Edgar Alan Poe - creator of the popular detective genre, master of the romantic novel (“The Fall of the House of Usher”, “Red Mask”, etc.), author of the legendary poem “The Raven”, etc. etc. Edgar Allan Poe's contribution to the development of literature can be described for a very long time, which is why he is the first American writer whose name thundered throughout the world. His achievements in literature are still unsolved phenomena. They are carefully studied, discovering 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 Poe write? What are the main themes in his work? What makes Edgar Allan Poe different from other writers?
The originality of Edgar Poe's work is largely due to the fact that his work is sustained in the style 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 confine oneself to this characteristic: his skill is original and requires a more detailed analysis. First of all, you need to trace his creative path.
Short biography of Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) is the first significant American writer who largely determined the face of modern literature. True, in terms of the author's worldview, in terms of the style of his work, he is more likely a European. His books do not have the national identity that Theodore Dreiser or Ernest Hemingway, for example, has. 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. Forever stuck in his memory is the image of a mother spitting blood in his face. The writer's congenital pathology is facial asymmetry (one half of the face is paralyzed). Despite this defect, he was a pretty child and was soon adopted. The rich family of the merchant Allan took the boy to be raised. He was loved, his adoptive mother was especially reverent towards him, but Edgar disliked his stepfather: they were too different people. The conflict with his stepfather escalated, so the young Allan Poe lived in a boarding house in England for 6 years.
Later, Edgar entered the University of Virginia, but did not finish his studies there. The money that Mr. Allan gave him to study, the unlucky student lost 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 "Bostonian" Edgar Allan Poe publishes a poetry collection, but fails, after which he goes to the army. Hard mode burdens him, he leaves the service.
After the death of his stepmother, Edgar and his stepfather conclude a truce, so the renewed material support allows him to take up literature. If his poetry is not successful, then the mystical story "The Manuscript Found in a Bottle" won first place in a prestigious competition.
Basically, Poe worked for many periodicals as a journalist, editor and correspondent. He received 5-6 dollars for a story or an article, that is, he did not live well. 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 Clemm. 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 Poe moved to Philadelphia, became editor of the magazine, worked there for 6 years. At the same time he is working on a compilation "Grotesques and Arabesques". This is the standard of mystical prose. The gloominess that distinguishes Poe's signature style is the result of his chronic migraine illness. It is known that the writer went crazy with pain, but, nevertheless, worked hard. This is how the barely noticeable schizophrenic notes in the work are explained.
1845 became fatal in the life of Edgar Allan Poe: Virginia, whom he sincerely loved, dies, the magazine where he worked went bankrupt, and under the yoke of grief and failure, he writes his most famous poem, The Raven.
A passion for opium and wine crossed out his further career. Only the mother of Virginia took care of 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 for him to meet with a publisher, Poe was given a large sum of money as an advance for some literary work. He apparently decided to celebrate the "pay" and drank too much in the pub. The next morning he was found dead in the park, and he no longer had any money with him.
Features and originality of creativity
What are Edgar Allan Poe's articles about? In his articles he stood on the positions 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, vile, and poetry always “floats on the air”, not in contact with the everyday squabbles of the earth. Edgar Poe is a perfectionist by temperament: he polished his work for a long time, carefully edited the works and endlessly corrected ready-made stories and poems. The form was more important to him than the content, he is a real esthete in literature.
His stories and poems are dominated by sound recording: numerous alliterations and assonances. Musicality in his poetry is always in the first place. This is a characteristic feature for the authors of the romantic direction, because they recognized music as the main form of art.
The work of Edgar Allan Poe can be roughly divided into two varieties: logical stories (detectives) and mystical stories.
The originality of Edgar Allan Poe's work:
- gothic landscape craftsmanship
- the climax is consonant with nature
- frightening mysticism, playing on the fears of the reader
- gradual, "sneaking" intrigue
- works convey a depressing state, like music: the reader does not know what exactly points to sadness and longing, but feels them, just feels the prose, but does not understand.
Edgar Poe style. Attitude towards art
For Edgar 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 looks for the ideal form in order to impress the reader, to influence his consciousness. The brevity of the form is needed for the unity of the impression, the impassive tone - 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 symbolism of the raven, associated with the fact that this bird is a scavenger, a frequenter of the battlefield and cemetery. The famous refrain "Nevermore" is a monotony in sound, but an underlined difference in meaning. Edgar Poe first chose the combination "o" and "r", and then adjusted the phrase for it, which is Edgar Poe's occasionalism, that is, he invented 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 singles out sounds and follows the inner rhythm of poetry. 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 will unmistakably recognize the author's style of Edgar Allan Poe.
