# Edgar Allan Poe

> Orphaned at two and raised by a Richmond merchant's family, he wrote "The Raven" and the first detective stories, and died in Baltimore in 1849 of a cause no one has settled.

- Poet, story writer and critic · The Raven · The Fall of the House of Usher
- Known for: "The Raven," the poem that made him famous in 1845, and tales such as "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Fall of the House of Usher."[1] He is credited with inventing the detective story.[5]
- Born: January 19, 1809
- Died: October 7, 1849
- Last updated: 2026-11-14
- Editorial review: approved 2026-11-14
- Web page: https://authorbackstories.com/classic/edgar-allan-poe/
- Reading list (PDF): https://authorbackstories.com/classic/edgar-allan-poe/reading-list.pdf

## Featured book: His only novel

*The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket* (1838). Harper & Brothers published it in New York in 1838, the fourth of the ten books Poe published in his lifetime.[2] Netflix's 2023 *The Fall of the House of Usher* named a character after its narrator.[7]

## At a glance

- Born: January 19, 1809, in Boston, to the traveling actors Eliza and David Poe[1][5]
- Died: October 7, 1849, in Baltimore, aged 40[3]
- Raised by: John and Frances Allan of Richmond, Virginia, who never formally adopted him[1]
- Education: University of Virginia (briefly); U.S. Military Academy at West Point[1]
- Married: His cousin Virginia Clemm, who died in 1847[1]

## Edgar Allan Poe's Backstory

### Early life

Edgar Poe was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, to the traveling actors Eliza and David Poe.[1][5] His father left the family while he was a baby, and his mother died of tuberculosis in Richmond, Virginia, on December 8, 1811, when he was two.[1] He was taken in by John and Frances Allan of Richmond, who never formally adopted him; he did not take their surname.[1] At 15 he was in a junior honor guard that escorted the Marquis de Lafayette around Richmond.[1]

### University, army and West Point

At 17 Poe went to the University of Virginia. According to the Poe Museum, he arrived with only $110 for his fees, gambled to make up the rest, ran up about $2,000 in debts, and left after a few months.[1] In Boston he published his first book, *Tamerlane and Other Poems*, as "A Bostonian," and at 18 he enlisted in the army under the name Edgar Perry, rising to sergeant major in two years.[1] He then entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where, the Poe Museum says, he did well in his studies but was court-martialed for "extreme dereliction of duty."[1] Two more books of poems followed, in 1829 and 1831.[2]

### Baltimore, Richmond and marriage

Poe spent about four years in Baltimore with relatives, among them his aunt Maria Clemm and her daughter Virginia, and turned from poetry to short stories.[1] After the *Southern Literary Messenger* printed his tales "Metzengerstein" and "Berenice," its editor, Thomas White, hired him, and Poe moved back to Richmond; the Poe Museum says tensions with White followed, possibly over his drinking.[1] About a year after joining the magazine he married his cousin Virginia; she was 13 and he was 27, and the museum notes that the nature of the marriage is debated.[1] He left the *Messenger* in 1837.[1]

### Philadelphia and New York

The years from 1838 in Philadelphia are considered his most productive: stories from that period include "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Black Cat."[1] His only completed novel, *The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket*, appeared in 1838, and *Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque*, in two volumes, in 1840.[2] He is credited with inventing the detective story; Arthur Conan Doyle later called him "the father of the detective tale."[5]

"The Raven," published in early 1845, made him famous; the Poe Museum says he was paid about $15 for it but gained lecturing and recitation work.[1] *Tales* and *The Raven and Other Poems* were published in New York the same year.[2] Virginia died of tuberculosis in New York in 1847, aged 24.[1] His last book, *Eureka: A Prose Poem*, appeared in 1848.[2]

### Death

In 1849 Poe went south to Richmond and became engaged to Elmira Royster Shelton, by then a widow, who had been his fiancée when he went to university.[1] He left Richmond by ship for Baltimore on September 27, and his movements are not recorded again until October 3, when he was found delirious at Gunner's Hall, a Baltimore tavern that was serving as a polling place, wearing someone else's clothes.[1][3] He died at Washington College Hospital on October 7, 1849, aged 40.[3] His doctor recorded delirium tremens, a local paper "congestion of the brain"; there was no autopsy, no death certificate survives, and the cause has never been established.[3]

