During
the Romanticism age, one man changed the very idea of literature as we know it,
writing in Gothic, mystery, and horror genres. He was considered to be a master
of suspense, and was also called “Father of the detective Story.” Edgar Allan
Poe became one of the most well-known writers in the world, but his path in
life was filled with obstacles since the beginning. By the age of 3, Poe’s
mother had died and his father had left him, leaving him to live with John and
Frances Allan. Poe attended the University of Virginia, but with monetary
issues, he had to leave. He came back to find out that his fiancée Elmira Royster
got engaged to someone else. Poe then left his parents, to truly start his
career as a writer.
Edgar
Allan Poe’s first book, Tamerlane and
Other Poems was published and 1827, around the time he joined the
army. After a few more years in the army,
he left to write full time. Another thing to note about Poe is that he married
his 13-year-old cousin, who died by the age of 20.
I feel
that all of these hardships throughout his life are really shown through his
work. The Raven and fall of the house of usher all show many
similarities to Poe’s life, with The
Raven showing themes such as “the loss of a loved one” Or The Fall of the House of Usher showing a man who has lost his nerve, at the edge of
a crumbling bloodline.
