E on biography briefly. Edgar Allan Poe - Biography - current and creative path

Edgar Allan Poe(English) Edgar Allan Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer.

Brilliant prose writer. Genius poet. A tragic fate from birth to death. The very concept of genius - capacious and difficult to precisely define - is for Edgar Allan Poe. His influence as a writer and poet on world literature is enormous - Charles Baudelaire and French Symbolism, almost the entire Russian Silver Age.

For more than 150 years separating us from the death of a brilliant writer, many of his biographies have been written - voluminous books and small notes, serious studies and erroneous theories. Despite their significant numbers, the life and death of Edgar Allan Poe continues to be a mystery. It is difficult to predict whether it will be solved in the future. The absence of documents also affects (there is not even a certificate of his birth), the inconsistency of memories, the desire of some authors to either hide the facts or adjust them to their own assumptions.

Edgar's parents, actors David Poe Jr. and Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins, married in 1806. The eldest son - William Henry - was born in 1807, Edgar - January 19, 1809, a year later their sister Rosalie was born. Edgar's mother died in December 1811 at Richmond (most probable cause- pneumonia). Around the same time, their father also died, having left the family shortly before. The story of the death of Edgar Poe's parents in the fire of the Richmond Theater is nothing more than a legend.

The children got into different families. Poe was taken in by tobacco businessman John Allan and his wife Frances. The middle name Allan Edgar received at baptism in 1812. Allan did not formally adopt him. From 1814 Edgar attended various schools in the USA and England (1815-1820).
The first (documented) work dates back to 1824. This is a two-line poem that was not included in any of the collections. In 1826, Mr.. Poe entered the University of Virginia, from which he was expelled for large gambling debts. John Allan refused to pay them, and subsequently did not mention Edgar in his will. There was a gap between them. At the same time, his engagement to Elmira Royster, who married another, was upset.

Under the name of Edgar Perry, Poe entered the army. In 1827 in Boston in the amount of 50 copies. his first book, "Tamerlane and Other Poems", signed "Bostonian", was published. For many years, the search for this book was unsuccessful (which allowed Rufus Wilmot Griswold - the "black demon" in the fate of Poe's legacy - to declare that this book did not exist at all, and Poe himself is a deceitful person). In 1880, one of the copies of this book was found in the British Museum.

Having risen to the rank of sergeant of artillery, Poe retired from the service and settled in Baltimore with his aunt Mary Poe Clemm (whose daughter Virginia later became his wife). Here he published his second collection of poems.

In 1830, Edgar entered the West Point Military Academy, but since military career he did not like it, he began to skip classes, and by decision of the military court was expelled. In 1831 Poe's poems were published in New York. His short stories are printed in Philadelphia, though without the name of the author. In 1833, he receives his first fee (50 dollars) for the story "The Manuscript Found in a Bottle". In 1836-37. Poe worked as editor of the Richmond "Southern Liyerary Magazine". In 1836 he married Virginia. They moved to New York, a year later - to Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia period of creativity was the most fruitful. Poe wrote poetry and short stories. He worked as an editor for Gentlemen's Magazine, then Graham's Magazine. Attempts to organize their own magazine "Penn" ended in failure.

In April 1841, Graham's magazine presented Edgar Allan Poe's story "Murder in the Rue Morgue" - the first detective work. A new literary genre is born.

In 1842, Poe leaves Graham. It seemed to him that he did not pay enough for his work, but in the future he would not be able to earn even the money that he received from Graham. In 1846 Poe moved to New York. Remained unfulfilled attempts to open a new magazine - "Stylus". Due to financial problems in 1846, the Broadway magazine was closed, which by that time was owned by Edgar Allan Poe. Poe moved to Fordham. Here, in January 1847, Virginia died (currently the writer's museum is located there). In 1848, Edgar proposes to the poetess Sarah Whitman, but she rejects him due to Poe's addiction to alcohol. Then he proposes to his ex-fiancee Elmira Royster Shelton, widowed by that time. She agrees, and Po begins attending the Sons of Temperance anti-alcohol society.

On September 28, 1849, Poe arrived in Baltimore. A few days later, he was found in a serious condition and in someone else's clothes by a passer-by on a city bench. Delivered to the hospital, he died in it on October 7, 1849.

The death of Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most unsolvable mysteries. It was discovered by Joseph Walker, who, at his request, contacted Dr. Snodgrass and the writer's uncle, Henry Herring. The doctor's first impression was that Poe was in a state of severe alcohol intoxication.

The first (and most common) version of death is alcohol. The father and elder brother of the writer were chronic alcoholics. It is common knowledge that Poe drank, but his addiction was of a drunken nature. He could drink for weeks (as during his wife's illness) or not touch alcohol for months. This version is supported by the testimonies of doctors who treated Edgar and warned him about the possibility of serious consequences from alcoholism. In addition, it is difficult to explain otherwise why Edgar ended up in Baltimore again, if he left it the day before. The only reason that came to mind for many researchers was that Edgar mixed up the trains and took the return one to Baltimore.

The second version (also medical) is based on the possibility of a mental disorder. In the last years of his life, Edgar suffered from mental disorders of the brain. The third (weakest) version insisted that the writer could become an accidental victim of a gangster showdown. In those days, unscrupulous politicians often hired bandits to intimidate voters. Since local elections were taking place in Baltimore in those days, Poe could have been accidentally injured, and someone else's clothes on him should have made it difficult to identify.

The latest version speaks of a banal robbery. According to one account, Poe had $1,500 with him to start a new magazine, and the money was never found on him. Poe's detractors, unable to comprehend the scope of his talent, found an explanation for his fantasy in alcohol and drugs. Allegations of drug addiction were substantiated solely on the creative manner of the writer to tell the story from the first number (including those works where opium was mentioned). Thus, there was an erroneous identification of the narrator from the works with the personality of the author himself.

