My Favorite Poet is Edgar Allen Poe
Edgar Allen Poe has been one of my favorite poets ever since I received has a gift a very fine book of all of his poems and short stories. It is a beautiful leather covered book with gold leaf writing on the cover, it’s one of the best gifts I ever received. Although in his time he was better known has a editor and critic and not for his poems or short stories, I think his poems and short stories were far ahead of their time and that is why they only had a small following of people interested in reading them. The only poem that ever brought him some fame in his life time was The Raven, which he did enjoy . But like most great poets his fame and success only came many years after his death. He was never in his life time a rich man or in his death either. But yet today some say he is one of the great master writers of his time. Edgar Allan Poe wrote fifty-eight poems, and twenty-nine short stories in his life time. Poe’s life and death is entwined with much mystery and speculation and a lot of it was false and written by a man named Rufus Griswold who had it in for Poe after Poe gave his writing a bad review.
Some fascinating facts about Edgar Allen Poe
He joined the army under the name "Edgar A. Perry."
He was only paid nine dollars for his poem "The Raven."
It is said that Poe and his wife enjoyed playing games on the lawn in the afternoon, and their favorite game was leapfrog. Well one afternoon playing leapfrog Poe split the seat of his pants and was very embarrassed, but his wife just had a fit of laughter over it all.
He loved the fame "The Raven" brought him, and some even called him The Raven has a nickname. Also Poe would play this little game with some of the kids who would walk behind him flapping their arms and making sounds like a raven. He would turn suddenly and staring at them all saying Nevermore, which sent all the kids running away.
Even though he is now considered a genius of gothic horror, science fiction and detective stories, Poe wasn’t exactly happy with those expressions. He said he just wrote stories and poems he thought the people would enjoyed.
Poe was taking in by a foster family when he was young but never adopted by them.
After ordering a headstone for Poe’s grave it ended up being destroyed in a train accident.
To this day no one is sure what he die of.
He never in his life signed anything Edgar Allan Poe.
Since 1949, on the night of Poe’s birthday someone has left on his grave a bottle of cognac and three roses, but no one knows who is leaving these things on Poe’s grave or why. It’s just another mystery within the already mysterious life of Edgar Allan Poe. Several of the bottles of cognac that have been left at the grave side are kept at the Baltimore Poe House and Museum, if you are ever in Baltimore visit the home and museum of Edgar Allan Poe. It is a interesting place to see where he lived and all his written works in the museum.
Directions:
The Baltimore Poe House and Museum is located at 203 Amity Street in West Baltimore.