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(1809- 1849)
The biography of Edgar Allan Poe, a famous American writer, resembles a raging river, making sharp turns, and sometimes completely disappearing from view.
Edgar was born on January 19, 1809 in the USA, in the city of Boston, in the family of actors of a traveling booth - David Poe and Elizabeth Arnold Poe. At two years old, the baby was left completely alone, but soon he was adopted by wealthy merchant John Allan from Virginia.
Poe's childhood was spent in wealth and luxury. His adoptive father was on the verge of ruin several times, but this did not affect the boy's well-being. In order for the child to receive a good education, the family moves to England for 5 years, and Edgar is placed in an expensive boarding school. Upon his return to America, he continues his studies at a college in Richmond. After graduating from it, Edgar enters the university of the same city
Unfortunately, the grown-up Edgar did not turn out to be a grateful son and did not appreciate the care of his adoptive parents. He begins to participate in all student sprees, loses significant amounts of money in cards, and is fond of alcohol. This behavior of the young man causes the natural dissatisfaction of John Allan, who adopted him. The adoptive father refused to pay Edgar's next gambling debt, and Edgar, being in a state of intoxication, scolded him dirty and even tried to hit him. After this incident, offended by his adoptive parents, the young man leaves the house in the fall of 1826, where he lived in warmth and care, and begins to lead the life of a wanderer.
Edgar Poe, starting from a young age, wrote poetry and left for Boston, he decided to print them, taking the pseudonym "Bostonian". The book, called "Tamerlane and Other Poems" was printed, but there was no money for its publication.
Not knowing how to live on, the young man decides to become a soldier in the American army. After enduring only one year of army life, Edgar Allan Poe turns to his adoptive father for support. He does not refuse to help, and Edgar Poe, who has received freedom, again plunges into the world of poetry. In 1829, the same collection of poems was published, but with a changed title - "Al-Aaraaf, Tamerlane and small poems", but its appearance does not arouse the interest of readers.
The adoptive father insists that the young man receive an education and in 1830 appoints Edgar to the Military Academy (West Point). However, the young man has other ideas about his future, and he, by ugly behavior, seeks expulsion from the educational institution, without having studied there even for a year. With the money collected by his comrades at the academy, he publishes a book of poems in New York, but the poet's new creation did not become popular either.
The biography of Edgar Allan Poe, corresponding to the time period from 31 to 33 years, is full of white spots. Only one thing is known that at this time the great American writer reached the last degree of poverty, but, nevertheless, he continued to work hard. And when in 1833 a competition for the best work was announced in Baltimore, Poe presented 6 stories and a poetic excerpt from The Coliseum to the jury. It proved to be a winner in both genres.
The years from 1833 to 1840 became very fruitful for the writer's work, a large amount of his poetry and prose comes out. He collaborates with a number of American magazines. Edgar Poe becomes the founder of a new direction in literature, called detective fiction.
The last few years of the writer's life were marked by prolonged binges, nervousness bordering on mental disorders.
The final page of Edgar Allan Poe's biography is shrouded in mystery. In September 1849, the writer left Richmond with a large sum of money. It is not known what happened on the road, but when the writer was found, he was unconscious and his money was stolen.
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. Creator of the form of the modern detective 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, anomalous states depicted, anticipated decadent literature.
Edgar Poe was one of the first American writers to make the short story the main form of his work. He tried to earn money exclusively by literary activity, as a result of which his life and career were fraught with severe financial difficulties, complicated by a problem with alcohol.
For twenty years of creative activity, Poe wrote two stories, two poems, one play, about seventy stories, fifty poems and ten essays, published in magazines and almanacs, and then collected in collections.
Despite the fact that during his lifetime Edgar Allan Poe was known mainly as a literary critic, later his works of art had a significant impact 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 Europe. Particular attention was paid to his work by the symbolists, who drew from his poetry the ideas of their own aesthetics.
Edgar Allan Poe was praised by Arthur Conan Doyle, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, recognizing his role as a pioneer in the genres they popularized.
Edgar Poe was born January 19, 1809 in Boston., in the family of actors Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe and David Poe, Jr. Elizabeth Poe was born in the UK. At the beginning of 1796, together with her mother, also an actress, she moved to the United States, where she began performing on stage from an 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 will 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 carry out with a child in her arms, so little Edgar was temporarily left with his grandfather in Baltimore. There he spent the first few months of his life. A year after the birth of Edgar, his father left the family. Nothing is known for certain about his subsequent fate. On December 8, 1811, Poe's mother died of consumption.