The detective work of Edgar Poe is small in volume - a cycle of three stories about Auguste Dupin: "Murder in the Rue Morgue" (1841), "The Secret of Marie Roger" (1842-1843), "The Stolen Letter" (1844); short story"You are the man who created this" (1844) and ranked by some researchers among these works - "Golden Beetle" (1843). But the creative finds of the writer in these few works have become invaluable for the development of a new genre. This is a logical analysis used to solve a crime, a method of highlighting the unusual mental abilities of an investigating hero against the background of the presence of a narrow-minded friend, buddy or police officer, and much more.

Poe's misadventures did not end after his death. On the day of his funeral, a slanderous obituary signed "Ludwig" was published in the New York Tribune. Behind him was the same Rufus Griswold, who, with the consent of his aunt (and mother-in-law) Poe, for many years appropriated the sole right to publish the writer's works.

In 1860, Sarah Whitman (the same one who had once rejected a marriage proposal) published the book "Edgar Poe and His Critics" in defense of the writer. Griswold's monopoly was ended in 1874 (by then he had already died), and John Henry Ingmar, who found Poe's first book in the British Museum and wrote a two-volume biography of the writer, began to lead the publication of books.

In 1910 Edgar Allan Poe was inducted into the New York Hall of Fame. In 1922, the Old Stones museum was opened in Richmond, so named because it was built from the blocks of Poe's house and the editorial office of his first magazine.

In memory of the great writer highest award The American Detective Writers Association was named after Edgar Allan Poe.

Edgar Allan Poe. Born January 19, 1809 in Boston, USA - died October 7, 1849 in Baltimore, USA. American writer, poet, essayist, literary critic and editor, representative of American Romanticism. Creator of the form of the modern detective and the genre of psychological prose.

Some of Edgar Poe's works contributed to the formation and development of science fiction, and such features of his work as irrationality, mysticism, doom, anomalous states depicted, anticipated decadent literature.

Edgar Poe was one of the first American writers to make the short story the main form of his work. He tried to earn money exclusively by literary activity, as a result of which his life and career were fraught with severe financial difficulties, complicated by a problem with alcohol.

For twenty years creative activity Poe wrote two stories, two poems, one play, about seventy short stories, fifty poems and ten essays, published in magazines and almanacs, and then collected in collections.

Despite the fact that during his lifetime Edgar Allan Poe was known mainly as a literary critic, later his works of art had a significant impact on world literature, as well as cosmology and cryptography. He was one of the first American writers whose fame in his homeland was significantly inferior to Europe. Particular attention was paid to his work by the symbolists, who drew from his poetry the ideas of their own aesthetics.

Edgar Allan Poe was praised by Arthur Conan Doyle, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, recognizing his role as a pioneer in the genres they popularized.

Edgar Poe was born January 19, 1809 in Boston., in the family of actors Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe and David Poe, Jr. Elizabeth Poe was born in the UK. At the beginning of 1796, she, along with her mother, also an actress, moved to the United States, where from the very early years started performing on stage.

Poe's father was born in Ireland, the son of David Poe Sr., who emigrated to America with his son. Edgar Poe's grandfather had the rank of major, actively supported the revolutionary movement in the United States and was a direct participant in the War of Independence. David Poe Jr. was supposed to become a lawyer, but against the will of his father, he chose the profession of an actor.

Edgar was the middle child in the family, he had an older brother, William Henry Leonard and younger sister Rosalie.

The life of touring actors involved constant moving, which was difficult to carry out with a child in her arms, so little Edgar was temporarily left with his grandfather in Baltimore. There he spent the first few months of his life. A year after the birth of Edgar, his father left the family. Nothing is known for certain about his subsequent fate. On December 8, 1811, Poe's mother died of consumption.

A little boy, left without parental care, liked the wife of John Allan, a wealthy merchant from Richmond, and soon a childless family took him to her. Sister Rosalie came into the Mackenzie family, who were neighbors and friends of the Allans, while brother Henry lived with his father's relatives in Baltimore.

Poe's adopted family was among the wealthy and respected in Richmond. John Allan was a co-owner of a company that traded tobacco, cotton and other goods. The Allans had no children, so the boy was easily and happily accepted into the family. Edgar Poe grew up in an atmosphere of well-being, they bought him clothes, toys, books, a certified teacher studied with him at home.

In 1815 the family (as well as Ann Valentine - elder sister Francis, wife of John Allan) went to the UK. John Allan, whose business was experiencing some difficulties associated with the decline of the economy after the Napoleonic Wars, sought to improve trade relations with Europe. Arriving in Liverpool, the family went to live with Allan's relatives in Scotland, in the cities of Erwin and Kilmarnock. A few weeks later, another move took place - to London, where Poe graduated from Madame Dubois' elementary school.

In 1817, studies continued at the Reverend John Bransby School in Stoke Newington, a suburb of the capital. Memories of Edgar Allan Poe about this period of life are reflected in the story "William Wilson".

Edgar finished his last academic year ahead of schedule. The reason for this was the hasty return trip to the United States - John Allan's affairs in England did not work out, serious financial difficulties ensued, his wife Francis was seriously ill. The merchant even had to borrow money from a companion for the return journey. In the summer of 1820, a transatlantic sea voyage took place, and already on August 2 the family arrived in Richmond.

On February 14, 1826, Edgar Allan Poe left for Charlottesville where he enrolled at the newly opened University of Virginia. Education at the institution founded by Thomas Jefferson was expensive (in a letter to his stepfather, Poe calculated the total cost and indicated the amount of $ 350 a year), so the students of the university were children wealthy families state.

Upon admission, Poe chose two courses for study (out of a possible three): classical philology (Latin and Greek) and modern languages ​​​​(French, Italian, Spanish). The seventeen-year-old poet who left parental home, was left to its own devices for the first time for a long time.

Edgar Poe's school day ended at 9:30, the rest of the time was supposed to be devoted to reading educational literature and preparing homework, but the offspring of wealthy parents, brought up in the "true spirit" of gentlemanly, could not resist the temptation of "eternally fashionable" card games and wine in the highest environment. Edgar Allan Poe, educated in London and brought up in a respectable family, undoubtedly considered himself a gentleman. The desire to confirm this status, and later the need for livelihood, led him to the card table. At the same time Edgar Allan Poe first started drinking.