### Reputation

After his death his rival Rufus Griswold, who became his literary executor, published a biography portraying him as a drunkard and opium addict; Biography.com calls it "libelous," and National Geographic reports there is no evidence Poe used opium.[4][3] Poe's stories and poems have been adapted for film and television many times, from Roger Corman's eight Poe films of the early 1960s to Mike Flanagan's 2023 Netflix series.[8][7]

## Fun facts

- His first book, *Tamerlane and Other Poems*, was credited to "A Bostonian"; only about twelve copies are known to survive.[1][2]
- At 18 he enlisted in the army as "Edgar Perry" and rose to sergeant major within two years.[1]
- At 15 he was part of a junior honor guard that escorted the Marquis de Lafayette around Richmond.[1]
- He earned about $15 for publishing "The Raven," according to the Poe Museum.[1]
- The Poe Museum calls him the first American writer to try to live entirely on what he earned from writing.[1]
- Only 750 copies of *Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque* were printed.[2]
- Arthur Conan Doyle called Poe "the father of the detective tale."[5]

## Books

In order of first publication; each series is kept together in reading order.

The ten books Poe published in his lifetime, with publishers and years, as listed by the Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore.[2]

- 1827: *Tamerlane and Other Poems* (Poetry). Published in Boston as the work of "A Bostonian."[2][1] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Tamerlane%20and%20Other%20Poems%20Edgar%20Allan%20Poe)
- 1829: *Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems* (Poetry). Published in Baltimore by Hatch and Dunning.[2] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Al%20Aaraaf%2C%20Tamerlane%2C%20and%20Minor%20Poems%20Edgar%20Allan%20Poe)
- 1831: *Poems* (Poetry). Published in New York by Elam Bliss.[2] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Poems%20Edgar%20Allan%20Poe)
- 1838: *The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket* (Novel). His only completed novel.[7] ISBN 9780140437485. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9780140437485) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9780140437485)
- 1839: *The Conchologist's First Book* (Nonfiction). The 1845 third edition dropped his name from the title page.[2] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Conchologist's%20First%20Book%20Edgar%20Allan%20Poe)
- 1840: *Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque* (Story collection). Two volumes, published in Philadelphia in a printing of 750 copies.[2] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Tales%20of%20the%20Grotesque%20and%20Arabesque%20Edgar%20Allan%20Poe)
- 1843: *The Prose Romances of Edgar A. Poe* (Story collection). Contains only "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "The Man That Was Used Up."[2] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Prose%20Romances%20of%20Edgar%20A.%20Poe%20Edgar%20Allan%20Poe)
- 1845: *Tales* (Story collection). Selected by the editor Evert A. Duyckinck for Wiley and Putnam.[2] [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=Tales%20Edgar%20Allan%20Poe)
- 1845: *The Raven and Other Poems* (Poetry). [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=The%20Raven%20and%20Other%20Poems%20Edgar%20Allan%20Poe)
- 1848: *Eureka: A Prose Poem* (Nonfiction). ISBN 9781573921343. [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/131187/9781573921343) · [WorldCat](https://www.worldcat.org/isbn/9781573921343)

## Latest news

- Nov. 9, 2026: NPR's *Fresh Air* critic Maureen Corrigan reviewed Emily Ogden's new book *Darkness Becomes Bright: On the Brief Life and Immortal Art of Edgar Allan Poe*, a mix of biography and reflection by the University of Virginia professor.[5]
- Feb. 16, 2026: Filming began in Budapest on A24's *The Masque of the Red Death*, written and directed by Charlie Polinger, with Mikey Madison, Léa Seydoux, Franz Rogowski and Benedict Wong.[6]

## Adaptations and other media

### Film

- *House of Usher and the Corman Poe films* (1960–1964). Roger Corman directed *House of Usher* (1960) from Richard Matheson's screenplay, with Vincent Price as Roderick Usher; it was the first of eight Poe films Corman made between 1960 and 1964.[8]
- *The Masque of the Red Death (A24)* (Filmed 2026). Charlie Polinger wrote and directed this adaptation of Poe's 1842 story for A24 and Picturestart, with Mikey Madison, Léa Seydoux, Franz Rogowski and Benedict Wong; no release date has been announced.[6]

### Television

- *The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix)* (2023). Based on *The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket*. Mike Flanagan's miniseries, which Netflix called "a wicked horror series based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe," was released on October 12, 2023; it draws on several stories and names a character after Arthur Gordon Pym.[7]

## Myth and record

- Claim: Poe drank himself to death in Baltimore. His doctor recorded delirium tremens, and many people who knew him blamed alcohol.[3]
  The record: The cause of his death is not known. There was no autopsy and no death certificate survives; a local paper gave "congestion of the brain," and the Poe Museum notes that the doctor's term, "phrenitis," was often used when the real cause was unknown.[3][1] The Poe Museum counts more than 26 published theories, among them alcohol, "cooping" (being kidnapped and forced to vote repeatedly), rabies and tuberculosis; National Geographic quotes experts who say, "We just cannot know."[1][3]
- Claim: Poe was a drunk and an opium addict, the picture drawn by the biography his rival and literary executor, Rufus Griswold, published after his death.[4]
  The record: Biography.com calls Griswold's account "libelous."[4] National Geographic reports that there is no evidence Poe used opium, that the claim of alcoholism is unproven, and that historians say his behavior, including long periods without drinking, does not fit it.[3]

## Timeline

- Jan. 19, 1809: Born in Boston to the actors Eliza and David Poe.[1][5]
- Dec. 8, 1811: His mother dies of tuberculosis in Richmond; John and Frances Allan take him in.[1]
- 1827: Publishes his first book, *Tamerlane and Other Poems*, as "A Bostonian," and enlists in the army as "Edgar Perry."[1][2]
- 1838: *The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket* is published; Poe moves to Philadelphia, the start of his most productive years.[2][1]
- 1840: *Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque* appears in two volumes.[2]
- 1845: "The Raven" makes him famous; *Tales* and *The Raven and Other Poems* follow as books.[1][2]
- 1847: His wife, Virginia, dies of tuberculosis in New York, aged 24.[1]
- Oct. 3, 1849: Found delirious at Gunner's Hall, a Baltimore tavern, wearing someone else's clothes.[1][3]
- Oct. 7, 1849: Dies at Washington College Hospital in Baltimore, aged 40.[3]
- Feb. 16, 2026: A24 begins filming *The Masque of the Red Death* in Budapest.[6]

## What came after

A24's *The Masque of the Red Death*, written and directed by Charlie Polinger and filmed in Budapest in 2026, has no announced release date.[6]

## Sources

1. [Edgar Allan Poe's Biography](https://poemuseum.org/?p=10924). The Poe Museum, Richmond, Virginia. (primary record)
2. [Some Editions of Edgar Allan Poe's Works](https://eapoe.org/WORKS/editions/index.htm). Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore. (reference)
3. [Murder or madness: What really killed Edgar Allan Poe?](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/edgar-allan-poe-death-mystery). National Geographic. (news)
4. [Edgar Allan Poe's death](https://www.biography.com/news/edgar-allan-poe-death). Biography.com. (reference)
5. [We are still puzzling over the mysteries of Edgar Allan Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle](https://www.kpbs.org/news/arts-culture/2026/11/09/we-are-still-puzzling-over-the-mysteries-of-edgar-allan-poe-and-arthur-conan-doyle). NPR (via KPBS). (news)
6. [The Masque of the Red Death (upcoming film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Masque_of_the_Red_Death_(upcoming_film)). Wikipedia. (reference)
7. [Mike Flanagan's Final Netflix Show Looks Like a Big Departure](https://inverse.com/entertainment/mike-flanagan-fall-of-the-house-of-usher-first-look). Inverse. (news)
8. [House of Usher](https://ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/house-of-usher/). Il Cinema Ritrovato (Cineteca di Bologna). (website)