Biography
Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809. His mother, Elizabeth Arnold Poe, was an actress. His father, David Poe, Jr., had pursued a somewhat less successful career on the stage ruined by alcohol. Poe's father abandoned his family around the time of Edgar's 2nd birthday. His mother took Edgar, his brother William, and sister Rosalie with her to Richmond in 1811, and that she died there the December of that year. Edgar was separated from his brother and sister and was taken in by a couple who new Edgar's mother, John and Frances Allan (Edgar was never legally adopted by the Allan's) Edgar was schooled at private schools, doing very well in his study's. He was also an athletic child, a good swimmer and shooter. But he was not popular. He was made fun of by his class mates as the son of actors (a frowned on career, 2nd worst to prostitution).
He got support from a parent like figure to him named Jane Stith Standard, but she died of a brain tumor when he was fifteen years old. More of a parent to him than Elizabeth Poe or Mrs. Allan, he looked upon this woman as his mother "he never had", and her death was the cause of his first period of psychological depression, during which he often visited her grave. In 1825 , John Allan inherited a big sum of money, and this gave him a opportunity to enroll Edgar at the University of Virginia. After a while he used up the money john Allan had gave him so he started gambling and so many dept's he left school.
Soon he moved Baltimore in and then back Boston. It was in Boston that Poe wrote the first poems. Poe joined the army...
Comment
This is a very well written essay, and provides some very good facts that I would not have known. Keep up the good work.
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