The Life, the Death, the Mystery of Edgar Allan Poe

Death can be a tragic situation for most people living on this earth. There will be times where people ignore the word “death” and try to avoid it. But what is our response to someone who is about to die or when we hear the word death? Many times people are very sad and feel some kind of depression from their love ones; especially when someone had died in a recent time. Although there are those who think in a positive mindset, attitude, who have different view and reaction into it.

“The Mysterious Death O Poe”, have been explained in various ways over the years. Many scholars writer have come up with varied of different clarification and there is no right or wrong interpretations on what any of the scholars have said about the “Mysterious Death Of Edgar Allan Poe”. Matter of fact everyone have different view in world, and everyone think differently from one another.

In a world of writing, Edgar Allan Poe won a heart of many 'scholar's' writer, and also he left an enormous mark on the literature field by writing outstanding 'poem' 'book' and so on.

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Poe’s was one of the first American writers to have a lasting impact on the literature field. And is also known for his dark and mysterious poems. However, one of the great mysteries that still lies with in Edgar Allan Poe's life is his death, as nobody knows how he died. Struggling through lifelong depression.

While many historians agree that Poe's death was intriguing, many agree that Poe's life is as well (Thomas; Pullman 7; “Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore”).

Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts. However, his parents died before he was 3, resulting in Poe being adopted by the Allans who lived in Richmond, Virginia. The Allans sent Poe to boarding schools and attempted to make his life as comfortable as possible. Poe excelled in his studies and before much later, was accepted into the University of Virginia ('A Short Biography') However, Poe soon became an alcoholic, and started to gamble his money away, forcing him to ask his father for financial help at which his father refused because he would only pay tuition for a scholar, not a gambler. Poe eventually had to drop out of the university. Poe then decided to join the army and he was admitted into the United States Military Academy in 1827, where again, he could not pay for the tuition and dropped out (“Edgar Allan Poe”). Poe goes to live with his cousin, Virginia, who he soon married in 1836, but he still lived a meager life and, to some historians, Virginia is the reason that he still clung to life (“Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore”; Thomas). When Virginia died of tuberculosis in 1847, Poe fell back into alcoholism and depression. Who later founded Poe's on a street and was quickly taken to a hospital. He died in the hospital shortly thereafter (“Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore”).

Many sources hypothesize that 'Poe's,'depression and alcoholism to his death. (“Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore”; Thomas). Philip Pullman discuss that:

and like many other writers, he found himself returning to the same idea frequently, as if who drew his imagination to them like a moth to a flame. One of Poe's obsessive themes was the death of a beautiful and beloved young woman. We find this in many of his stories, instead such as many poems here, not least “The Raven” itself. Look at “Annabel Lee”; look at my own favorite, the strange and unforgettable “Ulalume.' (7)

Which leads many to believe that one of the main causes of Poe's depression was the death of his wife, Virginia (“Edgar Allan Poe”; “Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore”). His father also ignored 'Poe' after he dropped out of college. When Poe asked his father for financial support, no help came. When john died, Poe does not mention in his will. To help allay his debts, Poe became an editor for the “Southern Literary Messenger.' Poe quickly became a sensation and increased the circulation of the paper by six times, but he did not get a raise so he continued to struggle in poverty ('A Short Biography').

Even through his depression, Poe managed to write. Edgar Allan Poe is the “Father of the Modern Detective Story.' and Sir Arthur Conan, author of Sherlock Holmes claimed that Edgar Allan Poe's detective stories were “a model for all time.' Edgar Allan Poe created the “Rules of the Game” which were after his detective stories. They stated that a detective story must be fair and it must be readable. “Being fair” in detective stories came down to all the facts to solve the mystery before revealing the solution. “Being readable” in detective stories simply meant that we must understand what the author is saying. Edgar Allan Poe came out with his first mystery story in 1841 called “The Murders in Rue Morgue.' This book followed all the “Rules of the Game,' and it was one of the first book to allow the reader solve the mystery of the book by observation and deduction. It was a locked room mystery story which meant who committed the crime under almost impossible at (Thomas). Funny how Edgar Allan Poe died in a locked room himself (“Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore”).

Edgar Allan Poe died in a hospital room in Baltimore, Maryland. However, as said before, Edgar Allan Poe's cause of death is enigmatic. According to Joseph Walker, a passerby that happened to find Poe, Poe was found next to a tavern “in great distress” and “in need of immediate attention.' Poe was quickly sent to a hospital where his doctor writes that he had lesions on his brain, fever, and occasional spasms. Poe's spasm bring up the theory of Rabies, but this is quickly brought down because Poe did not have hydrophobia (“Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore; “Edgar Allan Poe”). Also, because Edgar Allan Poe was a heavy alcohol user, he may have died of alcohol poisoning. Poe's location next to a tavern supports this theory. However, there was no sclerosis on the liver and did his breath smell like liquor 'according to' his doctor. 'Alas, Edgar Allan Poe may have been beaten to death by gangs.' Poe is next to a tavern that, when was a popular place to hold election polls. Fanatic gang roamed around these election polls, searching for people to vote in the poll repeatedly, pushing them with physical force and liquor. If Poe encountered one of these gangs, he might not have been able to forced the pressure on him. However, Poe had a cane with him that was valuable for his income. Had he encountered one of these gangs, who would rob him, but he wasn't, so that also brings theory down. Who formed no other theories, but the mystery, is always lurking, waiting to be uncovered (“Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore”).

Edgar Allan Poe may have struggled through depression and alcoholism, but he still gave birth to the modern detective story before he died (Thomas). Besides that, he created many poems and short stories that who is still reading him today (“Edgar Allan Poe”; Pullman 7). Poems such as “The Raven” still entertain readers as some struggle to find the meaning behind the poems while others enjoy them for their dark tones and setting (Pullman 6). Poe may have left behind the destructiveness story, allowing generations of people to copy off his template, but Edgar Allan Poe left one mystery story that who answered one mystery story?, one mystery story that has played in the minds of historians for hundreds of years, one mystery story so intricately threaded, Edgar Allan Poe could write it himself, the death of the father of the detective story (“Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore”; Thomas).