• Home Page
  • The Mysterious Death Of Edgar Allan Poe's Death

The Mysterious Death Of Edgar Allan Poe's Death

Improved Essays
Show More
Edgar Allan Poe was a famous writer, mostly writing short stories and poems. He was known for his mysteries, horror stories. Arguably, his most popular and well known pieces of work is “The Raven”. In this essay I will be discussing the mysterious events that led up to Poe’s death and discussing the theories that are the most popular. Edgar Allan Poe’s death could have been caused due to a number of theories, the theories I will be discussing are death by alcohol poisoning, rabies, and the most mysterious, murder. Before getting into the theories I will first talk about what was going on with Poe at the time. During this time Poe was set to marry his fiance, Elmira Shelton. The wedding was set for October 17th 1849, ten days after his untimely death. Poe was working multiple jobs, mostly traveling as an editor for other authors poems, or newspaper columns. Right before leaving for a work trip to Baltimore and New York, his fiancee requested him to see a doctor as he looked “ill”. The doctor confided in Poe telling …show more content…
This theory comes from a book named Midnight Dreary: The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe written by John Evangelist Walsh in the year 2000. This theory states that Poe was murdered in a plot to kill him by his fiancee’s three brothers. These three brothers did not approve of Poe marrying their sister. Walsh argues that when Poe was on his way to Philadelphia he was attacked by the three brothers for going against their wishes for him to not marry him. Walsh believes that Poe, frightened, went to Baltimore to hide and wait it out, changing clothes so he was not recognizable. Eventually the brothers found Poe, beat him and forcing him to drink liquor until he became unconscious, then Poe was left in a ditch to die. This theory, as entertaining as it is, does not explain the fact that the hospital staff did not report any signs of

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Edgar Allan Poe Death Research Paper
    • 398 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe Death Research Paper

    The Death of Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe died mysteriously on October 7, 1849 after being found on the streets in a delirious state four days earlier. While he was in the hospital, he was so confused that he could not tell anyone what had happened to him. Because of this, there is no confirmed cause of death. Since Baltimore was known for its violent elections, a practice started called “cooping.” Although many theories have circulated about how Edgar Allan Poe died, the most logical cause would be the theory of cooping.…

    • 398 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Edgar Allan Poe Cooping Essay
    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe Cooping Essay

    There are many different theories as to how Edgar Allan Poe died, the main two being cooping or a beating. But is it either of those? Poe was found by a bar, unconscious. Then later at the hospital, he was very delirious and was wearing dirty clothes that were not his own. Also, when a person has too much alcohol it causes their liver to start to fail because it can't filter out all of the toxins.…

    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Edgar Allan Poe Cooping Theory
    • 239 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe Cooping Theory

    Edgar Allen Poe did not die of natural cause. It remains a mystery exactly how he died but there is a strong theory that explains it. He was found in a gutter near a polling station in very rough condition, in clothes that did not fit him. Poe, author of the Raven, was a well known writer in Baltimore and his sudden death does not add up. The Cooping Theory proves the cause behind Poe’s death.…

    • 239 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Theories On The Cause Of Poe's Death
    • 236 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Theories On The Cause Of Poe's Death

    According to the biography, Poe's Final Days, “Poe reached the hospital…

    • 236 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Decent Essays

    How Did Edgar Allan Poe's Cause Of Death
    • 191 Words
    • 1 Pages

    How Did Edgar Allan Poe's Cause Of Death

    Poe was found on the streets of Baltimore barely conscious in clothes that were not his own. He was taken to Washington College Hospital where he was never conscious enough to tell how he got into the state he was found in. Poe’s cause of death was diagnosed as congestion of the brain this is a common diagnosis for patients with a history of alcohol abuse. Symptoms of alcohol…

    • 191 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Comparison Of Annabel Lee, The Tell-Tale Heart, And The Raven
    • 846 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Comparison Of Annabel Lee, The Tell-Tale Heart, And The Raven

    The ideas and subjects expressed in Edgar Allan Poe’s works are a reflection of his life and times. Poe, the widely known author of “Annabel Lee,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and “The Raven” married his wife Virginia in 1836 (Poe/Bio 1). He loved her very much, and it is said that he based some of his stories on their affection (Poe/Bio). Sadly, his wife died in 1847 of tuberculosis, and “Poe became increasingly depressed and erratic” though he still continued writing (Britannica 1). Many considered Poe to be an alcoholic, which a prominent factor why people thought he possessed an unsound mind (Britannica 1).…

    • 846 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Two Rival Theories On The Death Of Edgar Allan Poe
    • 931 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Two Rival Theories On The Death Of Edgar Allan Poe

    This refutes the alcohol claim because it presents that Poe could not have died from alcohol poisoning because it makes him ill and he avoided it to avoid becoming. Since Poe knew it made him ill he would not have overdosed on it because he knew that it would greatly sicken him and possibly kill him. In addition, the article “Poe’s Final Days”, by Kenneth Silverman, attempts to reinforce their claim by stating “Moran's account of his profuse perspiration, trembling, and hallucinations indicates delirious tremens, mania à potu.” (8). Delirium tremens is a state of confusion caused by alcohol withdrawals.…

