Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) American author best known for his dark

and ominous short stories and poems. Poe experienced tragedy in his life.

He was born into poverty; father was an alcoholic who left when Edgar was

young, died soon after his mother died of tuberculosis his foster mother and his wife died brother died lived and died in poverty.

Edgar Allan Poe

1st Wife - Virginia Eliza Clemm who was his 13 year old cousin

She died 9 years later causing Poe to drink a lot and display erratic behavior

Remarried another teenager (Elmira Royster) a year later

Edgar Allan Poe

Works show an obsession with death and violence

Many works deal with psychological torture rather than graphic horror

Edgar Allan Poe

Conflicting Accounts of how he died Alcoholism Murder Disease

What we do know is that he was found unconscious (probably drunk) in the street and was taken to a hospital but he never woke.

Edgar Allan Poe

What we do know is that he was found unconscious (probably drunk) in the street and was taken to a hospital but he never woke.