By the end school year Poe's total debts amounted to $2,500 (about $2,000 of which were card debts). Having received letters demanding payment for them, John Allan immediately left for Charlottesville, where a stormy explanation took place with his stepson. As a result, Allan paid only a tenth of the total (payment for books and services), refusing to recognize Edgar's gambling debts.

Despite Poe's obvious progress in his studies and successfully passed his exams, he could no longer stay at the university and after the end of the academic year, on December 21, 1826, he left Charlottesville.

Returning home to Richmond, Poe had no idea about his future prospects. Relations with John Allan were seriously damaged, he did not want to put up with the "careless" stepson. At this time, Poe was intensively engaged in creativity. Probably, it was in the Allan house that many of the poems that were later included in the first collection of the novice poet were written. Poe also tried to find a job, but his stepfather not only did not contribute to this, but also prevented his employment in every possible way as educational measures.

In March 1827, the "silent" conflict escalated into a serious quarrel, and Allan kicked out adopted son from home. Poe settled in the Court-House tavern, from where he wrote letters to Allan accusing him of injustice and justifying him, continuing to sort things out in an epistolary form. Later, these letters are replaced by others - with requests for money, which the adoptive father ignored. After staying in a tavern room for several days, on March 23, Poe set off for Norfolk and then on to Boston.

In his hometown, Edgar met a young publisher and typographer, Calvin Thomas, by chance, and he agreed to print his first collection of poems.

"Tamerlane and Other Poems" written under a pseudonym "Bostonian", came out in June 1827. 50 copies were printed, consisting of 40 pages, they were sold at 12.5 cents apiece.

In 2009, an unknown collector at an auction purchased one of the surviving copies of Poe's debut collection, paying for it a record amount for American literature - $ 662,500.

In his first poetry collection, Edgar Allan Poe included the poem "Tamerlane" (which he would later repeatedly edit and refine), the poems "K ***", "Dreams", "Spirits of Death", "Evening Star", "Imitation", " Stanzas”, “Dream”, “Happiest Day”, “Lake”. In the preface to the publication, the author apologized for the possible low quality of poetry, justifying this by saying that most of the poems were written in 1820-1821, when he "was not even fourteen yet." Most likely, this is an exaggeration - Poe, of course, began to write early, but he really turned to poetry during his studies at the university and later.

As expected, the collection did not attract the attention of the reader and critics. Only two publications wrote about his release, without giving him any critical assessment.

May 26, 1827 Edgar Allan Poe, in dire need of money, signed an army contract for a period of five years and became a private of the First artillery regiment US army. Poe's duty station was Fort Moultrie on Sullivan Island, located at the entrance to Charleston Bay, the same fort that 50 years ago proved impregnable to the British army. The nature of the island on which the writer spent a year was subsequently reflected in the story. "Gold Bug".

Poe served at the headquarters, was engaged in paperwork, which is not surprising for a man who was literate (a rather rare phenomenon for the army of that time) and had a neat handwriting. And the "gentleman's" origin, good upbringing and diligence ensured sympathy among the officers.

In late February 1829, Francis Allan's condition worsened. The disease, which made itself felt back in England, only progressed. On the night of February 28, when his wife's condition became critical, John Allan wrote a short letter asking his adopted son to come immediately. Frances Allan died that morning. Edgar Allan Poe was able to arrive in Richmond only on March 2, not even having time for the funeral of his adoptive mother, whom he loved very much.

Staying at home for the rest of his layoff, Poe turned to Allan again, and this time they reached an understanding. Having received the necessary documents from his adoptive father, Poe returned to the army, where the process of releasing him from service immediately began. The order was signed, and on April 15, 1829, he was discharged from the army.

After returning from Washington, where he traveled to pass the papers and recommendations necessary for admission to West Point, Poe went to Baltimore, where his relatives lived: brother Henry Leonard, aunt Maria Clemm, her children Henry and Virginia, and also Elizabeth Poe is the elderly widow of David Poe Sr. Not having enough money to rent his own home, the poet, with the permission of Maria Klemm, settled in their house.

The time spent waiting for a response from Washington passed in courting his consumptive brother (who aggravated the disease with alcoholism) and preparing for the publication of a second collection of poetry. Poe edited the available material, conducted an active correspondence with magazines and publishing houses. And the efforts were not in vain - at the end of December 1829 the collection was published. 250 copies "Al-Aaraaf", "Tamerlane" and small poems" were published by the Baltimore publishing house Hatch and Dunning.

Near Christmas, Poe returned home to Richmond, where in May 1830 he received confirmation of his enrollment at West Point. In the same month, a fatal quarrel occurred between him and his adoptive father. The reason for it was a letter that was not intended for John Allan and should not have been in his hands. In it, Edgar Allan Poe spoke impartially about his guardian, unambiguously accusing him of drunkenness. The quick-tempered Allan could not stand this and for the second and last time drove Edgar Allan Poe out of the house. They still corresponded after this breakup, but never saw each other again. Soon John Allan married a second time.

At the end of June 1830, Poe became a cadet at the US Army Military Academy. The training was not easy (especially the first 2 months of camp life), but the army experience helped the poet quickly get used to it. Despite the tough daily routine and almost full daily employment, Edgar Allan Poe found time for creativity.

Among the cadets, pamphlets and satirical parodies of officer mentors and life within the walls of the academy were especially popular. The third collection of poems was being prepared for publication. The studies were successful, cadet Poe was in good standing and had no complaints from the officers, but in January he wrote a letter to John Allan, asking for his assistance in leaving West Point. Probably, the reason for such a harsh decision was the news of the marriage of the guardian, which deprived Edgar Allan Poe of the most illusory chances of being officially adopted and inheriting something.

And without waiting for an answer, Edgar Allan Poe decided to act on his own. In January 1831, he began to ignore verifications and classes, did not go out on guard and sabotaged formations. The result was the arrest and subsequent trial, in which he was accused of "gross violation of official duties" and "ignoring orders." On February 8, 1831, Poe was dismissed from the service of the United States, and already on February 18 he left West Point.

