Edgar Allan Poe - Biography - a relevant and creative path. The Strange Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan by Allan by Works

A forerunner of decadence and modernism, whose creations were marked by boundless melancholy, the writer Edgar Allan Poe is familiar to many as the creator of iconic dark stories with mystical overtones. The writer, trying to take readers beyond trivial thinking, in his short stories, philosophical fiction and rationalizations, was engaged in an artistic study of the activities of the human intellect. The formation of the detective and psychological thriller genres is the direct merit of the prose writer.

The best minds of the 19th century, including symbolist writers and, admired the realism of the mental suffering described in the works of the “damned poet” and the professionalism with which Poe balanced between the horror of life and the joy of death. Even during Edgar’s lifetime, people who were not devoid of imagery of thought declared that the name of the creator, shrouded in a halo of a romantic sufferer, would go down in the history of world literature.

Childhood and youth

The future spiritual mentor was born on January 19, 1809 in the northeastern United States in the capital of Massachusetts - the city of Boston. The poet's parents, Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins and David Poe, were creatively gifted people. His mother is an English actress who emigrated to America, and his father is a law student from Baltimore who chose the path of acting instead of a well-paid legal profession. From the biography of the genius of literary arabesque, it is known that, in addition to him, two more children were raised in the family: older brother William Henry Leonard (1807–1831) and younger sister Rosalie (1810–1874).

The head of the family left his wife when Edgar was barely a year old. Nothing is known for certain about the man’s further fate. In 1811, the poet's mother died of consumption. All three children officially found adoptive parents. Edgar ended up in the family of the co-owner of a trading company involved in the sale of cotton and tobacco - John Allan and his wife Frances. The couple, being highly respected individuals, had great influence in the elite circles of Richmond, where they lived before leaving for England.

In the Allan house, the boy, who knew neither warmth nor affection, found the care that he so lacked. Frances doted on Edgar and did not deny anything to the child whom she considered her own. John did not share his wife's delight. The man did not understand why his beloved chose adoption over the natural process of childbearing. Despite some misunderstanding, the businessman also spoiled his adopted son. As a child, Edgar had at his disposal whatever he wanted. At that time, parents did not set a price limit on whims and needs.

Edgar showed early ability to learn, and at the age of 5 he was sent to school. In 1815, the Allan family left for Great Britain to work. There, Poe's educators were exposed to the harsh climate and equally harsh customs of English educational institutions. He returned to America as a stronger, precocious teenager. The knowledge acquired by the future poet in the Old World allowed him to enter a local college in 1820 without much difficulty. However, the financial difficulties that the family faced upon returning to their homeland, and the conflicts that periodically arose between Francis and John, had a negative impact on Poe.

The once cheerful guy increasingly retired to his room, preferring the company of books to the noisy companies of his peers. During the period of voluntary seclusion, Edgar's interest in poetry manifested itself. Allan did not understand the young man’s new hobby. In the opinion of a man devoid of creative thinking, the best occupation for Edgar would be to work hard in the family store, where in the future Poe could gain the right to a share in the business. During quarrels caused by different life priorities, John constantly reminded his adopted son that his life depended entirely on his guardian.

As a college student, Poe fell head over heels in love with his friend's mother, Jane Stanard. Communication between an older lady and an ardent young man was reduced to behind-the-scenes meetings and conversations all night long. Subsequently, Edgar dedicated the poem “Elena” to his beloved (as the prose writer called his chosen one). For the first time in his life, Poe was happy. True, the prose writer did not enjoy the delights of mutual love for long.

In 1824, Jane contracted meningitis, lost her mind and died. Heartbroken, Edgar began to suffer from nightmares. The young man was most frightened when, in the pitch darkness of the night, it seemed to him that someone’s icy hand was resting on his face. A well-functioning imagination repeatedly pictured the terrible face of a hitherto unknown creature approaching him from the pre-dawn twilight.

Young Edgar Allan Poe and Jane Stanard

According to biographers, it was at this time that the first symptoms of the writer’s mental disorder began to appear, which subsequently transformed into a frequently occurring apathetic state, persecution mania and thoughts of suicide. In the spring of 1825, the writer’s stepfather received an inheritance of $750 thousand from his deceased uncle and became one of the richest people in Richmond. Poe decided to take advantage of the opportunity and persuaded Allan to pay for his studies at the University of Virginia. True, John, who became greedy for money in his old age, decided to save money. Instead of the $350 required for payment, he gave the young man only $110.

Upon arrival at the educational institution founded, Edgar found himself in a bourgeois environment alien to him. In the company of wealthy young men and women, Poe tried in vain to fit in with them, but the handouts sent by his guardian were only enough to pay for housing. Edgar decided to earn money by playing cards, aggravating the already precarious state of affairs. In December 1826, John Allan received numerous bills from Edgar's creditors. In terrible anger, the merchant arrived in Charlottesville and told his adopted son that this was the end of his university epic, which had not yet really begun.

Portrait of Edgar Allan Poe, 1843

Despite Poe’s obvious success in his studies and successfully passing his exams, the young man could no longer remain at the university and left it after the end of the academic year on December 21, 1826. The aspiring poet felt his shame acutely. The stepfather added fuel to the fire and every day accused the former student of irresponsibility, and after another quarrel he kicked Po out of the house. Edgar settled in the Court-House tavern, from where he wrote letters to Allan, continuing the showdown in epistolary form. After spending a couple of days in a barroom room, Poe went to Norfolk and then to Boston.

Literature

In his hometown, the writer by chance met the young typographer Calvin Thomas, who agreed to publish his first collection of poems, Tamerlane. The work was published in 1827. In the preface, Poe apologized to readers for the crudeness of the works published in the book and explained that he wrote these masterpieces at the age of 12–14 years.

In 1829, the second poetry collection “Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Other Poems” was published; in April 1831, the poet’s third book, “Poems”, was published, which included previously unpublished works (“Israfel”, “Paean”, “The Condemned City” ", "To Elena", "Sleeping"). The success of "The Raven" at the beginning of 1845 gave Edgar the opportunity to collect his new poems in a separate publication, "Stories", which hit the shelves in the same year.

It is worth noting that the short story genre has always occupied the main place in Allan’s work. Poe’s short stories can be divided into several thematic groups: psychological (“The Black Cat”, “Ligeia”, “The Cask of Amontillado”, “The Oval Portrait”), logical (“The Gold Bug”, “Murder in the Rue Morgue”, “The Mystery of Marie Roget” ", "The Stolen Letter"), humorous ("Glasses", "Breathless", "The Thousand and Second Tale of Scheherazade") and science fiction ("The Extraordinary Adventure of a Certain Hans Pfaal", "Sphinx", "The Story of the Balloon") .

The era of detective literature began with four logical works of the writer, in which the main character was the detective Auguste Dupin. The detective born from Edgar's imagination became the prototype of famous bloodhounds: Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Although it was stories that made Poe popular, it was only in poetry that the writer showed the world his true self. With the help of poems, Edgar established closer contact with readers.

