Edgar Allan Poe: One Of The Greatest Literary Geniuses

Edgar Allan Poe is one of the greatest literary geniuses in the world. There are many legends about his unusual life that sometimes overshadow the value of his writing. Poe was an extraordinary storyteller who was enriched with infinite creativity.

The world of horror literature changed completely after Edgar Allan Poe. People regarded this excellent American author as the creator of the detective genre. He also revived Gothic literature and incorporated a psychological component into the horror genre.

Poe went through many difficult and tragic experiences. Some critics did their best to portray him as a chaotic and depraved person, and they succeeded to some degree. Although Edgar Allan Poe was not a model for caution, he was not the monster his enemies portrayed him to be either.

Edgar Allan Poe had a difficult childhood

Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts, USA on January 19, 1809. His parents were traveling theater actors. Poe had two siblings. His parents died when he was barely two years old. Thus, he and his siblings were adopted by different families.

Poe ended up in a family where the man was named John Allan. Allan was a wealthy businessman who adopted Poe as a charity. The death of his adoptive mother and the difficult relationship with his adoptive father were two recurring themes in his work. 

Poe lived with his adoptive father in England and Scotland. It seems that his life in these countries had a Gothic character that is so marked in his work. Eventually, they returned to the United States, where Poe attended the best schools.

A turbulent youth

Edgar Allan Poe wrote his first work at the age of 14 years. It was there that he fell madly in love with his friend’s mother. He was dealing with a love that was not reciprocated when she suddenly died.

When Poe was young, he was an amazing athlete, and he loved astronomy. He decided to study languages ​​at the University of Virginia. It was there that Poe began to gamble and drink, and eventually he was expelled. His adoptive father employed him in one of his companies, but it did not last very long.

In 1827 he secretly published his first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems . Later he was part of the army, where he served for two years. Then his adoptive father helped him get a new job, but he was fired shortly after.

During that time he published two more books, which also contained poems. In 1832, he moved to Baltimore, where he married his 13-year-old cousin.

Edgar Allan Poe: A “damned” author

Poe’s adoptive parents ended up making him hereditary. To survive, he began working for various newspapers as an art critic and reporter. His sharp and elegant style made him infamous.

He continued to publish his works while working on the various newspapers. The Gold-Bug and The Raven and Other Stories really made him a true writer.

His young wife died of tuberculosis in 1847. Her terrible illness caused Poe to drink and take drugs. Many said that after the death of his wife he even started taking laudanum, which is a very strong opioid. He also began to suffer from various health problems.

Poe was desperate to find a new wife. He jumped from one relationship to another without settling down. Someone claimed he was trying to commit suicide with laudanum.

The end of his life

Towards the end of his life, he resumed contact with his former love, Sarah Elmira Royster. They decided to marry on September 17, 1849, but Poe mysteriously disappeared shortly after they were engaged.

He was found on the street on October 3, where he was very confused and was wearing another person’s clothes. One of his friends took him to the hospital, where he died on October 7th. One never found out what happened to him when he disappeared.

His autopsy report also disappeared, and even to this day, no one knows the exact cause of death. One can say with certainty that his work influenced all the great writers who came after him. His works were moving, powerful and deep.