Poe went to New York, where in April 1831 the third book of the poet was published - a collection "Poems", which, in addition to the reprinted "Tamerlane" and "Al-Aaraafa", included new works: "Israfel", "Paan", "The Condemned City", "To Helen", "Sleeping". Also on the pages of the collection, Poe first turned to literary theory, writing "Letter to ..." - an essay in which the author discussed the principles of poetry and the problems of national literature. "Poems" contained a dedication " Cadet Corps US Army." 1,000 copies of the book were printed at the expense of West Point cadets who subscribed to the collection in anticipation of the usual parodies and satirical verses with which they were once entertained by a classmate.

Without a livelihood, Poe moved to relatives in Baltimore, where he undertook futile attempts find a job. Desperate lack of money prompted the poet to turn to prose - he decided to take part in the competition best story American author with a $100 prize.

Edgar Poe approached the matter in detail: he studied magazines and various publications of that time in order to determine the principles (stylistic, plot, compositional) of writing short prose, which was popular with readers. The result of the study was "Metzengerstein", "Duke de L" Omelette, "On the Walls of Jerusalem", "Significant Loss" and "Failed Deal" - stories that the novice prose writer submitted to the competition. The results, which were disappointing for their author, were summed up on December 31, 1831 of the year - Edgar Allan Poe did not win. Over the next year, these stories without attribution (such were the conditions) were published in the newspaper that organized the competition.

Failure did not force Poe to abandon the form of short prose in his work. On the contrary, he continued to hone his skills, write stories, from which at the end of 1832 he formed a collection that was never published. "Folio Club Stories".

In June 1833, another literary competition was held, in which the prizes were $ 50 for the best story and $ 25 for the best poem. It was known that the jury included competent people - well-known writers of that time, John Pendleton Kennedy and John Latrobe.

Edgar Allan Poe participated in both nominations, submitting 6 stories and the poem "Coliseum" to the competition. On October 12, the results were announced: Edgar Poe's Manuscript Found in a Bottle won Best Short Story, the best poem - "Song of the Winds" Henry Wilton (this pseudonym was the editor-in-chief of the newspaper that organized the competition).

Subsequently, John Latrobe confirmed that the author really the best poem There was also Edgar Allan Poe. The jury gave a very high rating to the works young writer, noting that it was extremely difficult for them to choose one best story from his six. In fact, this was the first authoritative recognition of Poe's talent.

Despite winning the competition, Poe's financial situation in 1833-1835 remained extremely difficult. There were no regular cash receipts, the writer continued unsuccessful attempts to find a job related to literature. The only source of income in the family was the pension of the paralyzed widow David Poe Sr. - $ 240 a year, which was paid irregularly.

In August 1834, Richmond printer Thomas White began producing a new monthly magazine, the Southern Literary Messenger, for which he enlisted famous writers of that time, including John F. Kennedy. He, in turn, recommended Edgar Allan Poe as a promising talented writer to White, initiating their collaboration.

Already in March 1835, the story "Berenice" appeared on the pages of the monthly, and in June the first hoax of Poe's pen appeared - "The extraordinary adventure of a certain Hans Pfaal".

On May 16, 1836, Poe married Virginia Clemm. She belonged to him cousin, and at the time of the marriage she was only 13 years old. The couple honeymooned in Petersburg, Virginia. Around this time, Poe began to write his largest prose text - "A Tale of the Adventures of Arthur Gordon Pym". The decision to write a voluminous work was dictated by reader preferences: many publishing houses refused to publish his stories, referring to the fact that the small prose format was not popular.

In May 1837, an economic crisis broke out in the United States. He also touched the sphere of publishing: newspapers and magazines were closed, there were massive layoffs of employees. Edgar Poe was also in a difficult situation, having been left without a job for a long time. But forced idleness was not in vain - he could finally concentrate on creativity.

In the New York period, the stories "Ligeia", "The Devil in the Bell Tower", "The Fall of the House of Usher", "William Wilson" came out from the writer's pen, work continued on "Arthur Gordon Pym". The rights to the story were sold to the reputable New York publishing house Harper and Brothers, where it was published on July 30, 1838. However, Poe's first voluminous prose work was not a commercial success.

In early December 1839, Lea & Blanchard published Grotesques and Arabesques, a two-volume collection of 25 short stories Poe had written up to that point.

In April 1841, a story was published in Graham's Magazine, which later brought Po world fame founder of the detective genre - "Murder in the Rue Morgue". In the same place in May, "The overthrow into the Maelström" was printed.

In January 1842, Poe's young wife suffered the first severe attack of tuberculosis, accompanied by throat bleeding. Virginia was bedridden for a long time, and the writer again lost his composure and the ability to work. The depressed state was accompanied by frequent and protracted binges.

All subsequent time, the condition of Poe's wife had a huge impact on his mental health, extremely susceptible to the slightest deterioration in the situation. The second exacerbation of Virginia's illness occurred in the summer of the same year, and again the writer's deep feelings and mental anguish were reflected in his work - they are saturated with the stories “The Well and the Pendulum” and “The Tell-Tale Heart” written shortly after the incident. Poe found salvation in writing.

In November 1842, the story of Auguste Dupin's investigations was continued. The Snowden "s Ladies" Companion magazine published the story "The Secret of Marie Roger", based on a real murder that took place in New York in 1841. Using all the materials available to the investigation, he conducted his own investigation on the pages of the story (moving the action to Paris and changing the names) and pointed to the killer. Shortly thereafter, the case was solved, and the correctness of the writer's conclusions was confirmed.

It is worth noting that during the difficult period of 1842, Poe managed to personally meet with, whose work he appreciated very highly. They discussed near-literary questions and exchanged opinions during the latter's short visit to Philadelphia. Dickens promised to assist with the publication of Poe's works in England. Even though nothing came of it, Dickens noted that Poe was "the only writer he wanted to help with the publication".