Personal life

The writer met his first and only wife the year his stepfather kicked him out of the house. Having learned that her nephew had nowhere to live, Aunt Klemm happily accepted Poe into her estate in Baltimore. It was then that love broke out between the melancholy Edgar and good-natured Virginia. The wedding took place on September 12, 1835. The wedding was secret. Edgar was 26 years old at the time of his marriage, and his chosen one was only 13 years old. Mrs. Klemm's relatives opposed the marriage.

In their opinion, depriving Virginia of her childhood by marrying her to a slacker (at that time, poetic work was not considered an occupation for a worthy man) was extremely unreasonable. The elderly woman thought differently: from the very beginning she saw a genius in Edgar and knew that she could not find a better match for her daughter.

Virginia became the guiding light of Poe's life, inspiring him to create outstanding works. The young lady loved her Eddie so much that she put up with both the poverty that stubbornly haunted their family and the difficult character of the writer. It is worth noting that Edgar, in a strange way, depended on the well-being and mood of his wife. When Poe's beloved died of tuberculosis in January 1847, the writer fell into a prolonged depression. The widower preferred strong drinks to work and the hugs of other women. Only alcohol allowed the creator to forget the horror that he had to endure.

Death

Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7, 1849 in a Baltimore hospital. According to the testimony of a doctor who observed the writer’s condition in the last days of his life, the author of the story “Little Frog” was taken to the hospital on October 3, 1849. Disoriented in space and time, the writer was dressed in clothes from someone else’s shoulder and did not remember his last name or first name. The man, who had lost his mind, was placed in a room with barred windows. After a couple of days in the hospital, Poe never regained consciousness. He was tormented by hallucinations and convulsions, he mentioned his long-dead wife, and also repeatedly uttered the name of a certain Reynolds, whose identity could not be identified.

After four days in the medical institution, the poet died. His last words were: “Lord, accept my poor soul.” All medical records, including Poe's death certificate, have disappeared. Newspapers of that time explained the death of the writer by brain disease and inflammation of the central nervous system. In the 19th century, these diagnoses were often given to people who died from alcoholism. What actually caused the death of the legend of world literature is still unknown. The funeral procession, which was attended by only a couple of people, took place on October 8 of the same year. Poe was buried in Baltimore's Westminster Cemetery in a cheap coffin without handles, a name tag, a blanket or a pillow under his head.

On October 1, 1875, the writer’s ashes were transferred to a grave located closer to the entrance. Also, at the expense of fans of the writer’s work, a monument was made and erected. The hoaxer’s literary heritage has been preserved in collections of poems, poems and stories. Among other things, the works “The Well and the Pendulum”, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, “The Masque of the Red Death”, “Berenice”, “Murder in the Rue Morgue” and “Metzengerstein” formed the basis of the plot of modern films and television series.

Bibliography

• "Spirits of Death" (1827);
• "Dreams" (1827);
• "Romance" (1829);
• "Metzengerstein" (1832);
• “Manuscript Found in a Bottle” (1833);
• "The Fall of the House of Usher" (1839);
• "Silence" (1840);
• “The Well and the Pendulum” (1842);
• "Linor" (1843);
• "The Masque of the Red Death" (1843);
• "Premature Burial" (1844);
• "The Raven" (1845);
• "Enigma" (1849);
• "Annabel Lee" (1849);
• “Jump-Skok” (“Little Frog”) (1849).

Edgar Alan Poe - creator of the popular detective genre, master of the romantic novel (“The Fall of the House of Usher,” “The Red Mask,” etc.), author of the legendary poem “The Raven,” etc. and so on. Edgar Allan Poe's contribution to the development of literature can be described at great length, which is why he is the first American writer whose name has become known throughout the world. His achievements in literature still remain unsolved phenomena. They are carefully studied, revealing new facets and new meanings in the work of a truly outstanding writer of his time. To understand and appreciate his books, you need to have basic knowledge: In what style did Edgar Allan Poe write? What are the main themes that dominate his work? What sets Edgar Allan Poe apart from other writers?

The originality of Edgar Allan Poe's work is largely explained by the fact that his work is consistent with the stylistic and semantic palette of romanticism (). The theme also largely depends on the romantic direction, which had a decisive influence on the writer. However, one cannot equate Poe with the romantics and limit himself to this characteristic: his mastery is original and requires a more detailed analysis. First of all, you need to trace his creative path.

Brief biography of Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) is the first significant American writer who largely determined the shape of modern literature. True, in terms of the author’s worldview and creative style, he is rather European. His books do not have the national identity that Theodore Dreiser or Ernest Hemingway, for example, have. He was prone to mystifying his own life, so it is difficult to recreate his biography, but some information is still known for certain.

Edgar was born into a family of actors of a traveling troupe. At the age of 4 he was left an orphan; his parents died of tuberculosis. The image of his mother spitting blood in his face is forever stuck in his memory. The writer’s congenital pathology is facial asymmetry (one half of the face is paralyzed). Despite this defect, he was a cute child and was soon adopted. The wealthy family of businessman Allan took the boy in to raise him. They loved him, his adoptive mother was especially kind to him, but Edgar did not like his stepfather: they were too different people. The conflict with his stepfather escalated, so young Allan Poe lived in a boarding house in England for 6 years.

Subsequently, Edgar entered the University of Virginia, but did not complete his studies there. The unlucky student lost the money that Mr. Allan gave him for his studies at cards. A new quarrel grew into a final break. He was only 17. What if you are young and need money? Of course, publish a collection of poems. Under the pseudonym “The Bostonian,” Edgar Poe publishes a collection of poetry, but fails, after which he is sent to the army. The harsh regime weighs on him, he leaves the service.

After the death of his stepmother, Edgar and his stepfather conclude a truce, so renewed material support allows him to engage in literature. If his poetry is not successful, then the mystical story “Manuscript Found in a Bottle” took first place in a prestigious competition.

Basically, Edgar Allan Poe worked in many periodicals as a journalist, editor and correspondent. He received 5-6 dollars for a story or article, that is, he did not live richly. It is worth saying that the style of his journalistic publications was distinguished by irony and even sarcasm.

In 1835 the poet married his cousin Virginia Klemm. She became the prototype of all female heroines: slender, pale, sickly. The girl is like a ghost. They even say that the newlyweds had only platonic love.

In 1838, Edgar Allan Poe moved to Philadelphia, became a magazine editor, and worked there for 6 years. At the same time he is working on a collection "Grotesques and Arabesques". This is the standard of mystical prose. The gloom that defines Poe's signature style is the result of his chronic illness - migraine. It is known that the writer went crazy from pain, but, nevertheless, worked hard. This is how the barely noticeable schizophrenic notes in the work are explained.

The year 1845 became fatal in the life of Edgar Poe: Virginia, whom he sincerely loved, dies, the magazine where he worked went bankrupt, and under the weight of grief and failure he writes his most famous poem, “The Raven.”

A passion for opium and wine ruined his future career. Only Virginia's mother took care of Edgar Poe; it was to her that he gave his earnings, and she fed him and provided at least some order in his life.