The little boy, left without parental care, liked the wife of John Allan, a wealthy merchant from Richmond, and soon the childless family took him in. Sister Rosalie came into the Mackenzie family, who were neighbors and friends of the Allans, while brother Henry lived with his father's relatives in Baltimore.
Poe's adopted family was among the wealthy and respected in Richmond. John Allan was a co-owner of a company that traded tobacco, cotton and other goods. The Allans had no children, so the boy was easily and happily accepted into the family. Edgar Poe grew up in an atmosphere of well-being, they bought him clothes, toys, books, a certified teacher studied with him at home.
In 1815, the family (as well as Ann Valentine - the elder sister of Francis, John Allan's wife) went to Great Britain. John Allan, whose business was experiencing some 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 Poe graduated from Madame Dubois' elementary school.
In 1817, studies continued at the Reverend John Bransby School in Stoke Newington, a suburb of the capital. Memories of Edgar Allan Poe about this period of life are reflected in the story "William Wilson".
Edgar finished his last academic year ahead of schedule. The reason for this was the hasty return trip to the United States - John Allan's affairs in England did not work out, serious financial difficulties ensued, his wife Francis was seriously ill. The merchant even had to borrow money from a companion for the return journey. In the summer of 1820, a transatlantic sea voyage took place, and already on August 2 the family arrived in Richmond.
On February 14, 1826, Edgar Allan Poe left for Charlottesville where he enrolled at the newly opened University of Virginia. Tuition at the institution founded by Thomas Jefferson was expensive (in a letter to his stepfather, Poe calculated the total cost and indicated the amount of $ 350 a year), so the students of the university were children of wealthy families of the state.
Upon admission, Poe chose two courses for 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 parental 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 gentlemanly, could not resist the temptation of "eternally fashionable" card games in the highest environment and wine . Edgar Allan Poe, educated in London and brought up in a respectable family, undoubtedly considered himself a gentleman. The desire to confirm this status, and later the need for livelihood, led him to the card table. At the same time Edgar Allan Poe first started drinking.
By the end of the school year, Poe's total debts were $2,500 (about $2,000 of which were card debts). Having received letters demanding payment for them, John Allan immediately left for Charlottesville, where a stormy explanation took place with his stepson. As a result, Allan paid only a tenth of the total (payment for books and services), refusing to recognize Edgar's gambling debts.
Despite Poe's obvious progress in his studies and successfully passed his exams, he could no longer stay at the university and after the end of the academic year, on December 21, 1826, he left Charlottesville.
Returning home to Richmond, Poe had no idea about his future prospects. Relations with John Allan were seriously damaged, he did not want to put up with the "careless" stepson. At this time, Poe was intensively engaged in creativity. Probably, it was in the Allan house that many of the poems that were later included in the first collection of the novice poet were written. Poe also tried to find a job, but his stepfather not only did not contribute to this, but also prevented his employment in every possible way as educational measures.
In March 1827, the "silent" conflict turned 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 justifying him, continuing to sort things out in an epistolary form. Later, these letters are replaced by others - with requests for money, which the adoptive father ignored. After staying in a tavern room for several days, on March 23, Poe set off for Norfolk and then on to Boston.
In his hometown, Edgar met a young publisher and typographer, Calvin Thomas, by chance, and he agreed to print his first collection of poems.
"Tamerlane and Other Poems" written under a pseudonym "Bostonian", came out in June 1827. 50 copies were printed, consisting of 40 pages, they were sold at 12.5 cents apiece.
In 2009, an unknown collector at an auction purchased one of the surviving copies of Poe's debut collection, paying for it a record amount for American literature - $ 662,500.
In his first poetry collection, Edgar Allan Poe included the poem "Tamerlane" (which he would later repeatedly edit and refine), the poems "K ***", "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 poetry, justifying this by saying that most of the poems were written in 1820-1821, when he "was not even fourteen yet." Most likely, this is an exaggeration - Poe, of course, began to write early, but he really turned to poetry during his studies at the university and later.
As expected, the collection did not attract the attention of the reader and critics. Only two publications wrote about his release, without giving him any critical assessment.
On May 26, 1827, Edgar Allan Poe, in dire need of money, signed an army contract for a period of five years and became a private in the First Artillery Regiment of the US Army. Poe's duty station was Fort Moultrie on Sullivan Island, located at the entrance to Charleston Bay, the same fort that 50 years ago proved impregnable to the British army. The nature of the island on which the writer spent a year was subsequently reflected in the story. "Gold Bug".
Poe served at the headquarters, was engaged in paperwork, which is not surprising for a man who was literate (a rather rare phenomenon for the army of that time) and had a neat handwriting. And the "gentleman's" origin, good upbringing and diligence ensured sympathy among the officers.