Finding himself without a job, and therefore without a livelihood, Edgar Allan Poe, through a mutual friend, turned to the son of President Tyler with a request to help him get a job in Philadelphia customs. The need was great, since the writer began to look for work other than literary, which brought an unstable income. Poe did not get the position because he did not appear at the meeting, explaining this by his illness, although there is a version that drinking was the reason for the absence. The family, which found itself in a difficult situation, had to change its place of residence several times, as there was a catastrophic lack of money, debts grew. A case was brought against the writer, and on January 13, 1843, the Philadelphia District Court declared Edgar Allan Poe bankrupt, but the prison term was avoided.

Despite the difficult financial situation and the decline in spirit associated with the illness of his wife, Poe's literary fame grew steadily. His works were published in many publications throughout the country, they were devoted to critical reviews, many of which noted the author's extraordinary talent and the power of his imagination. Laudatory reviews were written even by literary enemies, making them even more valuable.

Devoting himself entirely to prose, Poe did not turn to poetry for three years (the last published poem was Silence, published in 1840). The "poetic silence" was broken in 1843 with the release of one of the writer's darkest poems - "The Victorious Worm", in which all mental anguish and despair seemed to be concentrated recent years, the collapse of hopes and illusions.

In February 1843, the New York edition of The Pioneer published the famous "Leenor". Poe returned to poetry, but the main form of his work continued to be short prose.

In July 1844, the New York Dollar Newspaper organized a contest for the best short story, with a $100 prize for first place. The winner was "Gold Bug" Edgar Poe. The work, in which the author revealed his talent as a cryptographer, became the property of Dollar Newspaper and was subsequently reprinted many times.

On April 6, 1844, Edgar and Virginia Poe moved to New York. A month later, Maria Klemm joined them. It is difficult to overestimate the role of mother-in-law in the life of Edgar Allan Poe. Her thriftiness, diligence and endless care, with which she surrounded her son-in-law and daughter, was noted by many contemporaries who knew the family personally. Edgar loved his "Muddy" (probably short for "mummy" ("mommy") and "daddy" ("daddy"), as he often called her in letters, because with the appearance in his life she really became like a mother to him .

In 1849, he dedicated to her, full of tenderness and gratitude, the poem "To My Mother".

A week after the move, Edgar Allan Poe becomes the hero of a sensation: a huge stir in reading circles caused "The Balloon Story" published by the New York Sun in a special issue. Originally conceived as a hoax, the story was stylized as a news article. The idea for the plot was unconsciously suggested by John Wise, a well-known aeronaut at the time, who announced in one of the Philadelphia newspapers that he was going to make a transatlantic flight. The writer managed to achieve the desired effect - the next morning after the publication, the building of the publishing house was literally "stormed" by people.

Poe's hoaxes, in which great attention was paid to the details based on the technical innovations of the time, gave impetus to the subsequent development of the science fiction genre in literature.

Some time after reuniting with Maria Clemm, the family moved into a new home: the Brennan family rented out part of their mansion located outside the city to them. Poe continued to contribute to many publications, offering them his articles and critical reviews. During this period, he had no problems with publications, but his income was still modest. In the Brennan mansion, Poe wrote the poem "Dreamland", which reflected the beauty of the nature around him. There, work began on a work that became the poetic magnum opus of the writer - a poem "Crow".

It is not known whether Poe wrote The Crow with the goal of obtaining final and unconditional recognition, inspired by the success of The Gold Bug and The Balloon Story, but that he carefully and carefully approached the process of creating this work, there is no doubt.

It was an immediate and resounding success: publications throughout the country reprinted the poem, it was talked about in literary circles and beyond, and numerous parodies were written about it. Poe became a national figure and a frequent guest at social events, where he was asked to recite the famous poem. In the words of the writer's biographer Arthur Quinn, "The Raven made an impression that perhaps no other poetic work in American literature has been able to surpass." Despite the huge success with readers and the wide recognition of the public, the poem did little to improve the financial situation of the writer.

On February 21, 1845, Poe became a co-owner of the Broadway Journal., whose head believed to increase sales of the publication by attracting a new celebrity to cooperate. According to the terms of the contract, Poe received a third of the sales of the magazine, the cooperation promised to be mutually beneficial.

At the same time, Poe took up lecturing, which would become an important source of income for him. The first theme of the talks in New York and Philadelphia was "The Poets and Poetry of America."

In July 1845, Poe published a short story entitled "The demon of contradiction". The discussions on the theme of human nature, which are contained in its preamble, allow a good understanding of the nature of the contradictory nature of the author himself. Tormented by his own "demon", he repeatedly committed rash and illogical acts during his life, which inevitably led him to collapse. This happened at the peak of his fame, when, it seemed, nothing foreshadowed trouble.

On the pages of the magazine, of which he became a co-owner, Poe did not publish any of his new works, only reprinted the old ones (which were edited and finalized each time). The lion's share of his work at that time consisted of literary articles, reviews, and criticism. It is not known what caused this, but Poe became more ruthless than ever in his criticism: not only did the authors, personally unpleasant to him, with whom he conflicted, but also those who treated him favorably. As a result, within a short period of time, subscribers began to refuse Broadway Journal and authors turned away, the publication became unprofitable. Both of Poe's companions soon left him, leaving Poe as the sole owner of the distressed journal.

Poe tried desperately to keep it alive by sending out many letters to his friends and relatives asking for financial help. Most of them were not satisfied, and the money that he did receive was not enough. On January 3, 1846, the last issue came out, and Edgar Allan Poe closed the Broadway Journal.

In April 1846, Poe started drinking again. Realizing the destructive role that alcohol played in his life, he still took a fatal step. Again, the time of clouded consciousness came: lectures were disrupted, public conflicts arose, and the reputation suffered seriously. The situation became even more complicated with the release in May 1846 of the first essays by Edgar Allan Poe from the series "New York Writers". In them, Poe gave a personal and creative description of famous authors - his contemporaries, which for the most part was extremely negative. The reaction followed immediately: the newspapers, at the suggestion of the "victims", began a war against Poe - they denigrated his reputation, accusing him of immorality and godlessness. The image of Poe as a deranged alcoholic with no control over his actions dominated the press. They also remembered his literary romance with the poetess Francis Osgood, which ended in scandal. Among those hurt by criticism, Thomas English especially distinguished himself. In the past, a friend of the writer, he published in one of the newspapers "An answer to Mr. Poe", in which he added the accusation of forgery to the image of a poor godless alcoholic.