Cause of death of Edgar Allan Poe is a mystery. It is known that a friend arranged a meeting for him with a publisher; Edgar Allan Poe was given a large sum of money as an advance for some literary work. He apparently decided to celebrate his payday and drank too much in the pub. The next morning he was found dead in the park, and he no longer had any money on him.

Features and originality of creativity

What are Edgar Allan Poe's articles about? In his articles he took the position of “pure art”. Pure art– this is the point of view according to which art should not be useful, it is an end in itself (art for art’s sake). Only the image and the word affect the reader’s emotions, not the mind. He considered poetry to be the highest manifestation of literary talent, since in prose, he believed, there is something comical and base, and poetry always “floats in the ether”, without coming into contact with the everyday squabbles of the earth. Edgar Poe is a perfectionist by nature: he polished his work for a long time, carefully edited his works and endlessly corrected finished stories and poems. Form was more important to him than content; he is a true esthete in literature.

His stories and poems are dominated by sound writing: numerous alliterations and assonances. Musicality in his poetry always comes first. This is a characteristic feature of the authors of the romantic movement, because they recognized music as the main form of art.

The works of Edgar Allan Poe can be roughly divided into two types: logical stories (detectives) and mystical stories.

The originality of Edgar Allan Poe's work:

• mastery of the gothic landscape
• the climax is in tune with nature
• frightening mysticism, playing on the reader's fears
• gradual, “creeping” intrigue
• the works convey a depressing state, like music: the reader does not know what exactly indicates sadness and melancholy, but feels them, precisely feels the prose, and does not understand.

Edgar Allan Poe's style. Attitude to art

For Edgar Allan Poe, creativity is not a burst of inspiration, but work comparable to a mathematical problem: consistent and clear. He chooses a new bright effect and searches for the ideal form in order to amaze the reader and influence his consciousness. The brevity of the form is needed for the unity of the impression, the dispassionate tone is needed to emphasize the mysticism of what is happening. In the poem “The Raven,” the author, by his own admission, deliberately chose a melancholic presentation and a tragic plot in order to emphasize the meaning of the raven’s symbolism, associated with the fact that this bird is a scavenger, a regular on the battlefield and cemetery. The famous refrain of “Nevermore” is monotonous in sound, but there is an emphasized difference in meaning. Edgar Poe first chose the combination of “o” and “r”, and then adjusted a phrase to it, which is Edgar Poe’s occasionalism, that is, he came up with the phrase “Nevermore” himself. The only goal of such painstaking work is originality. Poe's contemporaries noticed how passionately and artistically the author reads his poem, how he emphasizes sounds and follows the internal rhythm of the poems. It is the musicality, the unique range of feelings, sensations, landscape colors and the ideally constructed form of the work that are the properties by which the reader unmistakably recognizes the author's style of Edgar Allan Poe.

Interesting? Save it on your wall!

Everyone is familiar with the scary stories of Edgar Allan Poe. Many can even quote the novel “The Raven”. But how well do you understand the writer's quirky humor? Let's take a look at a few facts you might not even know about the acclaimed author, who was born more than two hundred years ago.

1. He was a true master of hoaxes

In 1844, Edgar prepared one of his most famous hoaxes in the pages of the famous New York Sun magazine. The master of horror spread the news that a certain Mr. Monk Mason flew in an aircraft called "Victoria" from England to Sullivan's Island in just 75 hours. According to Poe, the balloon was able to carry even seven passengers across the ocean.

Since balloonists had never crossed the Atlantic before, the story quickly became a sensation. Fly transatlantic in just three days? So this is great! Readers stood in long lines outside the New York Sun offices to get a copy of the landmark magazine.

Poe's report on the vehicle itself contained a lot of technical details. He devoted an entire paragraph to explaining that the balloon was filled with coal gas rather than the more expensive and "inconvenient carbohydrate." He listed all the equipment of the balloon, including ropes, barometers, telescopes, barrels, water kegs, raincoats, bags and other necessary things, including a coffee heater, necessary to heat this drink with weak lime. He also included in his article “quotes” from interviews with imaginary (as it turned out) passengers.

The only catch with this whole story was that it was completely fictitious. The editors of the New York Sun realized this only two days later and wrote a retraction.

2. He tried his hand at cryptography

If you've read the story "The Gold Bug", you probably know that the writer had some knowledge of cryptography. In fact, this knowledge was more than deep.

Poe's first notable interest in declassifying codes occurred in 1839. He appealed to his readers from the pages of the Philadelphia newspaper to send him encrypted codes. Edgar puzzled over the secret messages for several hours. He published the results of his work, and they became very popular. Edgar also enjoyed publishing some of these codes for readers. They were so complex that Poe was surprised when one of the readers was able to decipher some of them.

Poe was so confident in his abilities that in 1841 he approached the Tyler administration with an offer to work for the government as a burglar. He stated that there were no codes that he could not decipher. Apparently, they could not give him this position.

3. The name Allan appeared much later

It may sound strange, but the name Allan was not originally Poe's. He was born in Boston in 1809 into a family of professional actors, and his childhood was not a joyful one. His mother died when he was very young, after which his father abandoned Edgar and his other two children. However, Edgar was raised by the family of John and Frances Allan, and although they never officially adopted the boy, he added their surname to his.

4. He had a rival

Like many writers, Poe had a rival. It was the poet, critic and editor Rufus Griswold. Although Griswold included Edgar Allan's work in his anthology Poets and Poetry of America, he had very low regard for the critic's intelligence and literary ability. Poe published an essay criticizing Griswold's selection of works for his anthology, and this is where their rivalry began.

Things escalated when Griswold began receiving a higher salary than Poe. Edgar began to publicly criticize his opponent. He went so far as to claim that Griswold was "puffing away" on a new anthology of poets.

Poe may have expressed his attitude towards Griswold, but he managed to outlive the writer. After Poe's death, Griswold wrote an obituary in which he stated that the writer's death had affected many, but few were saddened by it. In his obituary, he generally portrayed Poe as a maniac who did not understand what he was doing. In addition, Griswold convinced Edgar's aunt to make him the literary steward of the deceased writer. After that, he published a biography of Poe, in which he portrayed the writer as a drunkard and drug addict. Despite this, he profited from posthumous publications of Edgar Allan Poe.

5. His death became a mystery worthy of his best creations

In 1849, Edgar left New York to visit Richmond, something he had never done before. But instead he found himself outside the Baltimore bar, inappropriately dressed and seemingly delirious. Passers-by sent Poe to the hospital, where he died a few days later, without explaining what happened to him.

The mysticism that surrounds the writer's death has caused a lot of gossip. The cause of Poe's death was rumored to be "inflammation of the brain", or "cerebral congestion", although this is a euphemism for the diagnosis of "alcohol poisoning". Although modern scientists do not completely agree with this opinion. This characterization of Edgar appeared thanks to the efforts of Griswold. The writer's condition could have been caused by the consequences of rabies or syphilis.