In late February 1829, Francis 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 asking his adopted son to come immediately. Frances Allan died that morning. Edgar Allan Poe was able to arrive in Richmond only on March 2, not even having time for the funeral of his adoptive mother, whom he loved very much.
Staying at home for the rest of his layoff, Poe turned to Allan again, 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 traveled to pass the papers and recommendations necessary for admission to West Point, Poe went to Baltimore, where his relatives lived: brother Henry Leonard, aunt Maria Clemm, her children Henry and Virginia, and also 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 passed in courting his consumptive brother (who aggravated the disease with alcoholism) and preparing for the publication of a second collection of poetry. Poe edited the available material, conducted an 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 small poems" were published by the Baltimore publishing house Hatch and Dunning.
Near Christmas, 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 it was a letter that was not intended for John Allan and should not have been in his hands. In it, Edgar Allan Poe spoke impartially about his guardian, unambiguously accusing him of drunkenness. The quick-tempered Allan could not stand this and for the second and last time drove Edgar Allan Poe out of the house. They still corresponded after this breakup, but never saw each other again. Soon John Allan married a second time.
At the end of June 1830, 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 tough daily routine and almost full daily employment, Edgar Allan Poe found time for creativity.
Among the cadets, pamphlets and satirical parodies of officer mentors 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, asking for his assistance in leaving West Point. Probably, the reason for such a harsh decision was the news of the marriage of the guardian, which deprived Edgar Allan Poe of the most illusory chances of being officially adopted and inheriting something.
And without waiting for an answer, Edgar Allan Poe decided to act on his own. In January 1831, he began to ignore verifications and classes, did not go out on guard and sabotaged formations. The result was the arrest and subsequent trial, in which he was accused of "gross violation of official duties" and "ignoring orders." On February 8, 1831, Poe was dismissed from the service of the United States, and already on February 18 he left West Point.
Poe went to New York, where in April 1831 the third book of the poet was published - a collection "Poems", which, in addition to the reprinted "Tamerlane" and "Al-Aaraafa", included new works: "Israfel", "Paan", "The Condemned City", "To Helen", "Sleeping". Also on the pages of the collection, Poe first turned to literary theory, writing "Letter to ..." - an essay in which the author discussed the principles of poetry and the problems of national literature. "Poems" contained a dedication to the "US Army Corps of Cadets". 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 verses with which they were once entertained by a classmate.
Without a livelihood, 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 short story by an American author with a $100 prize.
Edgar Poe approached the matter in detail: he studied magazines and various publications of that time in order to determine the principles (stylistic, plot, compositional) of writing short prose, which was popular with readers. The result of the study was "Metzengerstein", "Duke de L" Omelette, "On the Walls of Jerusalem", "Significant Loss" and "Failed Deal" - stories that the novice prose writer submitted to the competition. The results, which were disappointing for their author, were summed up on December 31, 1831 of the year - Edgar Allan Poe did not win. Over the next year, these stories without attribution (such were the conditions) were published in the newspaper that organized the competition.
Failure did not force 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, in which the prizes were $ 50 for the best story and $ 25 for the best poem. It was known that the jury included competent people - well-known writers of that time, John Pendleton Kennedy and John Latrobe.
Edgar Allan Poe participated in both nominations, submitting 6 stories and the poem "Coliseum" to the competition. On October 12, the results were announced: Edgar Poe's Manuscript Found in a Bottle won Best Short Story, the best poem - "Song of the Winds" Henry Wilton (this pseudonym was the editor-in-chief of the newspaper that organized the competition).
Subsequently, John Latrobe confirmed that Edgar Poe was also the author of the really best poem. The jury praised the young writer's work very highly, noting that it was extremely difficult for them to choose one best story from his six. In fact, this was the first authoritative recognition of Poe's talent.
Despite winning the competition, Poe's financial situation in 1833-1835 remained extremely difficult. There were no regular cash receipts, the writer continued unsuccessful attempts to find a job related to literature. The only source of income in the family was the pension of the paralyzed widow 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, to collaborate with famous writers of the time, including John F. Kennedy. He, in turn, recommended Edgar Allan Poe as a promising talented writer to White, initiating their collaboration.
Already in March 1835, the story "Berenice" appeared on the pages of the monthly, and in June the first hoax of Poe's pen appeared - "The extraordinary adventure of a certain Hans Pfaal".
On May 16, 1836, Poe married Virginia Clemm. She was his cousin, and at the time of the marriage she was only 13 years old. The couple honeymooned in Petersburg, Virginia. Around this time, Poe began to write his largest prose text - "A 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, referring to the fact that the small prose format was not popular.
