Edgar Allan Poe was a very mysterious man who went against what was socially acceptable in his time. Poe loved writing and not much else. His work was primarily focused on the literary movement known as Romanticism, with a greater focus on mystery, the supernatural, and folkloric subjects. This type of style is what would encapsulate Poe's work in all the novels and poems he would produce throughout his life. Edgar Allan Poe's life was substantially influenced by Romanticism, and this can be seen in his piece, “Masque of the Red Death”. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Edgar Allan Poe didn't always have an easy life. Edagar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809, where he faced difficulties from the beginning, with an absent father and the death of his birth mother, Elizabeth Arnold Poe. He eventually found himself in the care of a man named John Allan and his childless wife. After being placed in the care of these two, they went to Scotland and England to continue his education. Poe later attended the University of Virginia in 1826 for a very short time, unable to continue due to his unhealthy addiction to gambling. After leaving University he wrote his first series of poems, Tamerlane and Other Poems.” Although he published it, it didn't make him the money he needed, so he decided to join the army under the name Edgar A. Perry. However, when his adoptive mother died, John Allan purchased his release from the Army and placed him in the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Poe didn't like this and did everything he could to get himself expelled from the academy. He was able to find success by not showing up for practices and classes for an entire week. After being expelled from West Point, Poe went to New York City and produced a volume of "Poems", this being one of his first early pieces. Later, in 1833, he found some success with his “MS. Found in a Bottle” which had won fifty dollars from the Baltimore Weekly. Fast forward to 1835, Poe would make a name for himself as a critical reviewer in Richmond and marry his 13-year-old cousin, Virginia Clemm. However, Poe's main adversary at this time in his life would be his addiction to alcohol. Due to this problem he lost his job in Richmond and moved to New York City where, in 1838, Poe published "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym", combining fact and fiction, this piece would be considered an inspiration to Herman Melville as he went on to write “Moby Dick.” By this time Poe was being recognized for his work, in 1843 his “The Gold Bug” had earned him one hundred dollars from the Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper, which would make his name well known. Two years later, in 1845, Poe wrote his most famous poem, “The Raven,” which would give him the national fame and recognition to which all writers aspire. But, with the good comes the bad, his wife, Virginia, died in January 1847. Poe's death would soon follow in 1849, where he died of alcoholism, or perhaps a heart attack, no one knows for sure even today. The main component of Poe's writing is the inclusion of the literary movement, Romanticism. Romanticism became known around the turn of the 18th century and emphasized emotion and gave the author, artist, or composer the freedom to explore new paths they could take in their work. All of his work is centered around the idea of incorporating mystery and folklore into stories to create a more supernatural atmosphere. Thanks to this, he was able to develop a style.
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