Top 20 Interesting facts about Allan Edgar Poe

Top 20 Interesting Facts about Allan Edgar Poe

*Originally published by Charity N on August 2022 and Updated by Vanessa R on July 2023 and Updated by Purity M on March 2024

Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston Massachusetts. He is a renowned short-story writer, poet, and critic. He is famous for his cultivation of mystery and macabre.

His work had a profound impact on American and international literature. His stories mark him as one of the originators of both horror and detective fiction. He was also one of the first critics to focus primarily on the effect of style and structure in a literary work. He has been seen as a forerunner to the “art for art’s sake” movement. Today, Poe is remembered as one of the first American writers to become a major figure in world literature.

“The Raven” (1845) received an immediate and overwhelming response when it first appeared in the New York Evening Mirror on January 29, 1845. It is thereby considered among the best-known poems in the USA.

He is best known for evocative short stories and poems that captured the imagination and interest of readers around the world.

1. He is celebrated as the first professional American writer

Photograph of Edgar Allan Poe Taken by W.S. Hartshorn-Wikimedia

Just like many artists, today Poe led a financially difficult life and career. It is not easy to earn a living through writing alone. However, he is the first well-known American writer to make money out of writing.

His best-known works include the poems “To Helen” (1831), “The Raven” (1845), and “Annabel Lee” (1849); the short stories of wickedness and crime “The Tell-Tale Heart” (1843) and “The Cask of Amontillado” (1846); and the supernatural horror story “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1839).

2. Allan Edgar Poe invented the detective fiction genre

Man Writing a Letter by Gabriël Metsu-Wikimedia

His big imagination led to the invention of the detective story. His storytelling of tales full of mystery and horror gave rise to the modern detective genre.

The birth of the detective genre occurred when Graham published Poe’s story, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.” Poe called his new work an example of “ratiocination,” or the process of exact thinking.

Howard Haycraft, in his critique of gumshoe lit, “Murder for Pleasure,” noted that many of the conventions of detective tales and modus operandi of sleuths from Sherlock Holmes to Miss Marple, and from Jessica Fletcher to Columbo, are to be found in Poe’s genre-creating tale.

3. Allan Poe imagination was dark

His love for writing manifested from a young age. Young Poe enjoyed composing poems for his loved ones.

As he grew, life became too real. He experienced pains and tragedies in life, causing him to abuse opium and alcohol. These experiences were behind the years of Edgar’s dark writings.

His feeling of abandonment by his father after he was born is evident in his writing style. He engaged his readers through the utilization of imagery and suspense within vivid settings.

4. He was raised by foster parents

Poe’s parents were both professional actors. Unfortunately, they died before the poet was three years old.

He was taken in by John and Frances Allan. He was raised in Richmond, Virginia.

5. Edgar Allan was kicked out of University out of gambling debts

casino image by Dusan Kipic on Unsplash

John Allan was a prosperous tobacco exporter. He was very invested in Poe’s life. He made sure to send him to the best boarding schools. He enrolled Poe at the University of Virginia. Academically, Poe was excellent. However, in less than a year of school, he was forced to leave.

Poe had picked the habit of gambling and eventually could not keep up with his chosen lifestyle. His father did not believe in instilling good values in a child. He refused to pay Poe’s gambling debts. This led to Poe being kicked out of school.

His most well-known poem, The Raven, saw instant success.

6. He married his 13-year-old cousin

Wedding, Photo by Hisu lee on Unsplash

When he left the University, he went back home. His relationship with his father was majorly strained.

He decided to enroll in the army. In the army a lot of times there is a lot of spare time. He used his time by writing and publishing poems. His first sets of poems did not raise any eyebrows.

He was admitted to the United States Military Academy. However due to a lack of financial support he had to leave. That is when he moved to his aunt’s, Maria Clemm, in Baltimore.  Maria lived with her daughter, Virginia.

His writing career started picking up. He took up a job as an editor in Richmond where he moved with his aunt and cousin Virginia. In 1836, he married Virginia, who was thirteen years old at the time.

7. The cause of Poe’s death is still unknown

Many versions were speculated surrounding his death. Others claim that he died of alcohol poisoning. What is constant in all versions is that he was wearing someone else’s clothes, having been robbed of his suit.

His death was most probably the result of Cooping. This was a practice where voters were drugged and forced to vote at different polling places. He was found delirious and rambling in a Baltimore polling place four days before he died. He had been missing for several days beforehand.

He later died at Washington College Hospital at 40 years old. This was on October 7, 1849.

8. Edgar Allan made up words

A writer, Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash

Poe was a wordlist. He was fluent in several languages and had a very large vocabulary. If he liked how a word sounded then he would use it. It did not matter if it did not exist. He made up the word ‘tintinnabulation’ to describe the sound made by the ringing of bells.

This word was invented by Poe in his poem ‘The Bells’, where he writes, ‘Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells … From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.’

9. Edgar Poe Never Recovered From His Wife’s Death

His marriage to his cousin did not last long. He married her when she was thirteen and she died when she was 24 years old. At the time he was 38 years old.

She died of tuberculosis. His lifelong struggle with depression and alcoholism worsened. He did not really recover as is evident in his poems and stories. During Virginia’s illness, his work was mainly centered on dead women. After her death, he rarely published and died two years later.

10. Poe’s Obituary Was Written By His Rival

They say that true color is shown during one’s demise. Poe’s rivals did not mince words following his death.

One Rufus Griswald, long mocked by Poe’s criticism, wrote an unflattering obituary. He painted him as a philandering, alcoholic opium addict.

