Edgar Allen Poe was a master of his craft, gifted with the talent of introducing each reader to his or her own subconscious fears. As the first writer to initiate horror, and mystery into literature and poetry, he is blessed- or perhaps cursed- with an imagination that set higher standards in the field of writing. However morbid or dark it may be, Poe's writing continues to have an impact on the world of prose. A look into Poe's childhood might shed some light on where his fascination with stems from.
Edgar Allan Poe was born in 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts to drifting actor parents, Eliza and David Poe. Denying his parental responsibilities, his father left his mother before Poe was even born, and his mother died when he was only three marking the beginning of his negligent, troubled childhood. His sister and older brother were sent to seperate households. He was taken to the home of John Allen, a successful merchant in Richmond, Virginia.
1848 Daguerreotype of Edgar Allan Poe at 39, a yea...
English: Photo of Edgar Allan Poe's Monument/Grave...
Facsimile of Edgar Allan Poe's original manuscript...Soon after Poe started school they moved to England, where he studied for five years. As a child he was neglected, and never formally adopted as a member of the family, although he was baptized with the name Edgar "Allen" Poe. Some time after the trip to England , Frances, Poes "Mother" had gotten very sick, and it progressed throughout the years. He continued searching for a maternal figure and found one in a schoolmates mother. He only knew her for about a year when she died. After this his mood permanently changed.
In February, 1826 Edgar enrolled at the University of Virginia. Edgar was, during his university years, described as moody and gloomy. This might be due to his first known romantic attachment with a girl named Elmira Royster, whom he met in Richmond before...