by Anne Penny

Created on: May 29, 2010

Poverty stalked Edgar Allan Poe all his life, from the moment of his birth in 1809 until his miserable death in 1849 after a constant series of disasters and misfortune. His melancholy life was filled with sadness and adversity; nevertheless, his literary genius and prolific output is impressive.

 Edgar’s parents were actors performing in a wide variety of roles and anxiously struggling to earn a living. They had met as stage performers and married in 1806. Their first son, Henry, was born in1807 followed by Edgar in 1809. David Poe, their father disappeared from mention in 1810 but it is not known whether or not he died at that time; a third child, Rosalie, was born in 1810.

 Poe’s mother died of tuberculosis in 1811 and the three children were separated, Edgar being taken in at the age of two by the Allans of Richmond, Virginia. The Allans were well-to-do and Edgar grew fond of his foster-mother though it seems that Jock Allan never cared for Edgar. The family moved to England in 1815 when Edgar was six years old and he attended his first schools there before the family returned to America in 1820.

 In 1826, Poe registered at the University of Virginia which he left after one year, unable to keep up with his growing debts and blaming Jock Allan for failing to give him sufficient funds; Poe and Allan then became estranged over gambling debts incurred by Edgar. A girl with whom Poe was in love, Sarah Royster married somebody else at this time and Poe left Richmond and went to Boston where he tried to live by doing various poorly-paid jobs, including writing for a newspaper.

 Poe enlisted in the U.S.Army in 1827. Still only 18 years old he published his first work, the 40 page,“Tamerlane and Other Poems” which attracted little attention. When he wished to be discharged from the army, Jock Allan eventually agreed to support him and Poe entered West Point Military Academy in 1829. Prior to this he stayed in Baltimore with his grandmother, his brother Henry, his aunt [father’s sister] Maria Clemm and her young daughter, Virginia.

 After one year at West Point Poe wanted to be released and was dishonorably discharged after deliberately neglecting duties. Returning to Baltimore, to his aunt Maria Clemm, he began writing for various magazines, but his alcoholic tendencies caused him many problems.

 In 1836 he married his cousin Virginia, who was only 13 years old and despite the alcoholism and erratic behavior,

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