The publication Poe collaborated with advised him to go to court, which he did. On February 17, 1846, Poe won a libel case against the Mirror magazine that published The Answer and received $225 in damages.

In May 1846 Poe moved into a small cottage in Fordham, a suburb of New York. The family was again in poverty, desperately lacking money - in the summer and autumn, Poe did not write anything. In one of the letters, he refers to his illness - literary "wars" and scandals did not go unnoticed. Bedridden Virginia's condition only worsened.

Virginia's condition seriously deteriorated in January 1847: fever and pain intensified, hemoptysis became more frequent. On January 29, Poe wrote a desperate letter to Mary Shew, asking her to come and say goodbye to Virginia, who had become so attached to her. Mrs. Shew arrived the next day and caught her alive. On January 30, 1847, towards nightfall, Virginia Poe died.

After the funeral of his wife, Edgar Allan Poe himself found himself bedridden - the loss was too heavy for a subtle, experiencing nature.

The central work of the last years of Poe's life was "Eureka". The "poem in prose" (as Poe defined it), which spoke about subjects "physical, metaphysical, mathematical", according to the author, was supposed to turn people's ideas about the nature of the universe.

At five o'clock in the morning on October 7, 1849, Poe died. According to Dr. Moran, just before his death, he uttered his last words: "Lord, help my poor soul."

Edgar Allan Poe's modest funeral took place at 4 pm on October 8, 1849, at Westminster Hall and Burying Ground Cemetery, which is now part of the grounds of the University of Maryland College of Law. The ceremony, attended by only a few people, was presided over by the Reverend W. T. D. Clemm, Virginia Poe's uncle. It lasted only three minutes due to the cold and dank weather. The psalmist George W. Spence wrote, "It was a gloomy and overcast day, there was no rain, but it was damp and a thunderstorm was coming." Poe was buried in the far corner of the cemetery, next to the grave of his grandfather, David Poe Sr., in a cheap coffin, without handles, nameplate, bedspreads and pillows under his head.

On October 1, 1875, Poe's remains were reburied at a new location, not far from the front of the church. The new monument was made and erected at the expense of the residents of Baltimore and the writer's admirers from other US cities. The total cost of the monument was a little over $1,500. The festive service took place on November 17, 1875. On the 76th anniversary of Poe's birth, January 19, 1885, Virginia Poe's remains were reburied next to her husband's.

The circumstances that preceded the death of Edgar Allan Poe, as well as its immediate cause, remain unclear to this day. All medical records and documents, including the death certificate, if they existed at all, were lost. There are several different theories about the cause of Poe's death, ranging in plausibility from hypoglycemia to conspiracy to kill.

There is another theory, which is distinguished by many biographers of the writer. Elections to the Congress and the Maryland State Legislature were scheduled for October 3 in Baltimore. At that time, there were no voter lists, which were used by opposing candidates and parties that formed special groups of voters. People under the influence of alcohol were gathered in special places, and then forced to vote several times. Probably Poe, who was the victim of a criminal scheme similar to a "carousel", became useless due to his condition and was abandoned near the 4th district polling station, where he was found by Joseph Walker. However, this theory also has detractors, who argue that Po, as a well-known person in the city, would be difficult to participate in such a scheme.

Every year, since 1949, an unknown person visited the grave of Poe, paying tribute to the memory of the writer's talent. In the early morning of January 19, a man dressed in black came to Poe's grave, made a toast and left a bottle of cognac and three roses on the tombstone. Sometimes notes of various contents were found on the tombstone. In one of them, left in 1999, it was reported that the first secret admirer had died the previous year and the obligation to continue the tradition was assigned to his "heir". The tradition continued for 60 years until 2009, when the secret admirer was last seen at the grave.

On August 15, 2007, 92-year-old Sam Porpora, a historian at the Westminster church where Poe is buried, stated that it was he who started the tradition of visiting the writer's grave every year on his birthday. He said that the purpose of his action was to raise funds for the needs of the church and increase interest in it. However, his story was not confirmed - some of the details he expressed did not fit in with the facts.

In 2012, Jeff Jerome, curator of the Poe House Museum, who had previously denied rumors that he was a fan, announced the end of the tradition.

Edgar Allan Poe's brief biography is set out in this article.

Edgar Allan Poe short biography

Edgar Allan Poe- American writer, poet, literary critic and editor, representative of American romanticism. Creator of the form of the modern detective and the genre of psychological prose

Was born January 19, 1809 in Boston in a family of itinerant actors. His parents died when he was only two years old. He was adopted by wealthy merchant John Allan. Edgar's childhood passed in a rather rich environment. At the age of six, he was sent to study at a London boarding school. Then he went to college in the United States, and Edgar was sent to finish his education at the University of Richmond.

Soon the life of wealth ended. In the autumn of 1826 there was a break between John Allan and his adopted son. The reason for the quarrel was that Allan refused to pay Edgar's gambling debts. From the age of 17 he began a wandering life. In Boston, under a pseudonym, he published a collection of poems, then enlisted in the army. Upon his return, he had to work hard for various periodicals in order to somehow stay afloat. Poems at first did not bring much success, but the short story "Manuscript Found in a Bottle" immediately appeared on the front pages of magazines. In 1835 he married his 14-year-old cousin Virginia.

He soon moved to Philadelphia and became an editor for a magazine. It seemed like life was getting better. There he published his prose in two volumes - "Grotesques and Arabesques". Real success and popularity came to the writer with the poem "The Raven", written in 1845 in New York. He was immediately invited to a prestigious magazine, but this success did not last long. The magazine quickly went bankrupt, and in 1847 his wife died.

