The Mystery of Edgar Allan Poe

 If you look into the life of Edgar Allan Poe you will find conflicting information.  I’ve read that he was athletic, a weakling, a family man, a lady’s man, a drunkard, and someone who didn’t drink much at all.  The cause of his death is a mystery, too.  In 1849 he disappeared for days, reappeared to be taken to a hospital, and is described as being raving mad until he passed away there.  Rather than get bogged down in the murky details of his life, let’s discuss Poe’s writing.  

Born on January 19th, 1809, Poe had early aspirations as a writer.  He idolized the poet Lord Byron, and did his best to emulate Bryon’s Romantic and brooding style.  Poe first began publishing in 1827, but in the 1840s his writing took shape as what we think of today.  In 1841 he published the short story “The Murders in Rue Morgue”, which is considered to be the first modern detective story.  Many fictional detectives, including Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, were based on C. Auguste Dupin from “The Murders in Rue Morgue”.  

One of Poe’s most famous works is “The Raven”.  Published in 1845, it brought Poe the fame he’d been seeking.  It earned him invitations to important literary gatherings and brought him recognition in the streets, where children would follow after him flapping their arms.  More than two centuries later, references to Poe’s works can be found throughout pop culture.  The Simpsons did their own version of “The Raven” during a “Treehouse of Horror” episode, and SpongeBob SquarePants used another of Poe’s famous stories, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, for an episode entitled “Squeaky Boots”.  From cartoons to narrations by respected actors like Vincent Price and James Earl Jones, Poe remains in our lives beyond his mysterious death.  Even if you think you know plenty about him, I suggest you checkout some Poe-related items that Worcester Public Library has to offer.