Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston Massachusetts to David and Elizabeth. (1) Poe's Father , David Poe, left his wife and children in 1811 and was never seen again. It was probably because of his failing career and the successful career of his wife (they were both actors). (2) He is thought to have died on Dec. 11, 1811 in Norfolk. (3) That same year, his mother died. Edgar Poe was then taken to live with the wealthy John Allan in Virginia. As a child, Edgar was known as unpredictable and self-destructive. (4) In February 1826, he enrolled to the University of Virginia, but later dropped out. (5) In June of 1827 he had already published "Tamerlane and Other Poems"�, a colume of little promise. (6) His next volume, known as "Poems"� did much better. Poe spent many years as a staft member of various magazines, though he was usually let go because of erratic behavior due to periodic alcoholism.
1848 Daguerreotype of Edgar Allan Poe at 39, a yea...
Edgar Allan Poe Museum (Richmond, Virginia)
English: Edgar Allan Poe.While working for the "Southern Literary Messenger"�, "Quarterly Review"�, and "Graham's Magazine"�, he contributed poems, stories, critical articles and book reviews that barely kept him financially stable, but it did make him increasingly well known. His poems had an unforgettable rhythm and he was recognized as the most original poet in the United States. His stories, which were considered fantastic, weird and primarily concerned with death, also gained him popularity.
In 1836 he married his thirteen-year-old cousin, Virginia Clemm. With his devotion for her, there's no doubt that Poe's hastening deterioration was caused by Virginia's prolonged illness. (7) He was nursed by Mrs. Shew who wrote about him in her diary: ""æI do not feel much hope that he could be raised up from brain fever, brought on by extreme suffering of mind and body,