Some Poe fans believe a different theory. They suggest that he was a victim of one of the political practices of the 19th century. On the eve of elections, homeless or weak men were herded together and held captive in the so-called chicken coop. On Election Day—October 3, 1849, when Poe was found, there was an election in Baltimore—the hostages were given some kind of drug or simply beaten before they had to vote at certain polling stations.

Although this story seems fantastic, it may be true. Poe's physical condition and delusions are consistent with that of the victim, and his inappropriate clothing confirms the practice of street gangs who disguised hostages so they could vote at multiple polling stations. In the absence of any evidence, Edgar's death remains one of the most mysterious mysteries in literature.

Years of life: from 01/19/1809 to 10/07/1849

Edgar Allan Poe (Poe) – poet, prose writer, critic, editor; one of the first professional writers in the United States who lived exclusively by literary work; Although the artist knew the tides of popularity, he was not immediately understood and appreciated in his homeland. The author of many mystical short stories and action-packed stories, but for many he is the founder of the detective story.

Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston, USA into a family of actors. At the age of two, he lost his parents and was raised by a wealthy merchant from Richmond, John Allan. His stay with the Allans in England (1815-1820) instilled in him a love of English poetry and words in general.

Poe seriously made a name for himself as a novelist with his story “MS Found in a Bottle” (1833), which won a prize at the Saturday Courier competition. One of the jury members noticed the main feature of the prose writer’s talent: “Logic and imagination were combined here in rare proportionality.” In the tradition of extraordinary sea voyages stretching from James F. Cooper to Jack London, the story "A Descent into Maelstrom" (1841) and the only "Tale of the Adventures of Arthur Gordon Pym" were written. Pym", 1838), which prepared the way for Melville's "Moby Dick" and completed by Jules Verne in the novel "The Sphinx of Ice". The "sea" works are accompanied by stories about adventures on land and in the air: "The Journal of Julius Rodman", 1840 - a fictional description of the first journey through the Rocky Mountains of North America, made by civilized people, "The Extraordinary Adventures of a certain Hans Phaal" ("The Unparalleled Adventures of One Hans Phaal", 1835), begun in a humorous and satirical vein and developing into a documentary account of the flight to the Moon, "The Ballon-Hoax", 1844) about allegedly completed a flight across the Atlantic. These works are not only stories about unimaginable adventures, but also an adventure of creative imagination, an allegory of a constant dramatic journey into the unknown, into other emotional and psychological dimensions that go beyond the limits of everyday empirical experience. Thanks to a carefully developed system of details, the impression of authenticity and materiality of fiction was achieved. In the “Conclusion” to “Hans Pfaal,” Poe formulated the principles of the type of literature that would later be called science fiction.

Edgar Allan Poe was a romantic and poet. Life for such people, as a rule, turns out to be the other side; reality seriously wounds the heart. Reaching significant heights in creativity, romantic poets often suffer defeat when faced with ruthless reality.

I did not fall, even though I was full of despondency!

In this cursed desert,

Here, where horror now reigns...

His bride Virginia was 13 years old, so they decided to get married in secret, and at Poe’s request, the priest did not record the newlyweds in the parish register. The bride did not have a veil, her mother acted as a witness, and there was no solemnity inherent in such a significant moment. When the cousins ​​became husband and wife, nothing changed in their relationship - Poe was noble. But the happiness of the young did not last long. Mrs. Poe's hereditary predisposition to tuberculosis made itself felt at the end of January 1842. When his girl wife died after a serious illness, Poe's life went downhill. The Fall of the House of Usher, Murder in the Rue Morgue and The Gold Bug had already been written. All of America was reading his “Raven” and “Ulalyum”. He became a famous writer. But he cared less and less about fame. He doesn't sleep at night and can't stay alone for long. Increasingly, he is experiencing attacks of mental confusion.

Poe dies painfully not only from worsening heart disease, but also from loneliness and restlessness.

Most of all, the poet needed female love, care and participation. The writer and poet dies at 41. The mystery of his death remains unsolved to this day.

In memory of the great writer, the highest award of the Mystery Writers Association of America began to bear the name of Edgar Allan Poe.

The death of Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most insoluble mysteries. He was discovered by Joseph Walker, who, at his request, contacted Dr. Snodgrass and the writer's uncle, Henry Herring. The doctor's first impression was that Poe was in a state of severe alcohol intoxication.
The first (and most common) version of death is alcoholic. The writer's father and older brother were chronic alcoholics. It is common knowledge that Poe drank, but his addiction was of a binge nature. He could drink for weeks (as during his wife’s illness) or go without touching alcohol for months. This version is supported by the testimony of doctors who treated Edgar and warned him about the possibility of serious consequences from alcoholism. In addition, it is difficult to explain otherwise why Edgar ended up in Baltimore again if he had left it the day before. The only reason that came to mind to many researchers was that Edgar mixed up the trains and took the return train to Baltimore.
The second version (also medical) is based on the possibility of a mental disorder. In the last years of his life, Edgar suffered from mental disorders of the brain. The third (weakest) version insisted that the writer could have become an accidental victim of gangster violence. In those days, unscrupulous politicians often hired thugs to intimidate voters. Since local elections were taking place in Baltimore in those days, Poe could have been accidentally injured, and the stranger’s clothes on him should have made identification difficult.
The latest version talks about a banal robbery. According to one account, Poe had $1,500 on him to start a new magazine, and the money was not found on him. Poe's detractors, unable to comprehend the scope of his talent, found an explanation for his imagination in alcohol and drugs. Allegations about drug addiction were based solely on the writer’s creative manner of telling the story from the first (including in those works where opium was mentioned). Thus, there was an erroneous identification of the narrator of the works with the personality of the author himself.

Bibliography

Cycles of works

The story of Mr. Click
- (1833)
- = (1832)

Stories of Psyche Zenobia
- (How to write an article for Blackwood) = (1838)
- (1838)

Stories of Auguste Dupin

Plays

Policeman (1835)

Stories

1832 (Incident in Jerusalem)
1832
1832 (Loss of breath)
1832 (Silence, Silence. Parable)
1832
1833 (Giraffe Man; Giraffe Man)
1833 (Manuscript found in a bottle; The Overthrow of Maldström)
1835
1835 (The Unparalleled Adventure of a Certain Hans Pfool)
1835 (King More)
1835 (Pages from the life of a celebrity)
1835
1835 (Shadow)
1835
1837
1838
1839 (Conversation between Eiros and Charmion; Conversation between Eiros and Charmion)
1839 (Devil in the Bell Tower, Devil in the Tower, Trouble in the Bell Tower)
1839 (Fall of Escher's House)
1839
1839
1839
1840 (Business man)
1840 (Diary of Julius Rodman, an account of the first journey through the Rocky Mountains of North America by civilized men)
1840
1841 (Descent to Maelstrom; Descent to Maelstrom)
1841
1841 (Never pawn your head to the devil)
1841 (Conversation between Monos and Una)
1841
1841
1842 There is life in death
1842
1842
1842
1843 (A Tale of the Rocky Mountains, A Tale of the Twisted Mountains, An Happening in the Rocky Mountains, An Happening on the Rocky Shores)
1843 (Cheating as one of the exact sciences)
1843
1843
1844
1844

Edgar Allan Poe. Born January 19, 1809 in Boston, USA - died October 7, 1849 in Baltimore, USA. American writer, poet, essayist, literary critic and editor, representative of American romanticism. The creator of the form of modern detective fiction and the genre of psychological prose.