In May 1837, an economic crisis broke out in the United States. He also touched the sphere of publishing: newspapers and magazines were closed, there were massive layoffs of employees. Edgar Poe was also in a difficult situation, having been left without a job for a long time. But forced idleness was not in vain - he could finally concentrate on creativity.
In the New York period, the stories "Ligeia", "The Devil in the Bell Tower", "The Fall of the House of Usher", "William Wilson" came out from the writer's pen, 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 short stories Poe had written up to that point.
In April 1841, a story was published in Graham's Magazine, which later brought worldwide fame to the founder of the detective genre - "Murder in the Rue Morgue". In the same place in May, "The overthrow into the Maelström" was printed.
In January 1842, Poe's young wife suffered the first severe attack of tuberculosis, accompanied by throat bleeding. Virginia was bedridden for a long time, and the writer again lost his composure and the ability to work. The depressed state was accompanied by frequent and protracted binges.
All subsequent time, the condition of Poe's wife had a huge impact on his mental health, extremely susceptible to the slightest deterioration in the situation. The second exacerbation of Virginia's illness occurred in the summer of the same year, and again the writer's deep feelings and mental anguish were reflected in his work - they are saturated with 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 Snowden "s Ladies" Companion magazine published the story "The Secret of Marie Roger", based on a real murder that took place 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. Shortly thereafter, 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, Poe managed to personally meet with, whose work he appreciated very highly. They discussed near-literary questions and exchanged opinions during the latter's short visit to Philadelphia. Dickens promised to assist with the publication of Poe's works in England. Even though nothing came of it, Dickens noted that Poe was "the only writer he wanted to help with the publication".
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 him get a job in Philadelphia customs. The need was great, since the writer began to look for work other than literary, which brought an unstable income. Poe did not get the position because he did not appear at the meeting, explaining this by his illness, although there is a version that drinking was the reason for the absence. The family, which found itself in a difficult situation, had to change its place of residence several times, as there was a catastrophic lack of money, debts grew. A case was brought against the writer, and on January 13, 1843, the Philadelphia District Court declared Edgar Allan Poe bankrupt, but the prison term was avoided.
Despite the difficult financial situation and the decline in spirit associated with the illness of his wife, Poe's literary fame grew steadily. His works were published in many publications throughout the country, they were devoted to critical reviews, many of which noted the author's extraordinary talent and the power of his imagination. Laudatory reviews were written even by literary enemies, making them even more valuable.
Devoting himself entirely to prose, Poe 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 Victorious Worm", in which all the mental anguish and despair of recent years, the collapse of hopes and illusions, seemed to be concentrated.
In February 1843, the New York edition of The Pioneer published the famous "Leenor". Poe returned to poetry, but the main form of his work continued to be short prose.
In July 1844, the New York Dollar Newspaper organized a contest for the best short story, with a $100 prize for first place. The winner was "Gold 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 mother-in-law in the life of Edgar Allan Poe. Her thriftiness, diligence and endless care, with which she surrounded her son-in-law and daughter, was noted by many contemporaries who knew the family personally. Edgar loved his "Muddy" (probably short for "mummy" ("mommy") and "daddy" ("daddy"), as he often called her in letters, because with the appearance in his life she really became like a mother to him .
In 1849, he dedicated to her, full of tenderness and gratitude, the poem "To My Mother".
A week after the move, Edgar Allan Poe becomes the hero of a sensation: a huge stir in reading circles caused "The Balloon Story" published by the New York Sun in a special issue. Originally conceived as a hoax, the story was stylized as a news article. The idea for the plot was unconsciously suggested by John Wise, a well-known aeronaut at the time, 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 the publication, the building of the publishing house was literally "stormed" by people.
Poe's hoaxes, in which great attention was paid to the details based on the technical innovations of the time, gave impetus to the subsequent development of the science fiction genre in literature.
Some time after reuniting with Maria Clemm, the family moved into a new home: the Brennan family rented out part of their mansion located outside the city to them. Poe continued to contribute to many publications, offering them his articles and critical reviews. During this period, he had no problems with publications, but his income was still modest. In the Brennan mansion, Poe wrote the poem "Dreamland", which reflected the beauty of the nature around him. There, work began on a work that became the poetic magnum opus of the writer - a poem "Crow".
It is not known whether Poe wrote The Crow with the goal of obtaining final and unconditional recognition, inspired by the success of The Gold Bug and The Balloon Story, but that he carefully and carefully approached the process of creating this work, there is no doubt.
