Edgar Allan Poe (1809 - 49), was born in Boston, USA. His parents
were actors but both suffered from tuberculosis and died in 1811.
The two-year-old Edgar was taken in by John Allan, a wealthy
merchant - hence the middle name. He had a very happy childhood as
the only child of a rich family. He did well at school, especially
in languages and athletics. In 1926 Edgar went to the University of
Virginia. In his first term he did no work, spending his time on
wine, women and song! He had a huge row with his step-father and
ran away to join the army. A few years later Mrs Allan begged her
husband to find him and make up the quarrel. This happened but the
two men never managed to have a good relationship again. When his
wife died, John Allan remarried and his new wife hated Edgar. So,
by 1831 he was out in the world, alone and broke.
Edgar was by now writing poetry but with little success. He did
find a new family, an aunt and married her fourteen-year-old
daughter. They moved from place to place and so Edgar moved from
job to job getting the occasional story printed. They were very
poor, often cold and close to starvation. His wife was ill and
Edgar was almost an alcoholic. When his wife died, Edgar began to
court wealthy widows and his writing became more and more tortured.
George Bernard Shaw called him, 'the finest of finest of artists';
but he died alone in pain and poverty when he was only forty.
Almost his last words were- 'I wish to God someone would blow my
damned brains out.' - it is not difficult to see why some of his
best-remembered stories are grotesque and macabre.
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