Edgar+Allan+Poe

**Background Information:** Born January 19, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts, Edgar Allan Poe is one of the best known writers to this day. Growing up, Poe never knew his parents. He didn’t have a father and his mother died when he was only 3. Poe was separated from his siblings and went to live with a foster family. Poe preferred poetry to anything, even at a young age and would write on the back of business papers. Poe published his first collection, Tamerlane and Other Poems in 1827. In 1835, Poe went to work for a magazine where he developed a reputation as a harsh critic, writing vicious reviews of his contemporaries. Poe also published some of his own works in the magazine. Poe's aggressive-reviewing style and sometimes-combative personality strained his relationship with the publication, and he left the magazine after just a short period of time. His problems with alcohol also played a role in his departure, according to some reports. In late 1830s, Poe published Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque, a collection of stories. It contained several of his most spine-tingling tales, including "The Fall of the House of Usher," "Ligeia" and "William Wilson." Poe launched the new genre of detective fiction with 1841's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue." A writer on the rise, he won a literary prize in 1843 for "The Gold Bug," a suspenseful tale. Poe became a literary sensation in 1845 with the publication of his most famous poem "The Raven." It is considered a great American literary work and one of the best of Poe's career. In the work, Poe explored some of his common themes—death and loss. An unknown narrator laments the demise of his great love Lenore. Continuing work in different forms, Poe examined his own methodology and writing in general in several essays. He also produced another thrilling tale, "The Cask of Amontillado," and poems such as "Ulalume" and "The Bells." Poe was overcome by grief after the death of his beloved Virginia in 1847. While he continued to work, he suffered from poor health and struggled financially. His final days remain somewhat of a mystery. On October 3, Poe was found in Baltimore in great distress. He was taken to Washington College Hospital where he died on October 7. At the time, it was said that Poe died of "congestion of the brain." But his actual cause of death has been the subject of endless speculation. Some experts believe that alcoholism led to his demise while others offer up alternative theories. Rabies, epilepsy, carbon monoxide poisoning are just some of the conditions thought to have led to the great writer's death. His last words were "Lord, help my poor soul." While he never had financial success in his lifetime, Poe has become one of America's most enduring writers. His works are as compelling today as there were more than a century ago. A bright, imaginative thinker, Poe crafted stories and poems that still shock, surprise and move modern readers. With his short stories and poems, Edgar Allan Poe captured the imagination and interest of readers around the world. His creative talents led to the beginning of different literary genre, earning him the nickname "The Father of the Detective Story".

**Most Famous Works:** @The Raven @The Tell Tale Heart @Annabel Lee

Sources: http://www.biography.com/people/edgar-allan-poe-9443160 http://www.heise.de/ix/raven/Literature/Lore/TheRaven.html   http://poestories.com/read/telltaleheart   http://poestories.com/read/annabellee