EDGAR ALLAN PO
(1809-1849)

Edgar Allan Poe - South American poet, prose writer, critic, editor, one of the first prof. US writers, who lived only by literary work, who knew fame and popularity, which they did not immediately realize and appreciate in their homeland.

Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston on January 19, 1809 to a family of actors. Descended from an old Irish family. This year has been stellar historical calendar: born poets Elizabeth Barrett-Barrett (Browning), Alfred Tennyson, Charles Darwin, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Lincoln, Gladstone, 2 months later was born close in spirit to Edgar Poe Gogol, the most breathtaking of Russian writers. When Edgar was only two years old, his mother and father almost immediately died of consumption, leaving three kids. Edgar was adopted by a wealthy Scottish merchant from Richmond, John Allan, smallest kid- Scotsman Mackenzie, and the elder boy William was taken by his grandfather, General Poe. Little Edgar was distinguished among the children by a lively mind, and Allen's wife, fascinated by the child, assured her own husband to adopt him. She and her sister Anna Valentine, "Aunt Nancy", surrounded the little boy with care and love. Edgar ended up in a rich house. His adoptive mother adored the little boy until her own death. At the age of five or six, Edgar was able to read, write, draw, recite poetry to entertain guests at dinner. He was dressed like a prince, had a pony to ride, had his own dogs to accompany him, and a livery groom; he always had a sufficient amount of pocket money, and in children's games he always had some favorite, which he bombarded with gifts. The adoptive father was proud of the adopted offspring, although sometimes he severely punished the little boy. Edgar did not always obey Mr. Allen, and when he was threatened with punishment from time to time, he showed unusual ingenuity. Once he asked Mrs. Allen to protect him, but she replied that she could not interfere in this. Then he went to the garden, picked up a whole bunch of oak trees, returned home and silently handed them to Mr. Allen. To the question: "What is it for?" he replied, "To flog me." Mr. Allan was won over by this courage.

Staying with the Allens in Great Britain (1815 - 1820), where Poe studied at a prestigious English boarding house, instilled in him a love for British poetry and words in general. Charles Dickens later referred to the writer as the only guardian of the "grammatical and idiomatic purity of the British language" in America. In 1820, the Allens returned to their homeland in Richmond. Here, Poe makes new friends, with whom he travels, including on boats. An enthusiasm for adventure, a passion for everything unknown, awakened in him early. After returning from the UK, Edgar was sent to the British Traditional School, where English literature was excellently taught, which stimulated Edgar's creative talent. Then he went to study at the Virginia Institute (1826), but soon had to leave it, because he had done "debts of honor." There were several fundamental turns in the life of Edgar Allan Poe. One of them, which to a large extent determined his fate, was the decision of the eighteen-year-old Edgar, which he made on "a sleepless night from March 18 to March 19, 1827." The events of this decision are not entirely clear, but one February night in 1827, a stormy, difficult conversation took place between him and his stepfather. A brilliant student at the Virginia Institute, a young poet who shows promise, a favorite of his comrades, Edgar did not behave in the best way.

Perhaps Edgar was fond of playing cards at the institute and got into debts that he could not repay; a big loss put him in a very difficult position, from which only a wealthy and influential guardian could get him out. During the conversation, the guardian, perhaps, put forward the conditions that he would pay the "debt of honor", but Edgar from now on will have to obey his will, follow his advice and instructions. The guardian put his own adopted son, an ardent and proud nature, in a difficult position. This was joined by bitter feelings caused by the rude intervention of the guardian in the intimate feelings of his own pet. The guy could not humble his pride and left the secure house in which he was brought up, - the “impudent upstart”, in response to an uncompromising demand, answered with a resolute “no”, and “there was something fierce, “unrecognizable” in his steadfastness, and, but, it was a worthy and courageous decision. Putting well-being on one side of the scale, and pride and talent on the other, he realized that the latter was more important, and preferred fame and honor. Moreover, although he could not know everything in advance, hunger and poverty were chosen for that. In general, they could not frighten him either. ”

Thus, for the first time, the main conflict in the life of Edgar Allan Poe showed itself correctly and sharply - the conflict of a creative, generous personality and rude utilitarianism, which subordinates everything to benefits. What was concentrated in the nature and appeal of the guardian soon became for Edgar a system of unshakable forces expressing the leading interests and tendencies of South American society.
The wandering streak begins. He sails to Boston and there at his own expense publishes the first collection of poems "Tamerlane and Other Poems", which had practically no demand. Hopeless poverty, which reached complete poverty, could not help but suppress Edgar Allan Poe. She caused the indescribable nervous tension, which towards the end of his life, he tried to remove with alcohol and drugs. Later there were classes at the West Point Military Academy (1830), which lasted only six months. And despite the rather frequent periods of inactivity, Poe worked with great perseverance, as impressively evidenced by his huge creative legacy. The main reason for his poverty is "the very small remuneration he received for his work." Only a small part of his work - journalism - had any value in the then literary market. The best of what he did with his talent was of little interest to buyers. The tastes that prevailed in those years, the imperfection of copyright laws and the constant flow of British books into the country, deprived the writings of any hope of commercial success. He was one of the first American professional writers and lived only at the expense of literary work and the work of an editor. He made uncompromising demands on his own work and on the work of his brothers. “Poetry for me,” he wrote, “is not a profession, but a passion, but in passion it should be treated with respect - it is unrealistic to awaken it inside oneself at will, thinking only about a miserable reward even more than the insignificant praises of the crowd.”

The first recognition that helped Edgar Allan Poe to believe in himself took place in 1832, when a local magazine announced a competition in which he received a prize for the story "Manuscript Found in a Bottle", and attracted the attention of the then famous writer John Kennedy. In the summer of 1835, Poe began working in the journal Southern Literary Bulletin. This strengthened his reputation. But exhausting work always sucked, deprived the ability to seriously create.

The meeting of Edgar Allan Poe with his seven-year-old cousin Virginia, who became his wife six years later, had profound consequences for his life. This meeting, and then the wedding, had a wonderful effect on Po. Virginia was an unusual person, she "embodied within herself the only possible compromise with reality in his relations with the ladies - so complex and sophisticated."