It was an immediate and resounding success: publications throughout 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. In the words of the writer's biographer Arthur Quinn, "The Raven made an impression that perhaps no other poetic work in American literature has been able to surpass." Despite the huge success with readers and the wide recognition of the public, the poem did little to improve the financial situation of the writer.
On February 21, 1845, Poe became a co-owner of the Broadway Journal., whose head believed to increase sales of the publication by attracting a new celebrity to cooperate. According to the terms of the contract, Poe received a third of the sales of the magazine, the cooperation promised to be mutually beneficial.
At the same time, Poe took up lecturing, which would become an important source of income for him. The first theme of the talks in New York and Philadelphia was "The Poets and Poetry of America."
In July 1845, Poe published a short story entitled "The demon of contradiction". The discussions on the theme of human nature, which are contained in its preamble, allow a good understanding of the nature of the contradictory nature of the author himself. Tormented by his own "demon", he repeatedly committed rash and illogical acts during 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, Poe did not publish any of his new works, only reprinted the 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: not only did the authors, personally unpleasant to him, with whom he conflicted, but also those who treated him favorably. As a result, within a short period of time, subscribers began to refuse Broadway Journal and authors turned away, the publication became unprofitable. Both of Poe's companions soon left him, leaving Poe as the sole owner of the distressed journal.
Poe tried desperately to keep it alive by sending out 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 came out, and Edgar Allan 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 a fatal step. Again, the time of clouded consciousness came: lectures were disrupted, public conflicts arose, and the reputation suffered seriously. The situation became even more complicated with the release in May 1846 of the first essays by Edgar Allan Poe from the series "New York Writers". In them, Poe gave a personal and creative description of famous authors - his contemporaries, which for the most part was extremely negative. The reaction followed immediately: the newspapers, at the suggestion of the "victims", began a war against Poe - they denigrated his reputation, accusing him of immorality and godlessness. The image of Poe as a deranged alcoholic with no control over his actions dominated the press. They also remembered his literary romance with the poetess Francis Osgood, which ended in scandal. Among those hurt by criticism, Thomas English especially distinguished himself. In the past, a friend of the writer, he published in one of the newspapers "An answer to Mr. Poe", in which he added the accusation of forgery to the image of a poor godless alcoholic.
The publication Poe collaborated with advised him to go to court, which he did. On February 17, 1846, Poe won a libel case against the Mirror magazine that published The Answer and received $225 in damages.
In May 1846 Poe moved into a small cottage in Fordham, a suburb of New York. The family was again in poverty, desperately lacking money - in the summer and autumn, Poe did not write anything. In one of the letters, he refers to his illness - literary "wars" and scandals did not go unnoticed. Bedridden Virginia's condition only worsened.
Virginia's condition seriously deteriorated in January 1847: fever and pain intensified, hemoptysis became more frequent. On January 29, Poe wrote a desperate letter to Mary Shew, asking her to come and say goodbye to Virginia, who had become so attached to her. Mrs. Shew arrived the next day and caught 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 heavy for a subtle, experiencing nature.
The central work of the last years of Poe's life was "Eureka". The "poem in prose" (as Poe defined it), which spoke about subjects "physical, metaphysical, mathematical", according to the author, was supposed to turn people's ideas about the nature of the universe.
At five o'clock in the morning on October 7, 1849, Poe died. According to Dr. Moran, just before his death, he uttered his last words: "Lord, help my poor soul."
Edgar Allan Poe's modest funeral took place at 4 pm on October 8, 1849, at Westminster Hall and Burying Ground Cemetery, which is 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 Reverend W. T. D. Clemm, Virginia Poe's uncle. It lasted only three minutes due to the cold and dank weather. The psalmist George W. Spence wrote, "It was a gloomy and overcast day, there was no rain, but it was damp and a thunderstorm was coming." 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, bedspreads and pillows under his head.
On October 1, 1875, Poe's remains were reburied at a new location, not far from the front of the church. The new monument was made and erected at the expense of the residents of Baltimore and the writer's admirers from other US cities. The total cost of the monument was a little over $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 that preceded 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, ranging in plausibility from hypoglycemia to conspiracy to kill.
There is another theory, which is distinguished by many biographers of the writer. Elections to the Congress and the Maryland State Legislature were scheduled for October 3 in Baltimore. At that time, there were no voter lists, which were used by opposing candidates and parties that formed special groups of voters. People under the influence of alcohol were gathered in special places, and then forced to vote several times. Probably Poe, who was the victim of a criminal scheme similar to a "carousel", became useless due to his condition and was abandoned near the 4th district polling station, where he was found by Joseph Walker. However, this theory also has detractors, who argue that Po, as a well-known person in the city, would be difficult to participate in such a scheme.
Every year, since 1949, an unknown person visited the grave of Poe, paying tribute to the memory of the writer's talent. In the early 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 tombstone. Sometimes notes of various contents were found on the tombstone. In one of them, left in 1999, it was reported that the first secret admirer had died the previous year and the obligation to continue 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 the Westminster church where Poe is buried, stated that it was he who started the tradition of visiting the writer'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 did not fit in with the facts.
In 2012, Jeff Jerome, curator of the Poe House Museum, who had previously denied rumors that he was a fan, announced the end of the tradition.
Edgar Allan Poe- one of the greatest American romantics of the XIX century - was born January 19, 1809 in Boston. His father abandoned the family, and his mother died of a serious illness when little Edgar was not even three years old ... The child was taken in by the family of a wealthy merchant from Richmond, John Allan, who after some time moved to England, where the boy was sent to study in prestigious boarding house. In 1820 the Allan family returned to Richmond, where Edgar went to college. In college, Poe fell in love with the mother of one of his fellow students - Jane Craig Stenard, but the first love ended tragically, in 1824 Jane died ...
In 1826, Edgar graduated from college and entered the University of Virginia, where he studied for only a year. At the same time, Poe makes an attempt to secretly marry his new lover - Sarah Royster, which causes the anger of his adoptive father and he kicks him out of the house ... Edgar leaves for Boston, where he publishes his first collection of poems, which, alas, is not successful ...
In 1829, Edgar met his paternal relatives, they helped him publish a second collection of poems, which also turned out to be a failure, did not bring fame to the writer and the third collection, published a year later in New York, but in June 1833 his story “Manuscript found in a bottle" takes first place in the competition of the literary magazine "Baltimor saturday visitor", Poe becomes a sought-after prose writer and finally in December 1835 becomes the editor of the magazine "Southern literary messeger", his paternal aunt Marie Clem and her thirteen-year-old daughter Virginia, whom Edgar married six months later ... Soon he refuses to work in a magazine and moves to New York with his new family, where he publishes several short stories, but the fees were negligible and the writer was in constant need.
In 1838, Edgar accepted an offer to take the position of editor in the Gentelmen's magazine and moved to Philadelphia because of this. In 1839 he accumulated enough wealth to publish the book Grotesques and Arabesques. during this time he published about thirty stories and many literary critical articles ...
In 1844, Edgar returned to New York and published several short stories there, but they were not successful with the public, but the poem “The Raven” published in 1845 and the collection of the same name made Poe incredibly popular. But soon the bright streak of life ended, poverty came again ... Virginia died of a long illness ...
From grief and hopelessness, the writer completely loses his head, drinks a lot, begins to use drugs to brighten up his loneliness, he increasingly visits prostitutes, and during the next binge he even tries to commit suicide ... At this time, his book “Eureka "- he considered it "the greatest revelation that humanity has ever heard", but in the hearts of "humanity" the work does not find a response ...
On October 3, 1849, he was found unconscious on the railway tracks, and four days later he died without regaining consciousness ...
Biography
One of the greatest American romantics of the 19th century was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston. His father left the family, and his mother died of a serious illness when the little Edgar was not even three years old ... The child was taken to be raised in the family of a wealthy merchant from Richmond John Allan, which after some time moved to England, where the boy was sent to study at a prestigious boarding school. In 1820 the family Allanov returned to richmond, where Edgar entered college. In college, Po fell in love with the mother of one of his fellow students - Jane Craig Stenard, but the first love ended tragically, in 1824 Jane died...
In 1826 Edgar graduated from college and entered the University of Virginia, where he studied for only a year. At the same time, Po makes an attempt to secretly marry his new lover - Sarah Royster, which causes the anger of the adoptive father and he kicks him out of the house ... Edgar leaves for Boston, where he publishes his first collection of poems, which, alas, is not successful ...
In 1829 Edgar meets his paternal relatives, they help him publish a second collection of poems, which also turns out to be a failure, does not bring fame to the writer and the third collection, published a year later in New York, but in June 1833 his story "Manuscript Found in a Bottle" wins first place in a literary magazine competition "Baltimore saturday visitor".
Poe becomes a sought-after prose writer and finally, in December 1835, becomes editor of a magazine. "Southern lirary messenger", his paternal aunt is moving in with him Marie Clem and her thirteen year old daughter Virginia, with which Edgar got married six months later ... Soon he refuses to work in the magazine and moves with his new family to New York, where he publishes several short stories, but the fees were negligible and the writer was in constant need.