    • 931 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    How Did Edgar Allan Poe Die Thesis Statement
    • 325 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How Did Edgar Allan Poe Die Thesis Statement

    How did Poe die? A question that the world is still trying to answer is: How did Edgar Allan Poe die? I read four interesting articles and they all brought up interesting reasons how and why Poe died. My thesis is that I think Edgar Poe died do to exposure to horrible weather and alcohol caused him to not care for his personal health.…

    • 325 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Who Is Responsible For Edgar Allan Poe's Death
    • 234 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Who Is Responsible For Edgar Allan Poe's Death

    On Oct. 7, 1849, Edgar Allan Poe died mysteriously. While there are many theories about why or how he died, my belief is that he died as a result of alcohol induced madness otherwise known as mania-a-potu. In a letter to Poe’s biographer, Marie Louise Shew, Poe’s nurse and friend, writes of Poe’s pre-existing condition in which he couldn’t consume alcohol without “producing insanity”. With Poe’s condition he wouldn’t have been able to control himself after consuming alcohol. In a letter to his mother in law, Maria Clemm, four months before he died, Poe states he had a manic episode in which he was taken to prison for intoxication.…

    • 234 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Decent Essays

    Theories Behind Edgar Allen Poe's Death
    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Theories Behind Edgar Allen Poe's Death

    It might not have been easy, but using what I read in that article, I was able to make the conclusion that Poe died of a cooping Back in the 1840´s, when men could vote and women can not, the men would take another man up off the street and they drug them. The men would then put them in other people´s old dirty clothes and force them to go vote for the candidates they wanted to win the election, because every man can only vote one time, once they are done with them, the men that forced them to vote again just throw them out on the street while they are still drugged and go and find another man to vote and this keeps going. This is the theory called cooping. In the article I read, it stated that Poe was found outside of a polling place. Then it went on and stated that Poe was…

    • 540 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Edgar Allan Poe's Untimely Death
    • 198 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe's Untimely Death

    On Oct. 7, 1849, Edgar Allan Poe died mysteriously. While many speculate about his untimely death, my belief is that he was suffering from a fever borne from some kind of illness, most likely cholera, and died as a result. The most believable evidence comes from Poe himself, in a letter to his mother-in-law, Maria Clemm, Poe told Maria that he had contracted cholera weeks before he arrived in Richmond and had a manic episode. In addition, Elmira Royster Shelton, Poe’s fiancee, wrote to Maria that on September 26, Poe had a fever and was pale before he left Richmond for Baltimore. Finally, in another letter to Maria by Poe’s attending physician, he states that Poe arrived unconscious and was like that until early morning where he woke up in…

    • 198 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Cooping Theory In Edgar Allan Poe's Death
    • 859 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Cooping Theory In Edgar Allan Poe's Death

    There was no autopsy performed so there is no proof on how he died. The cooping theory would make the most sense due to multiple deaths caused by overdose. He was also found in different clothes like I stated above, outside of a poll hall. Poe was seen stumbling around town the day of his death by…

    • 859 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Edgar Allan Poe Research Paper
    • 2181 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe Research Paper

    Edgar Allan Poe, was a person of great uniqueness, for his life was a great obstacle with many up and downs. With one of those Great achievements was his narrative poem, “The Raven”; Published in January 1845. That clearly shows his well known writing style of a dark metaphysical vision, musical rhythm of his poems, and style in a metrical language. As well, Poe writing clearly reflects on his extraordinary life that show his true meaning of his work and why his, work is looked upon to, by so many. Edger Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1807 and died on October 7, 1849; he was a very well known; writer, poet, and critic.…

    • 2181 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Cause Of Edgar Allan Poe's Death
    • 676 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Cause Of Edgar Allan Poe's Death

    There are many theories as to how Edgar Allan Poe died. Some say that he was beaten to death, he suffered from rabies, or he had a brain tumor. The most logical explanation, however, is that Edgar Allan Poe died due to a combination of being a victim of a practice called cooping and having an aversion to alcohol. While alcohol certainly influenced him, cooping…

    • 676 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Edgar Allan Poe Ligeia Analysis
    • 1438 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe Ligeia Analysis

    He thought that everything that was happening was reality when it is clear to the reader, especially after reading the effects of taking opium, that all of the details he presented could have easily been just a part of a dream that he was having. Drugs tend to lead people to misperceive what is going on, and when reading a story such as this one without taking into effect what the writer is like, the reader may falsely believe that this actually happened when, in reality, it could have been just a figment of imagination. Edgar Allan Poe made many references to losing his beloved wife, and he did not seem to come to terms with this fact. This inability showed that drugs, in a sense, damaged his life and, in turn, made him think that these inevitable things were not going on when, in reality, they were. Edgar Allan Poe…

    • 1438 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings