The Unsolved Death of Edgar Allan Poe
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Image courtesy of Britannica
“The Raven”, “Annabel Lee”, “A Dream Within a Dream”. Whether you were forced to read any of these throughout your education, or you were a poetry lover and enjoyed them on your own free will, you have almost certainly come across at least one of these works. These are poems, of course, written by the notable 19th century poet and author, Edgar Allan Poe. Poe is known for the mysterious, eerie, and supernatural themes of his writing. Almost 200 years following his initial fame, he is still regarded as one of the most talented and influential poets to date.
Poe was born on January 19th, 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts. He had a difficult childhood. His mother died in 1811, when he was only 3 years old. Following her death, he was sent to live with John Allan, who is thought to be his godfather. He lived in Scotland and England for 5 years for his education, and eventually returned and attended the University of Virginia for just 11 months. He was forced to leave the University when he gambled away so much of his money that his then guardians did not allow him to continue.
Despite his inability to finish his education, he was a talented writer. He published his first collection of poems in 1827, titled Tamerlane, and Other Poems. His most notable work, “The Raven”, was published in 1845. This would catapult him to national fame. Throughout his life, Poe struggled with alcoholism. He was frequently publicly intoxicated. He was even fired from his job as an editor at the Southern Literary Messenger in Baltimore because of his drinking.
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Poe’s success came to a screeching halt when he was found incoherent, beaten, and clad in tattered, secondhand clothes while lying in a gutter. His exact location was outside Gunner’s Hall, a public house in Baltimore. Poe was found by a man named Joseph Walker, who attempted to get him help. Poe died in the hospital a few days later on October 7th, 1849. The exact cause of his death remains unknown, but there are several theories.
Theory #1: Alcohol
Poe suffered from alcohol dependence and had a difficult time tolerating even small amounts of it. He’d be staggering and slurring after a single glass of wine. Because of this, many believe Poe simply drank himself to death. Poking a hole in this alcohol-driven-death theory, is the fact that a postmortem sample of Poe’s hair was taken, which showed low levels of lead. Had he been drinking, these levels should have been elevated. Nonetheless, many still believe alcohol is what did him in.
Theory #2: Brain Tumour
It’s also possible that Poe’s untimely death was as a result of a brain tumour. Not only would that explain the confusion he was experiencing, but when his grave was exhumed twenty-six years after his death, a spherical mass was found inside his skull. This could have been a calcified tumour. The tumour could have also been the reason he was unable to tolerate alcohol.
Theory #3: Murder
Admittedly, it’s unlikely that Poe could have been murdered. He seems to have been suffering from something internal, which would explain his gradual decline over the span of a few days. However, John Evangelist suggested in his 2000 book, Midnight Dreary: The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe, that he was murdered by his fiance’s brothers. The circumstances around how this could have taken place are a bit fuzzy, however. Evangelist claims that a frightened Poe was disguising himself (hence the unusual clothing) to hide from his fiance's brothers following their disapproval of the pairing. The brothers then would have forced Poe to drink whiskey, knowing his history with alcohol and his inability to tolerate it. After this, Evangelist claims, they beat Poe to death.
Whether it was murder, a brain tumour, alcohol, a combination of the three, or something else altogether, this well known death was eerie and tragic, much like the work of the author himself. Poe will continue to be known as the talented writer he was regardless of this death, and we likely will never know exactly what happened to the famed writer.
Hi! My name is Kayleigh Vantour. I am a Professional Writing Student at Algonquin College. I love cats, the colour pink, fashion, and writing. When I am not in school or at work, I enjoy hanging out with friends and thrifting. I am excited to be a part of this blog, as I have always had an interest in history, particularly its darker side. I am looking forward to exploring some of history’s creepiest, most disturbing events with you!