In 1838 Edgar accepts an offer to become an editor in a journal "Gentelmen's magazine" and because of this he moves to Philadelphia. In 1839 he accumulated enough wealth to publish a book. "Grotesques and Arabesques". The writer lived in Philadelphia for six years, during which time he published about thirty stories and many literary critical articles ...
In 1844 Edgar returns to New York and publishes several short stories there, but they are not successful with the public, but a poem published in 1845 "Crow" and the collection of the same name is made By incredibly popular. But soon the bright streak of life ended, poverty came again ... She died of a long illness Virginia...
From grief and hopelessness, the writer completely loses his head, drinks a lot, starts using drugs to brighten up his loneliness, he increasingly visits prostitutes, and during the next binge he even tries to commit suicide ... At this time, his book is published "Eureka"- he considered her "the biggest revelation mankind has ever heard" but in the hearts "humanity" The piece doesn't get a response...
On October 3, 1849, he was found unconscious on the railway tracks, and four days later he died without regaining consciousness ...
Awards
stories
1831 - A Dream1831 - Summer and Winter
1832 - On the walls of Jerusalem / A Tale of Jerusalem
1832 - Bon-Bon / Bon-Bon
1832 - Loss of Breath
1832 - Metzengerstein / Metzengerstein
1832 - Silence - A Fable
1832 - The Duc De l "Omelette / The Duc De L" Omelette
1833 - Four beasts in one / Four Beasts in One: the Homo_Cameleopard
1833 - Manuscript found in a bottle / MS. Found in a Bottle
1833 - The Folio Club
1835 - Berenice / Berenice
1835 - The extraordinary adventure of a certain Hans Pfaall / Hans Pfaall - A Tale aka The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall
1835 - King Plague / King Pest
1835 - Celebrity / Lionizing
1835 - Morella / Morella
1835 - Shadow. Parabola / Shadow - A Parable
1835 - Date / The Visionary
1837 - Hoax / Von Jung, the Mystific
1838 - Tragic situation. Scythe of Time / A Predicament. The Scythe of Time
1838 - How to Write a "Blackwood" Article
1838 - Ligeia / Ligeia
1839 - The Conversation of Eiros and Charmion
1839 The Devil in the Belfry
1839 - The Fall of the House of Usher
1839 - The man who was hacked to pieces. The Tale of the Last Bugabusko-Kikapuskoy
Campaign / The Man That Was Used Up. A Tale of the Late Bugaboo and Kickapoo Campaign
1839 Why the Little Frenchman Wears His Hand in a Sling
1839 - William Wilson / William Wilson
1840 - Businessman / The Business Man
1840 - The Journal of Julius Rodman
1840 - The Man of the Crowd
1841 A Descent into the Maelstrom
1841 - Eleonora / Eleonora
1841 - Never Be the Devil Your Head
1841 - The Colloquy of Monos and Una
1841 - The Island of the Fay
1841 - The Murders in the Rue Morgue
1841 - Three Sundays in a Week
1842 - In death - life / Life in Death
1842 - The Gold-Bug
1842 - The Masque of the Red Death
1842 - The Mystery of Marie Roget / The Mystery of Marie Roget
1842 - The Pit and the Pendulum
1843 - A Tale of the Ragged Mountains
1843 Raising the Wind or Diddling Considered As One of the Exact Sciences
1843 - The Black Cat
1843 The Tell-Tale Heart
1844 - Mesmeric Revelation / Mesmeric Revelation
1844 - Elk. Morning on the Wissahiccon
1844 - Angel of the inexplicable. Extravaganza / The Angel of the Odd
1844 - The Balloon Story / The Balloon Hoax
1844 - The Literary Life of Thingum Bob, Esq.
1844 - The Oblong Box
1844 - Premature Burial / The Premature Burial
1844 - The Purloined Letter
1844 - Spectacles / The Spectacles
1844 - The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether
1844 - "You are the man who did this" / "Thou Art the Man"
1845 - Some Words with a Mummy
1845 - The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
1845 - The Imp of the Perverse
1845 - The Oval Portrait
1845 - The Power of Words
1845 - The Thousand-second Tale of Scheherazade / The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Scheherazade
1846 - The Cask of Amontillado
1846 - The Domain of Arnheim
1846 - Sphinx / The Sphinx
1849 - Hop-Frog
1849 - Landor's Cottage / Landor's Cottage
1849 - Mellonta Tauta / Mellonta Tauta
1849 - Von Kempelen and His Discovery
1849 - How one newspaper note was typed / X-ing a Paragrab
1953 - Lighthouse / The Lighthouse
