Fan Favorite: Great American Authors | Edgar Allan Poe: Master of Macabre | 1

Edgar Allan Poe's life was marked by a continuous series of personal challenges and tragedies that deeply impacted his emotional state and relationships.

Poe's Early Loss and Instability Fueled Emotional Turbulence and Self-Destructive Tendencies

From a young age, Edgar Poe faced significant instability and emotional turbulence following the death of his mother to tuberculosis when he was only two and a half years old. Poe and his siblings were separated and sent to live with strangers, with Edgar being taken in but never legally adopted by Frances and John Allen in Richmond, Virginia.

Orphaned Young, Poe Faced Inconsistent Support From Foster Father John Allen for His Literary Ambitions

The Allens provided Edgar with an elite education, but support from his foster father was inconsistent. John Allen vacillated between supporting and scolding Edgar, particularly in reaction to Poe's poetic ambitions, which would go unsupported and become a source of contention. They had clashing temperaments; John Allen accused Edgar of lacking gratitude for his kindness and, over time, his financial support became increasingly unreliable, especially as his own family expanded with the birth of twin sons to his mistress.

Poe's Relationships Were Fraught With Disappointment, Including Losing Fiancée Elmyra Royster and Wife Virginia's Death

Edgar experienced early romantic disappointment when his secret engagement to his neighbor, Elmyra Royster, fell apart after letters were intercepted, leading to her marriage to another man. This heartbreak paralleled the growing friction with his foster father and was compounded by Edgar's military enlistment, financial struggles, and the loss of his beloved foster mother, Frances Allen. A brief reconciliation with John Allen allowed Edgar to enter the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, yet this relationship deteriorated once more when Allen cut off financial support.

Growing restless at West Point, and desiring to focus on writing, Poe began to abandon his duties, leading to a court-martial. His subsequent pleas for support were ignored, and during a final confrontation, Allen threatened and expelled Poe from his home, leaving him nothing in his will after he passed.

Poe's Grief Over Virginia's Death From Tuberculo ...

Edgar Allan Poe is remembered as a pioneering writer in detective fiction and horror, though his life in the publishing industry was fraught with personal and professional challenges.

Poe Pioneered New Genres Like Detective Fiction and Horror

Poe's Tales, Including "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Black Cat," and "The Tell-Tale Heart," Explored the Human Psyche's Dark Recesses in Unprecedented Ways

Poe's horror stories, such as "The Black Cat" and "The Tell-Tale Heart," both published in 1843, feature unreliable narrators confessing to murder and delve into grim aspects of the human psyche. Additionally, "The Fall of the House of Usher," another one of Poe's enduring works, helped cement his reputation for mastering gothic and macabre themes.

Poe Struggled to Make a Living In a Challenging Publishing Industry

Poe's editorship at various magazines proved his skill, earning him promotions and notoriety as an astute critic, particularly during his time in Philadelphia where he worked for Burton's Gentleman's Magazine. Despite increasing the circulation of the magazines he worked for, his salary remained low, a constant point of contention.

During the Panic of 1837, Poe lived in New York City and faced financial difficulties. His novel "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym" saw modest sales which didn't alleviate his financial woes. His article "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," published during his tenure as the editor of Graham's Magazine, is recognized as the first detective story, further showcasing his innovation within new literary genres.

Despite his valuable contributions, Poe often clashed with employers due to his drinking and fiery temperament. His heavy drinking and vitriolic book reviews, which earned him the nickname "Tomahawk Man," led to conflicts with employers. Poe was fired from Burton's after announcing plans to start a rival magazine.

Poe's salary at Graham's Magazine was $800 a year, insufficient considering the success of the magazine under his stewardship. He resented the menial tasks he had to perform and felt the role stifled his artistry, leading him to quit in April 1842.

Poe's Broadway Journal Ownership Ended In Failure Due to Troubles

Despite his poverty, Poe's six years in Philadelphia m ...

Poe's Alcoholism and Mood Swings Sabotaged His Life

By the spring of 1849, Edgar Allan Poe's life was marred by alcoholism and erratic behavior, contributing to personal and professional turmoil.

Poe's Drinking Caused Embarrassments, Job Losses, and Damaged Relationships

Poe's drinking bouts escalated to public embarrassments, including an incident on June 29th, 1849, where he drunkenly lost his suitcase and ended up in jail exhibiting signs of terrifying hallucinations. His self-destructive tendencies were evident even during his time at West Point, where a restlessness and neglect of duties overshadowed his focus on poetry. His roommate observed Poe's scent of alcohol and the dark circles under his eyes, betraying a struggle that resulted in his eventual seeking of release through further drinking. Alcoholism was viewed as a moral defect during the 1830s, and it wasn't long until White, Poe's employer, dismissed him for his behavior.

The pattern of destructiveness persisted throughout his life, driving him to alcohol during financial struggles and his wife Virginia's illness. In June 1842, Poe's drinking left him wandering in the woods near Jersey City, and in the fall of the same year, he sabotaged a job opportunity by arriving intoxicated. His subsequent episodes of binge drinking not only caused embarrassment but likely impacted his relationships, evidenced by the disdain of a housekeeper and the refusal of a friend to lend him money.

As his alcoholism took hold, Poe turned to begging and attacking New York literary elites in print, leading to lost friendships and public feuds. These reckless actions repeatedly undermined his stability and livelihood.

Poe's Reckless Actions, Such As Insulting His Boston Lyceum Audience, Harmed His Reputation in Life

Poe's Feuds Seen As Petty and Damaging To His Stature

In a particularly notorious episode, Poe read a nonsensical poem at the Boston Lyceum, promp ...

Edgar Allan Poe’s life was marked by genius and tragedy, and after his mysterious death, his legacy became the subject of a bitter struggle as friends sought to defend his reputation against defamation.

Poe's Flaws and Quirks Overshadowed the Recognition of His Genius In His Lifetime

Poe's untimely death came amidst personal and professional turmoil. Bitter and depressed from a series of failures including the collapse of his magazine ventures and his wife's illness, Poe was mired in poverty. His grief over his wife's death would lead to severe depression that haunted him for the rest of his life. The specific circumstances surrounding his passing would remain a topic of speculation, with theories ranging from the effects of alcohol to victimization by “cooping” practices related to voter fraud.

Obituary Misrepresents Poe as Depraved Madman

Rufus Griswold, an editor and critic, published an obituary in the New York Daily Tribune two days after Poe’s death, which defamed Poe as a madman without honor. This obituary falsely stated Poe wandered the streets muttering indistinct curses, deeply misrepresenting his character. Griswold, who possessed a personal vendetta against Poe, later continued this character assassination through a biographical essay that spread malicious lies, erroneously claiming Poe's expulsion from the University of Virginia, desertion from the army, drug addiction, and inappropriate behavior towards his aunt, Maria Clemm. Griswold even fabricated evidence to profit from Poe’s literary works while attacking his character.

Friends Fought For Decades to Restore Poe's Literary Recognition

Despite his friends' challenges to Griswold’s portrayal, the damaging narrative had taken hold. Griswold, after gaining control of Poe's literary estate, published a collection of Poe's works in which he reiterated and expanded upon his negative narrative, this time in a thirty-five-page biography. ...