Post by Graveyardbride on Jan 19, 2017 11:21:39 GMT -5
10 Things You May Not Know about Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809, the middle of three children of a pair of actors. His brief, strange life was nevertheless instrumental in advancing literary genres and cementing the distinctiveness of American literature. His influence is still felt today. Following are 10 things you may not have known about him:
1. Poe was one of the first American short-story writers. He invented detective fiction and the concept of “ratiocination,” or a character’s logical reasoning.
2. His father deserted the family in 1810 and his mother died the following year. Poe was taken in by the Allan family of Richmond, Virginia, and took their name as his middle name.
3. In 1827 he joined the army under an assumed name and received an appointment to West Point, but washed out.
4. At 26, Poe, like Jerry Lee Lewis, married his 13-year-old cousin.
5. He is credited with writing the world’s first detective story, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.”
6. Poe was the first American writer to make a living from writing.
7. In 1845 he published “The Raven” in the New York Evening Mirror and it was a wild success.
8. The Baltimore Ravens are named for the poem.
9. His wife died of consumption in 1846 and Poe rapidly went downhill. One day in he was discovered delirious in the street in Baltimore and died October 7, 1849. The cause of death was unclear and the death certificate has been lost.
10. Tradition has it that Poe’s last words were “Lord help my poor soul.”
Source: Kyrie O'Connor, The Houston Chronicle, January 18, 2017.
