Poe is most well-known for his stories of terror and haunting poetry, but he is also known as the first writer of short stories, the inventor and innovator of the detective story, and a pioneer in science fiction.
Also Read: 20+ Sun Kissed Facts About Summer
Facts About Edgar Allan Poe
1.He was Prolific
His works include poetry, short stories, poetry, and a novel. He also wrote a book of scientific theory and many essays.
2. He created a new profession.
Poe is America’s first professional writer and starving artist. He made his living as a literary critic and theoretician.
3. He was likely named after a Shakespearean character.
In Boston, he was born Edgar Poe in 1809; his parents were actors. It was Shakespeare’s King Lear that his parents performed in the year he was born. This led to speculation that Edgar was the name of the Earl of Gloucester.
Also Read: Facts About Hinduism
4. Poetry and the Pen Ran in The Poe Family
Poe was the middle of three children. His brother William Henry Leonard Poe was also a poet, and his sister Rosalie Poe taught penmanship.
5. He was an orphan
His parents died before Edgar was four years old. He was adopted by John Allan, a wealthy merchant, and Francis, his wife. They lived in Richmond, Virginia, and named the boy Edgar Allan Poe.
6. He emulated Lord Byron.
Poe was raised by his foster father to become a Virginia gentleman and go into business. But Poe longed to be a writer like Lord Byron, his British hero. Poe was 13 years old when he had already written enough poetry to publish a book. However, his headmaster insisted that Poe’s father keep it from publication.
Also Read: Facts About Costa Rica
7. Poverty was His Muse
Poe began his college career. But, with no financial support from Allan, Poe was forced to travel through poverty and debt. Money problems plagued Poe, and tensions with his foster dad led him to resolve to become a successful author.
8. He was a prodigy
When he was 18, he published his first book, “Tamerlane.”
9. He was Disinherited
Poe was poor when Allan died. However, he was left out of the will, which still provided for an unmarried child Allan had never met. Ouch.
10. He married his teenage cousin
When Virginia Clemm was 13, he was only 27 years old. He married her first cousin. Okay, maybe that seems a little odd to us today. She died from tuberculosis at 24.
11. He may have invented the art of snarky.
Poe was appointed to the Southern Literary Messenger magazine’s editorial staff. He became well-known for his scorching criticisms and harsh book reviews. This is where Griswold got his fury. He continued to write for several magazines. He was a household name after the 1845 publication “The Raven.” This made him famous and brought him the success he longed for.
12. His death was as mysterious as his work.
Poe disappeared for five days in 1849. He was found “worse than wear” and delirious in Baltimore. At the age of forty, he was brought to the hospital. He was buried two days after his death. No autopsy was done, and the cause of death was given as “congestion of the brain.” Scholars and experts have suggested that Edgar Allan Poe died from rabies and murder and dipsomania or carbon monoxide poisoning. However, the exact cause of his death is still unknown. What could be more fitting?