Some of Edgar Poe's works contributed to the formation and development of science fiction, and such features of his work as irrationality, mysticism, doom, and anomalousness of the depicted states anticipated the literature of decadence.

Edgar Poe was one of the first American writers to make the short story the main form of his work. He tried to make money exclusively from literary activities, as a result of which his life and career were fraught with severe financial difficulties, complicated by a problem with alcohol.

Over twenty years of creative activity, Edgar Poe wrote two stories, two poems, one play, about seventy short stories, fifty poems and ten essays, published in magazines and almanacs, and then collected in collections.

Despite the fact that during his lifetime Edgar Poe was known primarily as a literary critic, his literary works later had a significant influence on world literature, as well as cosmology and cryptography. He was one of the first American writers, whose fame in his homeland was significantly inferior to that in Europe. Symbolists paid special attention to his work, drawing ideas for their own aesthetics from his poetry.

Edgar Poe was highly praised by Arthur Conan Doyle and Howard Phillips Lovecraft, recognizing his role as a pioneer in the genres that they popularized.

Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston., in the family of actors Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe and David Poe Jr. Elizabeth Poe was born in Great Britain. At the beginning of 1796, she and her mother, also an actress, moved to the United States, where she began performing on stage from a very early age.

Poe's father was born in Ireland, the son of David Poe Sr., who emigrated to America with his son. Edgar Poe's grandfather had the rank of major, actively supported the revolutionary movement in the United States and was a direct participant in the War of Independence. David Poe Jr. was supposed to become a lawyer, but against the wishes of his father, he chose the profession of an actor.

Edgar was the middle child in the family, he had an older brother, William Henry Leonard, and a younger sister, Rosalie.

The life of touring actors involved constant moving, which was difficult to do with a child in hand, so little Edgar was temporarily left with his grandfather in Baltimore. There he spent the first few months of his life. A year after Edgar's birth, his father left the family. Nothing is known for certain about his further fate. On December 8, 1811, Poe's mother died of consumption.

The little boy, left without parental care, attracted the attention of the wife of John Allan, a wealthy merchant from Richmond, and soon the childless family took him in. Sister Rosalie ended up with the Mackenzie family, who were neighbors and friends of the Allans, while brother Henry lived with his father's relatives in Baltimore.

Edgar Poe's adoptive family was one of the wealthy and respected in Richmond. John Allan was a co-owner of a company that traded in tobacco, cotton and other goods. The Allans had no children, so the boy was easily and happily accepted into the family. Edgar Allan Poe grew up in an atmosphere of prosperity, they bought him clothes, toys, books, and he was taught by a certified teacher at home.

In 1815, the family (as well as Anne Valentine, the elder sister of Frances, John Allan's wife) went to Great Britain. John Allan, whose business was experiencing certain difficulties associated with the decline of the economy after the Napoleonic wars, sought to improve trade relations with Europe. Arriving in Liverpool, the family went to live with Allan's relatives in Scotland, in the cities of Erwin and Kilmarnock. A few weeks later, another move took place - to London, where Edgar Allan Poe graduated from Madame Dubois's elementary school.

In 1817, studies continued at the school of Reverend John Bransby in Stoke Newington, a suburb of the capital. Edgar Poe's memories of this period of his life are reflected in the story "William Wilson".

Edgar finished his last academic year ahead of schedule. The reason for this was a hasty return to the United States - John Allan’s business in England was not going well, serious financial difficulties arose, and his wife Frances was seriously ill. The merchant even had to borrow money for the return journey from his companion. In the summer of 1820, a transatlantic sea voyage took place, and on August 2 the family arrived in Richmond.

On February 14, 1826, Edgar Allan Poe left for Charlottesville, where he entered the newly opened University of Virginia. Education at the institution founded by Thomas Jefferson was expensive (in a letter to his stepfather, Poe calculated the total costs and indicated the amount at $350 per year), so the university students were the children of wealthy families in the state.

Upon admission, Edgar Allan Poe chose two courses to study (out of a possible three): classical philology (Latin and Greek) and modern languages ​​(French, Italian, Spanish). The seventeen-year-old poet, who left his parents' home, was left to himself for the first time for a long time.

Edgar Poe's school day ended at 9:30, the rest of the time was supposed to be devoted to reading educational literature and preparing homework, but the offspring of wealthy parents, brought up in the “true spirit” of gentlemanliness, could not resist the temptation of the “eternally fashionable” card games and wine in the high society . Edgar Poe, educated in London and raised in a respected family, undoubtedly considered himself a gentleman. The desire to confirm this status, and later the need for a livelihood, led him to the card table. At the same time Edgar Poe started drinking for the first time.

By the end of the school year, Poe's total debts amounted to $2,500 (about $2,000 of which were gambling debts). Having received letters demanding payment, John Allan immediately went to Charlottesville, where a stormy discussion took place with his stepson. As a result, Allan paid only a tenth of the total amount (fees for books and services), refusing to acknowledge Edgar's gambling debts.

Despite Poe's obvious success in his studies and successfully passing his exams, he could no longer remain at the university and after the end of the academic year, on December 21, 1826, he left Charlottesville.

Returning home to Richmond, Edgar Poe had no idea about his future prospects. Relations with John Allan were seriously damaged; he did not want to put up with his “careless” stepson. At this time, Poe was intensively engaged in creativity. It was probably in the Allan house that many of the poems that were later included in the first collection of the aspiring poet were written. Poe also tried to find a job, but his stepfather not only did not contribute to this, but also, as educational measures, in every possible way prevented his employment.

In March 1827, the “silent” conflict escalated into a serious quarrel, and Allan kicked his adopted son out of the house. Poe settled in the Court-House tavern, from where he wrote letters to Allan accusing him of injustice and making excuses, continuing the showdown in epistolary form. Later, these letters are replaced by others - with requests for money, which the adoptive father ignored. After staying in the tavern room for several days, Poe traveled to Norfolk on March 23 and then to Boston.

In his hometown, Edgar, by chance, met a young publisher and typographer Calvin Thomas, and he agreed to publish his first collection of poems.

""Tamerlane" and other poems" written under a pseudonym "Bostonian", published in June 1827. Fifty copies of 40 pages were printed and sold for 12.5 cents each.

In 2009, an unknown collector purchased one of the surviving copies of Poe’s debut collection at auction, paying for it a record amount for American literature - $662,500.