Another, Griswald added more to his account in his biography Memoir of the Author. He went to the extent of using forged documents to paint Poe in a terribly dark light. Griswald’s work negatively influenced generations of readers about Poe’s character. However, nothing could take away Poe’s enduring poetic genius found in his works.

11. He held a local record for swimming

Edgar Allan Poe is usually depicted as a melancholy, secluded author. Poe, though, was a skilled rower, swimmer, long jumper, and boxer. In Richmond, Virginia, he set a record for swimming seven miles upstream against the current.

12. Edgar Allan Poe wrote his first book when he was 18

Lucy Fisher from London, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

After Edgar Allan Poe left the University of Virginia in 1827, he immediately published Tamerlane and Other Poems. The book was issued alone as “a Bostonian” and contained the epic poem “Tamerlane” about a Turkic conqueror. Only 12 copies of the book are said to still exist because it did not do well on the literary market.

13. Poe joined the United States Army as a private in 1827

Poe enrolled in the American Army in 1827 as a private after the publication of Tamerlane and Other Poems. He joined the First Regiment of Artillery and, after impressing his superiors, rose through the ranks to Sergeant Major for Artillery in just two years.

However, Poe immediately quit the Army and started a position at West Point Academy, which his foster father secured (and for which he lied that he was 18, not 21). Poe impressed people above him, much like he had done in the military. But Poe felt restricted and bored because of the academy’s rigorous rules.

14. Poe lashed out at much more accomplished writers

He did not have many friends because of his job at the Southern Literary Messenger. Poe criticised even more talented authors, like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, whom he mockingly referred to as “The Professor.”

Rufus Griswald, a rival literary critic who often fired back at him in his own columns, was also notably mocked for his writings. Poe earned the nickname “the Tomahawk Man” for his scathing critiques of other authors.

15. He was never able to pull himself out of poverty

Minnesota Historical Society, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Poe was never able to escape poverty despite his growing reputation as a fiction writer and published author. Poe wasn’t as extensively published as he would have liked to be because American magazines would rather republish British stories than pay for fresh American stories because there wasn’t a clear copyright law in place.

Also, Poe had received nothing from the death of his foster father. Poe was repaid with 25 copies of the book rather than cash when he released Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque in 1840, which had The Fall in the House of Usher.

16. He wrote a textbook on seashells

Beyond his literary prowess, Poe dabbled in scientific writing and co-authored a textbook titled “Conchology, or, A System of Testaceous Malacology” which focused on the study of seashells.

Poe’s involvement with the book, however, is a bit more complex than a straightforward authorship. Published in 1839, the book used material from an earlier, expensive textbook by Thomas Wyatt titled “Manual of Conchology.”

The book’s core content was largely based on Wyatt’s work, with some modifications by Poe. It aimed to be an accessible and inexpensive introduction to the study of seashells (conchology).

The publishers saw Poe’s name recognition as valuable and paid him for its use on the title page. Poe faced criticism for not fully acknowledging his use of Wyatt’s work, leading to accusations of plagiarism.

17. His iconic poem “The Raven” was initially envisioned as “The Parrot”

Edgar Allan Poe did originally consider using a parrot instead of a raven in his poem “The Raven.” He even went as far as drafting some lines with “parrot” instead of “raven.” However, in the final version of the poem, he chose the raven for a few key reasons.

First, the raven is a more fitting symbol of mystery, death, and foreboding compared to a parrot, which is generally associated with mimicry and vibrancy. The eminent poet also thought the raven’s dark appearance and harsh croaking contribute to the poem’s ominous atmosphere, which wouldn’t be achieved with a parrot’s colorful feathers and squawking.

Furthermore, parrots were already commonly used in literature as talking birds, while the raven offered a more unique and striking imagefor his poem. So, while “The Parrot” wasn’t a complete poem, Poe did consider using it before ultimately choosing the raven to create the impactful and enduring “The Raven” we know today.

18. He was pen pals with Charles Dickens

Though their literary styles differed vastly, Edgar Allan Poe and Charles Dickens, titans of their respective nations, shared a surprising connection. Poe, known for his dark and macabre tales, admired Dickens’ masterful storytelling. Upon encountering Dickens during his American tour, Poe sent a letter expressing his enthusiasm.

Impressed by Poe’s talent, Dickens agreed to help him find publishers in England. Despite their limited physical interaction, their brief correspondence showcased a mutual respect for each other’s literary prowess, bridging the gap between their contrasting styles and nationalities. This unexpected connection between literary giants adds a unique layer to their individual legacies.

19. His works have inspired countless adaptations in various media

Beyond the pages, Edgar Allan Poe’s haunting narratives have transcended literature, captivating audiences across diverse media. From the chilling atmosphere of Roger Corman’s film adaptation of “The Fall of the House of Usher” (1960) to the gothic anthology series “American Horror Story” drawing inspiration from various Poe works, his influence is undeniable.

Even video games haven’t escaped his grasp, with titles like “The Raven Remastered” offering players an interactive journey through Poe’s iconic poem. This ability of his works to resonate through different mediums solidifies Poe’s enduring legacy as a master of the macabre and a pioneer of the horror genre.

20. He was fascinated by cryptography

Edgar Allan Poe harbored a deep fascination with cryptography, the art of secret writing. Beyond the articles he published and the ciphers he challenged readers to solve, he weaved cryptography directly into his narratives. In his famed tale, “The Gold-Bug,” the decipherment of a hidden message becomes central to the plot, showcasing Poe’s understanding of coding methods.

Scholars even speculate that he might have embedded hidden messages within other works, using techniques like steganography, adding another layer of intrigue to his already captivating stories. Poe’s use of cryptography not only reflects his personal interest but also enriches his narratives, creating puzzles and layers of meaning for readers to unravel.