Short Overview of Edgar Allen Poe's life

Essay by oldevivo October 2002

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Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)

Edgar Allan Poe was one of America's famous writers. He is known as the first

master of short story form especially in tales of horror, and mystery. His poems made him

one of the most famous figures in American literary history. His influence on literature is

seen in all literature books in schools everywhere. Some of his famous writings is that of

"Annabel Lee"; his detective story, "The Murders in Rue Morgue"; "The Pit and the

Pendulum" and "The Tell-Tale Heart" are the best among his horror stories; and The

Raven one of his best poems which among all these, made him very famous in 1845. "The

Fall of the House of Usher", and "The Masque of the Red Death", made him a forerunner

of symbolism, and impressionism.

Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. He was orphaned at the

age of two, his father deserted the family and his mother died all before he was three in

1811. Then Poe was raised as a foster child by John Allan and his wife but they never

legally adopted him. In 1826 Poe enrolled at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville

where he acquired gambling debts that John Allan refused to pay. Eventually, Poe was

forced to withdraw from the university, and Allan prevented his return to the university

and broke off Poe's engagement to Sarah Elmira Royster, his Richmond sweetheart. His

relationship with Allan declined and he moved from his foster father and enlisted in the

army. He served a two year term while waiting for an appointment to the US Military

Academy. While temporarily reconciled, Allan secured him an appointment to the

academy. In 1830 Poe entered the US Military Academy at West Point, NY, where he

excelled in languages but...