In his first collection of poetry, Edgar Poe included the poem “Tamerlane” (which he would subsequently edit and refine several times), the poems “To ***”, “Dreams”, “Spirits of Death”, “Evening Star”, “Imitation”, “ Stanzas”, “Dream”, “Happiest Day”, “Lake”. In the preface to the publication, the author apologized for the possible low quality of the poetry, justifying this by the fact that most of the poems were written in 1820-1821, when he “was not yet fourteen.” Most likely, this is an exaggeration - Poe, of course, began writing early, but he really turned to poetry while studying at the university and later.

As one might expect, the collection did not attract the attention of readers and critics. Only two publications wrote about its release, without giving it any critical assessment.

On May 26, 1827, Edgar Allan Poe, desperate for money, signed an army contract for a period of five years and became a private in the First Regiment of Artillery of the US Army. Poe's place of service was Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island, located at the entrance to Charleston Harbor, the same fort that 50 years ago proved impregnable to the British army. The nature of the island where the writer spent a year was subsequently reflected in the story "Golden Bug".

Edgar Allan Poe served at the headquarters and handled paperwork, which is not surprising for a man who was literate (a rather rare phenomenon for the army of that time) and had neat handwriting. And his “gentlemanly” origin, good upbringing and diligence ensured sympathy among the officers.

At the end of February 1829, Frances Allan's condition worsened. The disease, which made itself felt back in England, only progressed. On the night of February 28, when his wife's condition became critical, John Allan wrote a short letter in which he asked his adopted son to come immediately. Frances Allan died on the morning of the same day. Edgar Allan Poe was able to arrive in Richmond only on March 2, not even having time to attend the funeral of his adoptive mother, whom he loved very much.

Remaining at home until the end of his leave, Poe again approached Allan, and this time they reached an understanding. Having received the necessary documents from his adoptive father, Poe returned to the army, where the process of releasing him from service immediately began. The order was signed, and on April 15, 1829 he was discharged from the army.

After returning from Washington, where he went to hand over the papers and recommendations necessary for admission to West Point, Edgar Poe went to Baltimore, where his relatives lived: brother Henry Leonard, aunt Maria Klemm, her children Henry and Virginia, as well as Elizabeth Poe is the elderly widow of David Poe Sr. Not having enough money to rent his own home, the poet, with the permission of Maria Klemm, settled in their house.

The time spent waiting for a response from Washington was spent caring for his consumptive brother (who aggravated the disease with alcoholism) and preparing for the publication of a second collection of poetry. Poe edited the existing material and conducted active correspondence with magazines and publishing houses. And the efforts were not in vain - at the end of December 1829 the collection was published. 250 copies “Al-Aaraaf, Tamerlane and short poems” were published by the Baltimore publisher Hatch and Dunning.

Around Christmas, Edgar Poe returned home to Richmond, where in May 1830 he received confirmation of his enrollment at West Point. In the same month, a fatal quarrel occurred between him and his adoptive father. The reason for her was a letter that was not intended for John Allan and should not have been in his hands. In it, Edgar Poe spoke impartially about his guardian, unequivocally accusing him of drunkenness. The hot-tempered Allan could not stand this and kicked Edgar Allan Poe out of the house for the second and last time. They still corresponded after this breakup, but never saw each other again. Soon John Allan married for the second time.

At the end of June 1830, Edgar Allan Poe became a cadet at the US Army Military Academy. The training was not easy (especially the first 2 months of camp life), but the army experience helped the poet quickly get used to it. Despite the strict daily routine and almost full daily employment, Edgar Allan Poe found time for creativity.

Among the cadets, pamphlets and satirical parodies of mentor officers and life within the walls of the academy were especially popular. The third collection of poems was being prepared for publication. The studies were successful, cadet Poe was in good standing and had no complaints from the officers, but in January he wrote a letter to John Allan, in which he asked for his help to leave West Point. Probably the reason for such a drastic decision was the news of the marriage of his guardian, which deprived Edgar Poe of the slimmest chances of being officially adopted and inheriting anything.

Without waiting for an answer, Edgar Allan Poe decided to act on his own. In January 1831, he began to ignore inspections and training, did not go on guard duty and sabotaged formations. The result was an arrest and subsequent trial, at which he was accused of “gross violation of official duties” and “ignoring orders.” On February 8, 1831, Poe was discharged from the service of the United States, and on February 18 he left West Point.

Edgar Allan Poe went to New York, where in April 1831 the poet's third book was published - a collection "Poems", which, in addition to the republished “Tamerlane” and “Al-Aaraafa,” included new works: “Israfel”, “Paean”, “The Condemned City”, “To Helen”, “Sleeping”. Also on the pages of the collection, Poe turned to literary theory for the first time, writing “A Letter to...” - an essay in which the author discussed the principles of poetry and the problems of national literature. The "poems" contained a dedication to the "U.S. Army Cadet Corps." 1,000 copies of the book were printed at the expense of West Point cadets who subscribed to the collection in anticipation of the usual parodies and satirical poems with which their classmate had once entertained them.

Having no means of subsistence, Edgar Poe moved to relatives in Baltimore, where he made futile attempts to find work. Desperate lack of money prompted the poet to turn to prose - he decided to take part in the competition for the best story by an American author with a prize of 100 dollars.

Edgar Poe approached the matter in detail: he studied magazines and various publications of that time in order to determine the principles (stylistic, plot, composition) of writing short prose that was popular with readers. The result of the research was “Metzengerstein”, “Duke de L'Omelette”, “On the Walls of Jerusalem”, “Significant Loss” and “Failed Deal” - stories that the aspiring prose writer sent to the competition. The results, disappointing for their author, were summed up on December 31, 1831 of the year - Edgar Poe didn't win. Over the next year, these stories were published without attribution (those were the conditions) in the newspaper that organized the competition.

Failure did not force Edgar Allan Poe to abandon the form of short prose in his work. On the contrary, he continued to hone his skills, write stories, from which at the end of 1832 he formed a collection that was never published "Folio Club Stories".

In June 1833, another literary competition was held, with prizes of $50 for the best story and $25 for the best poem. It was known that the jury included competent people - famous writers of the time, John Pendleton Kennedy and John Latrobe.

Edgar Allan Poe participated in both categories, submitting 6 stories and the poem “The Colosseum” to the competition. On October 12, the results were announced: Edgar Poe's "The Manuscript Found in a Bottle" was awarded as the best short story., the best poem - "Song of the Winds" Henry Wilton (under this pseudonym was the editor-in-chief of the newspaper that organized the competition).

Subsequently, John Latrobe confirmed that the author of the truly best poem was also Edgar Allan Poe. The jury spoke highly of the young writer's work, noting that it was extremely difficult for them to choose one best story out of his six. In fact, this was the first authoritative recognition of Edgar Allan Poe's talent.

Despite winning the competition, Poe's financial situation in 1833-1835 remained extremely difficult. There was no regular cash flow, the writer continued unsuccessful attempts to find work related to literature. The only source of income in the family was the pension of the paralyzed widow of David Poe Sr. - $240 a year, which was paid irregularly.