Languid heredity, orphanhood, unbearable struggle with obstacles that stood in the way of a freedom-loving spirit and great aspirations, clashes with actual trifles, heart disease, extreme vulnerability, an injured and unstable psyche, and most importantly, the impossibility of resolving the main actual conflict shortened his age. The illness and early death of Virginia was a terrible blow for him, the beginning of a deep spiritual illness. Death As before remains hidden. In September 1849, he gave a lecture on "The Poetic Principle" with great success at Richmond, from where he left with fifteen hundred dollars in his pocket. What happened later is unclear, but he was found in a tavern in a languid, sickly state, then transported to Baltimore to a clinic, where he soon died.

The work of Edgar Allan Poe

One can consider the heroes and heroines of Edgar Poe's works only as polysemantic incarnations of Poe himself and his beloved ladies, twins, whose world he filled with suffering, trying in this way to alleviate the burden of hesitation and disappointment that burdened his life. The palaces, gardens and chambers inhabited by these ghosts amaze with their chic decoration, it is like an unusual caricature of the poverty of its real inhabitants and the atmosphere of those places where fate threw the writer.

The writer's work, as if his personality was reflected in it, is not limited to "psychic autobiography". As a novelist, Poe showed himself seriously in the story "The Manuscript Found in a Bottle" (1833). In the tradition of extraordinary sea voyages, the story "Falling into the Maelstrom" (1841) and the only "Tale of the Adventures of Arthur Gordon Pym" (1838) were written. In the "sea" works belong stories of adventures on land and in the air: "Julius Rodman's Diary" - a fictional description of the first trip through the Rocky Mountains North America, made by civilized people (1840), "The Unusual Adventures of a Hans Pfaal" (1835), "The Story with a Balloon" (1844) about a supposedly made flight across the Atlantic. These works are not only stories of amazing adventures, but also adventures of creative imagination, an allegory of an unchanging dramatic journey into the unknown. Thanks to a painstakingly developed system of details, the recollection of the authenticity and materiality of fiction was achieved. In the Conclusion to Hans Pfaal, Poe laid down the principles of the kind of literature that would later be called science fiction.
The artistic meaning of such stories as “Li-geya” (1838), “The Fall of the House of Asheriv” (1839), “The Mask of Reddish Doom” (1842), “The Well and the Pendulum” (1842), “Dark Cat” (1843), The Barrel of Amontillado (1846), of course, is by no means limited to pictures of horrors and physical suffering. Depicting various extreme situations and showing the reactions of the characters to them, the writer touched those parts of the human psyche that are on them. this moment studying science.

Poe called his first published collection of short stories "Tales of the Grotesques and Arabesques". The title of the works guides the reader and critic, orients them, gives them the key to enter the sphere made by creative fantasy. they can be called "stories of riddles and horrors." When Poe wrote his stories, a similar genre was very common in America, and he knew its features and the best standards, knew about its popularity and the reason for the sensation among the reader.

Edgar Poe was practically the founder of the detective genre, he gave a number of its traditional samples. The Golden Beetle, for its genre qualities, is usually attached to Edgar Poe's famous detective stories - "Murder in the Rue Morgue", "The Secret of Marie Morde" and "The Stolen Letter", the hero of which is a cross-cutting figure, amateur detective C. Auguste Dupin, who helps to reveal the crime. In these stories, the power of logic and analytical awareness manifests itself with special effect. Naturally, these stories begin with a statement of the fact of the crime, and then excursions into the past are made, where all the incidents of its commission are revealed, material confirmations arise. In general, Poe extensively uses the motif of understatement of individual details and episodes in short stories, appealing to the imagination and fantasy of the reader. Valery Bryusov called the creator of these stories "the ancestor of all Gaborio and Conan Doyle" - all writers of the detective genre.

American writer, poet and critic Edgar Allan Poe (Edgar Allan Roe) was born on January 19, 1809 in Boston (USA) in a family of actors of a traveling troupe. At the age of two, he was left an orphan, after which he was adopted by a merchant from Virginia - John Allan. He was brought up in a boarding school in England; in 1826 he entered the aristocratic University of Virginia in Charlottesville. In his student years, he was fond of gambling, participated in revelry, which provoked conflicts with his stepfather. After one of these quarrels, the future writer left the house foster parents.

In 1828, with the financial support of his adoptive parents, he returned to Boston, where he published the collections Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Small Poems (Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Minor Poems, 1829) and Poems (Poems, 1831), but these undertakings were not successful. have had.

In 1830 he entered military academy USA (United States Military Academy) at West Point, but soon left his studies, which provoked a final break with John Allan. Left without financial support, Edgar Allan Poe again found himself on the verge of poverty.

In 1833, he first appeared as a prose writer with the story "A manuscript found in a bottle" (A manuscript found in a bottle), for which he received the Baltimore Saturday Visitor magazine award.

During the 1830s he continued to write short stories, published regularly in the literary magazine "Southern Literary Messenger" (Southern Literary Messenger) in Richmond, where he gained a reputation as an original and witty critic. These publications later made up the famous two-volume Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque (1840).

In 1836 Poe married his cousin Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe.

In 1837, he moved to New York in search of better paid work, but due to financial crisis couldn't find a job there.

From 1838-1843 he lived with his wife and her mother in Philadelphia, worked for Burton's Gentleman's Magazine and Graham's Magazine, and tried to publish his own magazine, The Stylus. He published about thirty stories and many literary critical articles.

In October 2009, 160 years after his death, Edgar Allan Poe was honored with a second funeral. The costumed ceremony was held at the writer's museum in Boston, where a coffin with a mannequin of Edgar Allan Poe was on display.

The originality of Poe's style did not find followers in America. In the European literary tradition, Poe was influenced by Charles Baudelaire, Stéphane Mallarmé, Maurice Maeterlinck, Oscar Wilde, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Robert Louis Stevenson. Russian symbolists were also fond of Poe's work - Dmitry Merezhkovsky, Konstantin Balmont, Valery Bryusov.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources