Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) is remembered as one of the greatest writers of Gothic horror, an author whose tales of premature burial, murder and madness helped define American fiction. Yet, the life of the man behind The Raven was as unusual as his stories. If you too love mystery and the macabre, we’re sharing dark curiosities about his biography that are easy to overlook, from having an unexpectedly successful military career to marrying his first cousin.
Lord Byron was one of the poet’s great influences
Before Poe became synonymous with American Gothic literature, he was influenced by the English Romantic poets, particularly Lord Byron. In fact, his first poetry collection Tamerlane and Other Poems shows traces of Byron’s style. Similarly to the English poet’s works, the poems feature heroes that are misunderstood outcasts at odds with society.
Poe first had a thriving military career
We all have this image of Poe as a troubled literary figure. Although that is partially true, he was actually a good soldier and had a successful military career. At just 18, he enlisted in the U.S. Army under the name Edgar A. Perry, rising through the ranks to become sergeant-major, the highest rank available to a non-commissioned officer. His comanding officers described him as exemplary and reliable in his duties.
However, Poe then wanted to be discharged and his later experience at West Point, New York was very different. He deliberately neglected his duties and was court-martialed and dismissed in 1831.
He published his first book at 18
This might make you question your life choices but Poe was already a published author before he had reached adulthood. In 1827, at just 18 years old, he published Tamerlane and Other Poems in Boston. The 40-page volume appeared anonymously, credited to “A Bostonian”, only 50 copies were printed, and it attracted little attention at the time.
He married his 13-year-old cousin
Now, this is where things turn bleak but it couldn’t be otherwise with the Master of the Macrabre. Perhaps one of the most startling facts for modern readers is Edgar’s marriage to his first cousin, Virginia Eliza Clemm, who was only 13 at the time. What makes it even creepier is that various historians claim that their relationship more like that between brother and sister than romantic, given that Poe had previously lived with his widowed aunt, Maria Clemm (Virginia’s mother) and her family.
The couple married in Richmond, Virginia in 1836, although historical accounts differ over whether an earlier private ceremony may have taken place. Unfortunately, by 1842, Virginia developed turbeculosis and died after five years of illness.
Poe’s death remains a mystery
Poe’s final chapter could almost have been written by Poe himself. On October 3, 1849, he was found in Baltimore in a confused and distressed state and in desperate need of medical help, wearing someone else’s clothes. He was take to Washington College Hospital, where he died four days later at age 40.
The official explanation was never definitive and all of the relevant medical records, including his death certificate, have been lost. So no single theory has solved the mystery. Some say he died of alcohol poisoning, others claim it was due to cooping, a form of 19th-century voter fraud in which people are kidnapped and forced to vote repeatedly (Poe had been found on Election Day near a polling place).
A modern experience for Poe fans
For die-hard Poe fans looking to step further into his dark world, Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy in Perth offers another way to encounter the author’s macabre imagination. Over the course of 90 minutes, guests can experience immersive theatre, sip on four expertly crafted cocktails and enjoy an atmosphere of dark elegance. It’s all inspired by Poe’s works, inviting Goth and horror lovers to leave the ordinary world behind and step into something way more mysterious.
