An American Icon, Edgar Allen Poe, part one

Edgar Allen Poe known for writing the widely accepted, and an instant favorite “The Raven” lye's entombed in an cemetery in Baltimore, MD. Born January 9th, 1809 and died of unknown causes on October 7th, 1849. His parents David Poe jr, and his mother Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe, and they both were actors he also had an older brother William Henry Leonard Poe, and Rosalie Poe his younger sister. His father David ran out on his family, and his mother died a

Edgar Allen Poe known for writing the widely accepted, and an instant favorite “The Raven” lye's entombed in an cemetery in Baltimore, MD. Born January 9th, 1809 and died of unknown causes on October 7th, 1849. His parents David Poe jr, and his mother Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe, and they both were actors he also had an older brother William Henry Leonard Poe, and Rosalie Poe his younger sister. His father David ran out on his family, and his mother died a year later. Edgar Poe then moved to Richmond Virginia where he was taken in by a merchant of Scottish heritage named John Allen. Who then gave Edgar Poe the name history knows him as Edgar Allen Poe. His new family now consisted of John Allen, and his wife Frances Valentine Allen and in 1815 they sailed to England. While in England Edgar Allen Poe attended several schools, a grammar school in Irvine Scotland in 1815, and in 1817 he studied in Chelsea at a boarding school. The Allen’s John, Frances, and Edgar Allen Poe in 1820 moved back to Richmond Virginia.
Edgar Allen Poe was thought to be engaged to Sarah Elmira Royster in February 1826 when he registered at the newly founded University of Virginia where he studied languages. While at the University of Virginia Edger lost contact with his sweetheart Sarah Royster, and his relationship with his foster father John Allen became strained. Edgar Allen Poe and John Allen’s relationship became strained over gambling debts Edgar had run up while at the University. After his first year at the University of Virginia and hearing the news of Sarah Royster marrying Alexander Shelton in April 1827 he moved to Boston. While in Boston Edgar took on odd jobs such as a clerk and a newspaper writer, and at some point started using the pseudonym Henri Le Rennet.
On May 27th , 1827 Edgar enlisted in the United Stated Army as a private. He enlisted as Edgar A Parry and stated his age as 22 when he was only 18. He was stationed at Fort Independence, and was paid five dollars a month. That year he released his first book, a forty page book entitled Tamerlane and other Poems. Only fifty copies were printed and Edgar Allen Poe’s name was not attributed to this book of poems, but there was a byline that said the “Bostonian”. Fort Moultrie, South Carolina was the place Poe was stationed next as he sailed by ship the Brig Waltham in November 8th 1827. Edgar Allen Poe reached the rank of Sergeant major, and after two year of enlistment of a five year tour Edgar wanted out of the army. Poe sought his discharges be going to his commanding officer and explaining that he was Edgar Allen Poe and not Edgar A Parry, and that he at his time of enlistment was eighteen and nor twenty-two. After months of letter writing And help from John Allen he was discharged from the army to attend west point.
April 15th, 1829 Poe finally received his discharge after he found someone to finish out his term. He moved to Baltimore where his Aunt Maria Clemm, and her daughter, and Edgar’s brother William lived. While there Poe published his second book, Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems in 1829. He arrived at West Point on July 1, 1830, and he decided to leave West Point by purposely getting court martialed. February 8th 1831 he was tried for miss conduct and disobedience of order, and he pled guilty and was dismissed from West Point. In 1831 Poe left for New York where he published this third book titled simply Poems. This book included the poems Tamerlane, and Al Aaraaf, and also early unpublished versions of his poems “To Helen”, “Israfel“, and “City in the Sea”. He returned to Baltimore to his Aunt Maria, and his cousin in March 1831 when his elder brother died from alcoholism on August 1st.


Below is my tribute To Edgar Allen Poe

Joe Frazier with help from Wikipedia



The Mask


Prim and proper he lies quietly with a leery grin
A headstone that reads, and a bottle of wine
The man inside
He wrote the Raven and Annabelle Lee
The Raven, he says nevermore
While Annabelle Lee says I love know other then thee
Dark and mystical they are just a few
So sad and lonely
The Raven he calls out
As his picture stares back at you
From the book where he now lives
The words of a dark soul
They haunt the spirits of the reader still
His creations so lively
They become like old friends.