Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 to parents Elizabeth and David Poe. Baby Edgar lived at home with his parents, brother, and sister; all seemed to be well in the Poe home until 1810, when Edgar was roughly a year old. David and Elizabeth separated, leaving the children with only one parent to care for them. Things went on this way for another two years until Elizabeth Poe, Edgar’s mother, became very sick. On December 8, 1811, Elizabeth Poe died from a long bout with Tuberculosis, and David Poe had passed away as well. Three year old Edgar and his siblings were sent to different homes in which they would be raised. Edgar was taken in by John and Frances Allan, who changed Edgar Poe’s name to Edgar Allan Poe to show his new family
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In mid-summer Edgar leaves for Richmond, Virginia, the city in which he grew up; Edgar’s intent is to visit old friends and lecture crowds of people (Edgar Allan Poe Museum). While Poe is in RIchmond he meets up with his ex-fiancee, Sarah Elmira Royster, now Sarah Elmira Shelton. Shelton’s husband had died, leaving her a widow. Sarah and Edgar decide to get engaged for a second time, not knowing that they would still never be wed. On September 27, 1849 Edgar leaves Richmond and head toward Philadelphia for another editing job; no one hears from Poe for a while. Apparently, “for unknown reasons, he stopped in Baltimore” (Poets.org). While in Baltimore Poe does strange things, and his family in the city scarcely knows where he is or what he is doing. Even his Baltimore cousin, Neilson Poe, wrote to Maria Clemm on October 11, 1849 “where he spent the time he was here, or under what circumstances, I have been unable to ascertain” (Quinn, Edgar Allan Poe, p. 642) (eapoe.org). Poe is found in Baltimore on October 3, 1849 in a state of insanity. He dies three days later, on October 7, 1849. “Evidence by medical practitioners who reopened the case has shown that Poe may have been suffering from rabies” (Poets.org). Though there are many speculations about his sudden death, the only thing that is known for a fact is that he died of brain congestion; it only seems proper that such a curious man died such a mysterious
In mid-summer Edgar leaves for Richmond, Virginia, the city in which he grew up; Edgar’s intent is to visit old friends and lecture crowds of people (Edgar Allan Poe Museum). While Poe is in RIchmond he meets up with his ex-fiancee, Sarah Elmira Royster, now Sarah Elmira Shelton. Shelton’s husband had died, leaving her a widow. Sarah and Edgar decide to get engaged for a second time, not knowing that they would still never be wed. On September 27, 1849 Edgar leaves Richmond and head toward Philadelphia for another editing job; no one hears from Poe for a while. Apparently, “for unknown reasons, he stopped in Baltimore” (Poets.org). While in Baltimore Poe does strange things, and his family in the city scarcely knows where he is or what he is doing. Even his Baltimore cousin, Neilson Poe, wrote to Maria Clemm on October 11, 1849 “where he spent the time he was here, or under what circumstances, I have been unable to ascertain” (Quinn, Edgar Allan Poe, p. 642) (eapoe.org). Poe is found in Baltimore on October 3, 1849 in a state of insanity. He dies three days later, on October 7, 1849. “Evidence by medical practitioners who reopened the case has shown that Poe may have been suffering from rabies” (Poets.org). Though there are many speculations about his sudden death, the only thing that is known for a fact is that he died of brain congestion; it only seems proper that such a curious man died such a mysterious