Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and “the Raven”
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Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and “The Raven”
Edgar Allan Poe is considered to be the father of the short story by many. Over the course of his life, he wrote hundreds of short stories and poems. His writing style is unique and influenced by the tragedies that occurred over the course of his life. In fact, he is most well known for writing morbid stories and gruesome, dismal poems. Indeed his writing habits were heavily influenced by his life. His life was full of depression, angst, and woe. Many of the people he cared for fell victim to deadly plagues and diseases. To cope with this pain, Edgar Allan Poe sought comfort in the bottom of a bottle. In his times of depression he would drink heavily and become sick for days at a time. In between his fits of alcoholism and depression, he wrote. When he wrote, he wrote well. Edgar Allan Poe led a life full of tragedy and troubled times. Although he kept an air of dignity and pride around him, he often felt very lonely and depressed. This feeling of desperation greatly influenced his unique and often morbid writing style.
Edgar Allan Poe had very humble beginnings. Within the first three years of his life, he lost both of his parents and was separated from his siblings. Edgar Allan Poes parents had a background that can be credited for his imagination and love of writing poems and short stories. His parents, David and Elizabeth Poe, were both actors and stage performers. Although poor, David and Elizabeth were well known on the stage,
and played as important characters in assorted plays including comedies and Shakespearean dramas. David Poe preferred to take on minor roles in plays, but was credited by critics as good nonetheless. Elizabeth scored many lead actress roles, but still the two only had enough money to live poorly. They were too poor to care for their firstborn son, William Henry Poe, and had to send him off to his grandparents who were to care for him. On January 19, 1809, Edgar Poe was born. Edgars father was suffering heavily from alcoholism, and eventually left Elizabeth to care for her son alone. Elizabeth, however, was showing signs of tuberculosis and was pregnant with a third child. She was struggling to support her family by playing various theatrical roles for money. Soon she was too weak to continue acting. The owner of the theater company she worked for placed adds in newspapers to raise money for the Poes. Unfortunately, on December 11, 1811, Elizabeth Poe died of tuberculosis at the very young age of twenty-four, leaving her two children, Edgar and Rosalie alone.
Edgar Poe was almost three years old at the time of his mothers death. His mother had hopes of her children being cared for by their uncle, but that did not happen. Instead, Edgar was adopted by Frances Allan. Frances was a friend of Elizabeth Poe and frequently visited her family knowing that Elizabeth was going to pass away soon, and provided them with money, food, and toys for the children.
Edgar Poe was now living in a world totally new to him. Instead of musty rented rooms and sickly mother, he now was living with a well-to-do Virginian merchant and his family. The Allans lived in large house that sat on top of John Allans shop. Edgar was treated as a son by the Allans and he referred to John Allan as “Pa” and Frances
Allan as “Mama” (LeVert 30). During his childhood with the Allans, Poe was badly spoiled by Frances Allan. John Allan however was not as openly affectionate with his adopted son. He did nonetheless want the best for him, and spared no expense when it came to sending Edgar to school. At age four, he was enrolled by John in a dame school to learn to read and write. Suzanne LeVert wrote, “By the time he was six, Edgar was proficient in reading, drawing, and ballroom dancing” (LeVert 30). This only proves that John Allan did care for Poe and wanted only the best for him. Despite his academic accomplishments, John was still very strict with Poe. Poes attitude was very outgoing and mischievous, and he liked to play practical jokes. John, however, was rarely amused by Poes antics, but on the occasion was charmed by the speech craft of the youngster. Johns strict ways were quoted as “a counterbalance to his wifes overindulgence” (LeVert 30).
Troubled times were about to hit the Allan household. After the war of 1812, the United States and Great Britain became unstable trading partners. Businesses like John Allans depended on imported goods from Europe. In order to try and save his business, John had to travel to Europe and try to re-establish key ties to business partners, so that the Allans business could once again flourish. In June of 1815, Edgar Poe and the Allans left for the British Isles. After a month long boat trip, they arrived in Liverpool. Only staying for a week, they left to stay at John Allans relatives in Scotland for several months. The Allans eventually left their relatives and found a small house to stay in while John conducted business.
Once again, John Allan spared no expense in sending Edgar, now eight, to school. Apparently, Edgar did very well. He learned French and Latin very quickly and excelled in all of his other work, especially literature. Reverend John Bransby, the headmaster of his boarding school quoted, “Edgar Allan was a quick and clever boy, and would have been a very good boy had he not been spoilt by his parents” (LeVert 32).
In 1817, a depression came over both the United States and Europe causing debts, high unemployment, and heavy taxes. These conditions forced the Allans to move back to Richmond. On June 14, 1820, Poe was once again setting sail, this time to home.
Back in Virginia, Edgar continued his schooling. Now a teenager, he was spending more and more time reading. Also, his real parentage was widely known by others, and his classmates would make him endure cruel teasing. Although some kids teased him, he did have many friends and was very loyal to them. In the fall of 1823, Edgar met Jane Stanard, a classmates mother. Edgar became obsessed with her and called her Helen, which he believed was a more beautiful name that suited her more than Jane. “She became the mother he had lost so many years ago” (LeVert 35). Poe would go and spend time with her whenever he had problems in school or with his family. She became ill during the winter of 1823 and Poe was not allowed to see her anymore. On April 28, 1824, she died of a malignant brain tumor and Poe was crushed. ” Like his mother, she had deserted him, dying a painful death at a young age. Helen became Edgars ideal woman – unattainable, beautiful, and doomed. In Edgars mind, beauty was now forever