Transcript Edgar Allan Poe - Butler County High School

Edgar Allan Poe
1809-1849
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Born in Boston to David Poe, an alcoholic
traveling actor, and Elizabeth Arnold, also an
actress
David deserted his wife and child when Edgar
was a baby
His mother died while on tour in Richmond,
leaving Edgar an orphan before his 3rd
birthday
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Poe was taken in, but never formally
adopted, by John and Frances Allan, wealthy
merchants who had no children of their own
The Allans provided for Poe’s education and
in 1826 he entered the University of Virginia
Poe was forced to leave school after racking
up large gambling debts which his adopted
father refused to pay
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Poe joined the Army under an assumed
name and in 1827 published a volume of
poetry Tamerlane and Other Poems
In 1829, he published a second volume, Al
Aaraaf
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In 1830, John Allan helped him get into West Point
Military Academy, but was expelled for academic
violations within a year
This behavior caused a severe break in the
relationship with John Allan
It is believed that Poe got himself expelled on
purpose because Allan’s wife had died and he had
remarried a younger woman who could still have
children. Poe thought that there was no way that he
could be Allan’s heir, so he quit the military life that
Allan wanted him to have
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Poe moved in with his aunt, Maria Poe
Clemm
In 1835 he married her 13-year-old daughter,
Virginia
Poe supported his family by working as an
editor at various magazines and wrote when
he could find the time
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Although he wrote many poems, and one fulllength novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon
Pym, it was his short stories that had the
great effects on people
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Although many of his works were greatly
acclaimed by critics, he was never able to
escape poverty
He died two years after his wife, alone and
unhappy