Who was Edgar Allan Poe?
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Born: January 19, 1809, Boston, MA
Died: October 7, 1849, Baltimore, MD
Spouse: Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe (m. 1835–1847)
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The RavenBeer brand was brewed in honor of the great American writer, Edgar Allan Poe, who, through his pen, eloquently expressed himself like no other. Through his exquisite poems, short stories and criticisms, Poe captured the imagination of the world.Today, Poe is a pop culture icon. No other literary author has been more written about, dissected, reinvented as a character in books, comics, film and other media.
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Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809 and the grandson of a Baltimore Revolutionary War patriot, David Poe Sr. Orphaned at three years of age, he was raised by a Richmond merchant, John Allan, and later took Allan as his middle name. Educated at a private school in England (1815-1820), Poe then entered the University of Virginia, but soon left because of gambling debts and his step father refused to pay for his education. He then went on to pursue a literary career. In 1827, he published anonymously at his expense 'Tamerlane and Other Poems'. As a result of tension between Edgar and his stepfather, Poe entered the military under an assumed name and then to West Point Military Academy in 1830, but was dismissed the following year for neglecting his duty.
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He returned to Baltimore to live again with aunt, Maria Poe Clemm in a home located on Amity street. It was here that Poe began to write short stories instead of poetry. He soon won a $50 prize offered by a Baltimore newspaper for "MS Found in a Bottle" in 1833. This eventually landed him editorial position on the Southern Literary Messenger (1835). The same year, Edgar's grandmother, Elizabeth died and he moved to Richmond in 1836.
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That year he married his 13-year old cousin and Poe had published numerous reviews, essays, poems and stories. He moved to New York and then to Philadelphia where he wrote 'The Fall of the House of Usher' (1839) and 'Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque' (1840). The same year he began his own journal, The Penn and its failure led to him becoming literary editor of Graham's Magazine (1841-42) to which he contributed 'Murders in the Rue Morgue', 'The Imp of the Perverse', and 'The Masque of the Red Death'.
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In 1843, he freelanced 'The Tell-Tale Heart', 'The Black Cat', 'The Pit and the Pendulum' and the prize winning 'The Gold Bug'. In 1845, Poe purchased the Broadway Journal and published 'Tales' and 'The Raven'. The Journal folded in 1845 and his young wife died in 1847.
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The strain of business failures and the tragic death of his wife from consumption led to a nervous breakdown and to his early death in Baltimore in 1849. Published in his later years were the philosophical poem 'Eureka' and the poems 'Ulalume', and 'Annabel Lee'.
The cause of his death remains a mystery. Despite many theories surrounding his death (e.g., alcohol, liver disease and recently rabies), no exact cause has ever been proven. His remains now rest along with his wife and aunt under a monument dedicated to him in Westminster Graveyard in downtown Baltimore.
Poe Links
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Collections of Works by Edgar Allan Poe
E. A. Poe Society of Baltimore: Poe's Tales
An extensive collection of Poe's works. Under each story, the various dates of publication are listed, and at least one link to the text.
POE FOREVERMORE is the home of Poe Forevermore Magazine and Poe Forevermore Radio Theater, published, produced by Mark Redfield through Damfino Media LLC. Lots of Poe art, readings, Poe radio and more.
www.Online-Literature.com/poe/
This is a modern commercial site with popups and ads. It is not a complete collection but it contains most of Poe's stories. Unfortunately, "Ligeia" and a few others are missing.
Another site with a fairly complete set of Poe's stories and poetry.
Poe Anthology at xroads.virginia.edu
Other Edgar Allan Poe Sites
Poe Baltimore is dedicated to fund, maintain and interpret The Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, and to celebrate the legacy of one of Baltimore’s most famous residents. We are dedicated to maintaining the museum as a vibrant experience for the thousands of visitors who come from around the world each year, and as part of a broader mission of city-wide events and educational opportunities.
Plenty of interesting content and discussion of Poe's works. Read excellent essays by Christoffer Nilsson, Martha Womack, David Grantz, and others."The growing collection of essays in the Poe Decoder is written by qualified people with a great interest in Edgar Allan Poe. We want to provide you with accurate facts on one of the greatest American writers ever, and once and for all put an end to all the lies and rumors that surround this person."
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Edgar Allan Poe's House of Usher
An ecclectic collection of all things Poe. Links to just about anything that has to do with Poe (even RavenBeer) can be found in the "Virtual Library". The site is current as of December, 2007.
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The Raven Society at U of Virginia Founded in 1904, The Raven Society is the oldest and most prestigious honorary society at the University of Virginia. It is also unique to the University, taking its name in honor of the most famous poem of the University's most famous poet, Edgar Allan Poe.
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Edgar Allan Poe Museum - Richmond Virginia
A well designed site, with educational resources and listings of local events related to Poe.
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E. A. Poe Society of Baltimore
Edgar Allan Poe House - Baltimore Maryland
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Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site
The Edgar Allan Poe House in Philadelphia maintained by the National Park Service.
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A Poe Biography by Heyward Ehrlich
A good list of links to many Poe resources. Updated each year.
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This site contains short stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe (Edgar Allen Poe is a common misspelling), story summaries, quotes, and linked vocabulary words and definitions for educational reading. It also includes a short biography, a timeline of Poe's life, and links to other Poe sites.
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Wikipedia is a great resource to look up just about anything, including Edgar Allan Poe.
Miscellaneous Poe
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RavenBeer-Baltimore Craft Beer Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe
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Edgar Allan Poe articles in the New York Times-Various New York Times articles about Poe, Poe fans, and books written about Poe.
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Vincent Price, "The Tell Tale Heart", PART 1
Watch actor Vincent Price perform "The Tell Tale Heart" on YouTube. Part 1 of 2.
Vincent Price, "The Tell Tale Heart", PART 2-The second half of the performance by Vincent Price
Vincent Price, "The Cask of Amontillado", PART 1
Watch Vincent Price perform "The Cask of Amontillado" on YouTube. Part 1 of 2.
Vincent Price, "The Cask of Amontillado", PART 2-The second half of the performance by Vincent Price.
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Christopher Walken reads "The Raven" (mp3)-An excellent reading of "The Raven" by actor, Christopher Walken.
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Poe Cryptographic Challenge Solved-An interesting page detailing the solution to a cryptogram believed to have been written by Poe. It was finally solved in October of 2000.
I thought this was fascinating. If you like Poe and math, check it out. A tremendous amount of work went into this. Without giving away the "secret", here is a sample...
"Midnights so dreary, tired and weary.
Silently pondering volumes extolling all by-now obsolete lore.
During my rather long nap - the weirdest tap!
An ominous vibrating sound disturbing my chamber's antedoor..."
A humorous, albeit somewhat geeky version of Poe's "The Raven", themed towards using the internet and newsgroups.
"Once upon a website dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
O'er many a strange and eerie page with flash and gifs galore..."
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Edgar Allan Poe, Drugs, and Alcohol
Interesting pages about Poe and alcohol.
Related Sites
H.P. Lovecraft's favorite authors
"When I write stories, Edgar Allan Poe is my model." - H.P. Lovecraft
Site dedicated to old movies, including several adaptations of Poe's works starring Vincent Price.
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The Molotov Theatre Group, http://molotovtheatre.org : Molotov Theatre Group (MTG) is Washington DC’s only award-winning company focused on education and theatrical performance in the horror and suspense genre. We revive and preserve the century-old French tradition of the Grand Guignol style.