In August 1834, Richmond printer Thomas White began publishing a new monthly magazine, the Southern Literary Messenger, with the help of famous writers of the time, including John Kennedy. He, in turn, recommended Edgar Poe to White as a promising talented writer, marking the beginning of their collaboration.

Already in March 1835, the story “Berenice” appeared on the pages of the monthly, and in June the first hoax written by Poe was published - "The Extraordinary Adventure of a Certain Hans Pfaal".

On May 16, 1836, Edgar Poe married Virginia Clemm. She was his cousin and was only 13 years old at the time of their marriage. The couple honeymooned in Petersburg, Virginia. Around this time, Edgar Allan Poe began to write his greatest prose text - "The Tale of the Adventures of Arthur Gordon Pym". The decision to write a voluminous work was dictated by reader preferences: many publishing houses refused to publish his stories, citing the fact that the small format of prose was not popular.

In May 1837, an economic crisis broke out in the United States. It also affected the publishing sector: newspapers and magazines were closed, and there were massive layoffs of employees. Edgar Allan Poe also found himself in a difficult situation, being left without work for a long time. But the forced idleness was not in vain - he could finally concentrate on creativity.

During the New York period, the writer wrote the stories “Ligeia”, “The Devil in the Bell Tower”, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, “William Wilson”, and work continued on “Arthur Gordon Pym”. The rights to the story were sold to the reputable New York publishing house Harper and Brothers, where it was published on July 30, 1838. However, Poe's first voluminous prose work was not a commercial success.

In early December 1839, Lea & Blanchard published Grotesques and Arabesques, a two-volume collection of 25 stories written by Poe up to that time.

In April 1841, Graham's Magazine published a story that later brought Poe worldwide fame as the founder of the detective genre - "Murder in the Rue Morgue". “The Descent into Maelström” was published there in May.

In January 1842, Edgar Poe's young wife suffered her first severe attack of tuberculosis, accompanied by throat bleeding. Virginia found herself bedridden for a long time, and the writer again lost his peace of mind and ability to work. The depressed state was accompanied by frequent and prolonged binges.

All subsequent time, the condition of Edgar Allan Poe's wife had a huge impact on his mental health, which was extremely susceptible to the slightest deterioration of the situation. A repeated exacerbation of Virginia’s illness occurred in the summer of the same year, and again the writer’s deep experiences and mental anguish were reflected in his work - they permeated the stories “The Well and the Pendulum” and “The Tell-Tale Heart,” written shortly after the incident. Poe found salvation in writing.

In November 1842, the story of Auguste Dupin's investigations was continued. The magazine Snowden's Ladies' Companion published the story "The Mystery of Marie Roger", based on a real murder that occurred in New York in 1841. Using all the materials available to the investigation, he conducted his own investigation on the pages of the story (moving the action to Paris and changing the names) and pointed to the killer. Soon after this, the case was solved, and the correctness of the writer’s conclusions was confirmed.

It is worth noting that during the difficult period of 1842, Edgar Poe was able to personally meet with, whose work he rated very highly. They discussed literary issues and exchanged opinions during the latter's short visit to Philadelphia. Dickens promised to help publish Poe's works in England. Even though nothing came of it, Dickens noted that Edgar Poe was "the only writer whom he was willing to help publish".

Finding himself without a job, and therefore without a livelihood, Edgar Allan Poe, through a mutual friend, turned to the son of President Tyler with a request to help get him a job at the Philadelphia Customs House. The need was great, since the writer began to look for work other than literary work, which brought an unstable income. Poe did not receive the position because he did not show up for the meeting, explaining this by his illness, although there is a version that the reason for the absence was heavy drinking. The family, which found itself in a difficult situation, had to change their place of residence several times, as there was a catastrophic lack of money and the debts grew. A case was brought against the writer, and on January 13, 1843, the Philadelphia District Court declared Edgar Allan Poe bankrupt, but a prison sentence was avoided.

Despite the difficult financial situation and loss of spirit associated with his wife’s illness, Edgar Allan Poe’s literary fame grew steadily. His works were published in many publications throughout the country and received critical reviews, many of which noted the author’s extraordinary talent and the power of his imagination. Even literary enemies wrote laudatory reviews, making them even more valuable.

Having devoted himself entirely to prose, he did not turn to poetry for three years (the last published poem was “Silence”, published in 1840). The “poetic silence” was broken in 1843 with the release of one of the writer’s darkest poems, “The Conquering Worm,” which seemed to contain all the mental anguish and despair of recent years, the collapse of hopes and illusions.

In February 1843, the New York publication The Pioneer published the famous "Linor". Poe returned to poetry, but short prose continued to be the main form of his work.

In July 1844, the New York newspaper Dollar Newspaper organized a competition for the best story, with a prize of $100 for first place. The winner was "Golden Bug" Edgar Poe. The work, in which the author revealed his talent as a cryptographer, became the property of Dollar Newspaper and was subsequently reprinted many times.

On April 6, 1844, Edgar and Virginia Poe moved to New York. A month later, Maria Klemm joined them. It is difficult to overestimate the role of the mother-in-law in the life of Edgar Allan Poe. Her thriftiness, hard work and endless care with which she surrounded her son-in-law and daughter were noted by many contemporaries who knew the family personally. Edgar loved his “Muddy” (probably short for “mummy” (“mom”) and “daddy” (“daddy”), as he often called her in letters, because with her appearance in his life she truly became like a mother to him .

In 1849, he dedicated a poem to her, full of tenderness and gratitude, “To My Mother.”

A week after the move, Edgar Allan Poe becomes the hero of a sensation: he caused a huge stir in reading circles "The Balloon Story", which was published in a special edition by the New York Sun. Originally intended as a hoax, the story was stylized as a news article. The idea for the plot was unknowingly suggested to Poe by the then famous aeronaut John Wise, who announced in one of the Philadelphia newspapers that he was going to make a transatlantic flight. The writer managed to achieve the desired effect - the next morning after publication, people literally “stormed” the publishing house.

Poe's hoaxes, in which great attention was paid to details based on technical innovations of the time, gave impetus to the subsequent development of the science fiction genre in literature.

Some time after reuniting with Maria Klemm, the family moved to new housing: the Brennan family rented them part of their mansion located outside the city. Poe continued to collaborate with many publications, offering them his articles and critical reviews. During this period, he had no problems with publications, but his income still remained modest. At the Brennan mansion, Poe wrote the poem “Dreamland,” which reflected the beauty of the nature that surrounded him. It was there that work began on the work that became the writer’s poetic magnum opus - a poem "Crow".

It is unknown whether Poe wrote The Crow with the goal of gaining final and unconditional recognition, inspired by the success of The Gold Bug and The Balloon Story, but there is no doubt that he approached the process of creating this work scrupulously and carefully.

It was an immediate and resounding success: publications across the country reprinted the poem, it was talked about in literary circles and beyond, and numerous parodies were written about it. Poe became a national figure and a frequent guest at social events, where he was asked to recite the famous poem. According to the writer's biographer Arthur Quinn, "The Raven made an impression that perhaps no other poetic work in American literature could surpass." Despite the enormous success among readers and widespread public recognition, the poem did little to improve the writer’s financial situation.

