper on the 29th of January 1845 and became a popular sensation despite the low payment.
What caused the death of Edgar Allan Poe on the 7th of October 1849?
Newspapers reported that Edgar Allan Poe died from congestion of the brain or cerebral inflammation on the 7th of October 1849. Speculation regarding his death includes delirium tremens, heart disease, epilepsy, syphilis, meningeal inflammation, carbon monoxide poisoning, rabies, and cooping.
Who wrote the false obituary about Edgar Allan Poe under the pseudonym Ludwig?
Literary rival Rufus Wilmot Griswold wrote the slanted obituary about Edgar Allan Poe under the pseudonym Ludwig. This piece appeared in the New York Tribune signed by Ludwig on the day Poe was buried and contained outright lies including assertions that Poe was a drug addict.