Edgar Allen Poe: The Man Who Defined Horror Through His Writing

Who is the master of spooky thoughts? The weaver of dark mysteries? The man who defined horror through his writings? The owner of the hand that wrote the cleverest conundrums? The Portrayer of terror? The man that wrote as if it were an art? Who is, Edgar Allen Poe?

Poe was born on January 19th, 1809. Poe’s parents were actors, and had their most success in Boston, Poe’s birth town, yet, few places else. After Poe’s mother’s death and Poe’s father took his leave, Poe was adopted by john Allen, a wealthy merchant. Although Poe received more love from Mrs. Allen, Mr. Allen wanted only the best education for Poe and sent him abroad to study. But soon, Poe developed a problem. First off, Poe began heavy drinking which some say would lead to his demise. Also, Poe began to gamble way too much. In a mere 8 months, Poe ran a debt of over $2000, an insane amount of money at that time. After John refused to pay this debt, Poe left for the army and rose to the highest non-commissioned rank: sergeant major. But Poe got tired of this life and purposely got himself kicked out of the army. In the May of 1830, Poe revisited john Allen but left due to another quarrel.

This is the point in Poe’s under lived life that he began his writing career. He wrote and published Al Araaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems by Edgar Allen Poe, all at his own expense.

Along with his new writing career, Poe is constantly looking for employment. First Poe gets a job at the Southern Literary Messenger. Soon after he published The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym. After, Poe went to work for Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine. During this period of his life, Poe wrote some of his most famous stories, Like The Fall of the House of Usher and Grotesques and Arabesques which included some of his most Horrifying stories.

Some where now, Poe married his 13 year old cousin, Virginia. The wedding was on May 16, 1836.

In 1841, Poe left for the literary editorship of Graham Magazine. He left that in 1842 for excessive drinking and not being able to get along with his co-workers. After that he wrote Murders In the Rue Morgue and The Man That Was Used Up. In 1844, Poe got himself a job at the New York Mirror.

Some time now, (between 1841 and 1844) Virginia started to die. To relive himself, Poe drank his brains out.

In 1845, Poe left for the editorship position at the Broadway Journal. He also published The Raven in 1844. Poe’s next job was with Godey’s Lady’s book. But this lead to a large loss of money due to plagiarism charges and libel suits.

Poe now nearly out of money is having serious problems. In the winter of 1846, Poe and Virginia and her mother almost starved to death. The next Year in 1847, January 30th, Virginia died. As much as this was a punch into the gut of Poe’s life, Poe strived to succeed. He wrote Eureka soon after.

It was time to move on. In 1849, Poe was to marry Mrs. Shelton. Of course Poe’s mother-in-law was to attend the wedding so Poe set off to bring her to the wedding. On the way there, Poe died. No one is quite sure how. Some say it was his drinking, others, he was mobbed. Either way, Poe ended up in the hospital and died four days later on October 7th, 1849.

This genius mind was only alive for 40 years to share his works of art with us. But now, with your questions answered, I leave you with all of the knowledge I can spare, on the illustrious, Edgar Allen Poe.