On February 21, 1845, Poe became part owner of the Broadway Journal, the head of which believed to increase sales of the publication by attracting a new celebrity to cooperation. According to the terms of the contract, Poe received a third of the magazine's sales, and the cooperation promised to be mutually beneficial.

At the same time, Poe began lecturing, which would become an important source of income for him. The first theme of the performances in New York and Philadelphia was “The Poets and Poetry of America.”

In July 1845, Poe published a story entitled "No Contradiction". The discussions on the topic of human nature, which are contained in its preamble, allow us to well understand the nature of the contradictory nature of the author himself. Tormented by his own “demon,” he repeatedly committed rash and illogical actions throughout his life, which inevitably led him to collapse. This happened at the peak of his fame, when, it seemed, nothing foreshadowed trouble.

On the pages of the magazine, of which he became a co-owner, Edgar Allan Poe did not publish any of his new works; he only reprinted old ones (which were edited and finalized each time). The lion's share of his work at that time consisted of literary articles, reviews, and criticism. It is not known what caused this, but Poe became more ruthless than ever in his criticism: he got it not only from authors he personally disliked, with whom he conflicted, but also from those who treated him favorably. As a result, within a short period of time, subscribers began to refuse Broadway Journal and authors turned away, and the publication became unprofitable. Soon both of Poe's companions abandoned him, leaving him as the sole owner of the struggling magazine.

Poe desperately tried to save it, sending many letters to his friends and relatives asking for financial help. Most of them were not satisfied, and the money that he did receive was not enough. On January 3, 1846, the last issue was published, and Edgar Poe closed the Broadway Journal.

In April 1846, Poe started drinking again. Realizing the destructive role that alcohol played in his life, he still took the fatal step. The time of clouded consciousness came again: lectures were disrupted, public conflicts arose, and the reputation seriously suffered. The situation became even more complicated with the publication in May 1846 of Poe's first essays from the series "New York Writers". In them, Poe gave personal and creative characteristics of famous authors - his contemporaries, which for the most part were extremely negative. The reaction followed immediately: newspapers, at the suggestion of the “victims,” began a war against Poe - they denigrated his reputation, accusing him of immorality and godlessness. The press was dominated by the image of Poe as a deranged alcoholic with no control over his actions. They also recalled his literary affair with the poetess Frances Osgood, which ended in scandal. Among those affected by Poe's criticism, Thomas English especially distinguished himself. In the past, a friend of the writer, he published “Answer to Mr. Poe” in one of the newspapers, in which he added to the image of a poor, godless alcoholic that he was accused of forgery.

The publication with which Poe collaborated advised him to go to court, which he did. On February 17, 1846, Poe won a libel case against the Mirror magazine, which published the Reply, and received $225 in damages.

In May 1846, Edgar Poe moved to a small cottage in Fordham, a suburb of New York. The family was again in poverty, there was a desperate lack of money - Poe did not write anything in the summer and autumn. In one of the letters he refers to his illness - literary “wars” and scandals did not pass without a trace. Virginia's bedridden condition only worsened.

Virginia's condition seriously deteriorated in January 1847: the fever and pain intensified, and hemoptysis became more frequent. On January 29, Edgar Allan Poe wrote a desperate letter to Mary Shew, in which he asked her to come and say goodbye to Virginia, who had become so attached to her. Mrs. Shew arrived the next day and managed to find her alive. On January 30, 1847, towards nightfall, Virginia Poe died.

After the funeral of his wife, Edgar Allan Poe himself found himself bedridden - the loss was too severe for his sensitive, sensitive nature.

The central work of the last years of Edgar Poe’s life was "Eureka". “A poem in prose” (as Poe defined it), which spoke about subjects “physical, metaphysical, mathematical,” according to the author, was supposed to change people’s understanding of the nature of the Universe.

At five o'clock in the morning on October 7, 1849, Edgar Allan Poe died. According to Dr. Moran, before he died, he uttered his last words: “Lord, help my poor soul.”

Edgar Allan Poe's modest funeral took place at 4 p.m. on October 8, 1849, at Westminster Hall and Burying Ground Cemetery, now part of the grounds of the University of Maryland College of Law. The ceremony, attended by only a few people, was presided over by the Rev. W. T. D. Clemm, Virginia Poe's uncle. It lasted only three minutes due to the cold and dank weather. Psalmist George W. Spence wrote: “It was a gloomy and cloudy day, no rain, but damp, and a thunderstorm was approaching.” Poe was buried in the far corner of the cemetery, next to the grave of his grandfather, David Poe Sr., in a cheap coffin, without handles, nameplate, blanket or pillow under his head.

On October 1, 1875, the remains of Edgar Allan Poe were reburied in a new place, not far from the facade of the church. The new monument was made and erected with funds from residents of Baltimore and fans of the writer from other US cities. The total cost of the monument was a little more than $1,500. The festive service took place on November 17, 1875. On the 76th anniversary of Poe's birth, January 19, 1885, Virginia Poe's remains were reburied next to her husband's.

The circumstances preceding the death of Edgar Allan Poe, as well as its immediate cause, remain unclear to this day. All medical records and documents, including the death certificate, if they existed at all, were lost. There are several different theories about the cause of Poe's death, with varying degrees of plausibility, ranging from hypoglycemia to murder conspiracy.

There is another theory that is highlighted by many biographers of the writer. Elections to Congress and the Maryland State Assembly were scheduled for October 3 in Baltimore. At that time, there were no voter lists, which was used by opposing candidates and parties who formed special groups of voters. People under the influence of alcohol were gathered in special places, and then forced to vote several times. It is likely that Poe, the victim of a criminal scheme similar to the "voting carousel", was rendered useless by his condition and was abandoned near the 4th District polling station, where he was found by Joseph Walker. However, this theory also has its opponents, who claim that Poe, as a very well-known person in the city, would find it difficult to participate in such a scheme.

Every year, since 1949, an unknown person visited Edgar Allan Poe’s grave, paying tribute to the writer’s talent. Early on the morning of January 19, a man dressed in black came to Poe's grave, made a toast and left a bottle of cognac and three roses on the gravestone. Sometimes notes of various contents were found on the tombstone. One of them, left in 1999, reported that the first secret admirer had died the previous year and the responsibility for continuing the tradition was assigned to his “heir.” The tradition continued for 60 years until 2009, when the secret admirer was last seen at the grave.

On August 15, 2007, 92-year-old Sam Porpora, a historian at Westminster Church where Poe is buried, said he started the tradition of visiting Poe's grave every year on his birthday. He said that the purpose of his action was to raise funds for the needs of the church and increase interest in it. However, his story was not confirmed - some of the details he expressed were not consistent with the facts.

In 2012, Jeff Jerome, curator of the Poe House Museum, who had previously denied rumors that he was a fan, declared the end of the tradition.