my introduction to gothic literature summary

Poe married Virginia a year later, shortly before her 14th birthday.Īccording to most biographical accounts, Poe thrived during his tenure at the Messenger he published more than 80 essays, poems, and reviews in the periodical, while gradually attracting a sizeable readership. In 1835 he moved to Richmond with his aunt and her 12-year-old daughter, Virginia Clemm.

Desperate for a steady income, Poe accepted an offer to become a staff writer and editor for the Southern Literary Messenger, a new magazine based in Richmond. Although the prize earned Poe $50, it ultimately did little to alleviate his financial struggles, and John Allan's death in 1834 failed to provide Poe with an adequate inheritance. Found in a Bottle' won first prize in a contest promoted by the Baltimore Saturday Visitor. In Baltimore, Poe began writing short stories, publishing several of them in the Philadelphia Saturday Courier in 1832. Poe, came out in 1831.Īfter living briefly in New York City, Poe settled in Baltimore, where he moved in with his aunt, Maria Clemm. His third collection of verse, Poems, By Edgar A. A year later Poe, intent on launching a military career, enrolled at the United States Military Academy at West Point financial difficulties continued to plague him, however, and he abandoned his training after only six months. A second poetry collection, Al Aaraaf Tamerlane, and Minor Poems, was published in 1829. He published his first book of verse, Tamerlane and Other Poems: By a Bostonian (1827), around this time. Unable to repair his fractured relationship with Allan, Poe moved to Boston and enlisted in the army. To cover his living costs, Poe turned to gambling, incurring massive debts that forced him to withdraw from the university.

Although his adoptive father paid Poe's tuition and lodging, he refused him additional funds for books and other basic expenses. In 1826, Poe became a student at the University of Virginia, studying classical and modern languages. Carlson has argued that Poe's humble origins remained a source of shame throughout his life and that because of his background he never gained acceptance among Richmond's social elite. In spite of his academic accomplishments, Poe remained relatively isolated. After returning to Richmond in 1820, Poe attended private schools, where he excelled in literature, classics, and oratory he also began to write poetry. In 1815 the young boy went with the Allans to Great Britain, living in Scotland and London for the next five years. Shortly after his mother's death, Poe was adopted by John Allan, a wealthy Richmond merchant, and his wife, Frances. Poe's father abandoned the family when Poe was still a small child, and his mother died in Richmond, Virginia, in December 1811. The family lived in abject poverty and moved frequently during Poe's first years, during which time his parents pursued acting engagements in New York, Maryland, and Virginia.

and Elizabeth Arnold Poe, both stage actors. Biographical InformationĮdgar Allan Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809, the second son of David Poe Jr. Eliot famously dismissed his writings as 'pre-adolescent.' The second half of the twentieth century witnessed a reevaluation of Poe's legacy, however, as modem critics and theorists began to recognize his profound effect on modem literature and thought. In spite of his far-reaching impact, Poe has also had his share of detractors over the years: Henry James was intensely critical of Poe's work, while T. Poe's critical writings, notably those on the relationship between philosophical principles and artistic style, also influenced the aesthetic theories of Charles Baudelaire, Stephane Mallarme, and other members of the French symbolist movement. At the same time, Poe's in-depth explorations of the interior lives of his characters helped pave the way for psychological realism, inspiring a number of later fiction writers, among them Fyodor Dostoevsky. Although Poe is remembered by most readers as the author of such stories as 'The Tell-Tale Heart' and 'The Fall of the House of Usher,' critics recognize him for the versatility and range of his talents.Ī number of commentators have credited Poe with inventing the modem detective story indeed, many of his principal techniques, particularly his use of deductive reasoning to elucidate the complexities of criminal behavior, form the foundation of the crime genre. Known for his keen intellect and vivid, often macabre imagination, Edgar Allan Poe is regarded by many scholars as one of the most groundbreaking authors of early-nineteenth-century America.

My introduction to gothic literature summary