Edgar Allan Poe
A master of the macabre who invented the detective story and gave American literature its first taste of haunting, psychological horror.
1809–1849 (age 40)·American writer and critic·Birthday: January 19
Biography
Edgar Allan Poe's life was as turbulent and tragic as his fiction. Orphaned young and cast into a strained relationship with a foster father, he channeled his inner turmoil into a new kind of writing. In Baltimore and Philadelphia, he became a fierce literary critic and a magazine editor, all while crafting poems and short stories that plumbed the depths of grief, madness, and the supernatural. With 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue,' he essentially invented the modern detective story, and tales like 'The Tell-Tale Heart' established the template for psychological horror. His mysterious death at forty, found delirious in a gutter, only deepened the enigmatic myth surrounding the man who gave the world the raven's cry of 'Nevermore.'
#1 When Edgar Was Born
The biggest hits of 1809
Edgar's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1809Born
1814Started school
1822Became a teenager
1825Could drive
1827Could vote
1830Turned 21
1839Turned 30
1849Turned 40
Key Achievements
- Pioneered the detective fiction genre with his 1841 story 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue,' introducing the archetype of the brilliant, analytical sleuth.
- Wrote the narrative poem 'The Raven,' which became an instant sensation and remains one of the most famous poems in American literature.
- Developed and refined the modern short story form, emphasizing unity of effect and tight, impactful prose.
- Is widely credited with helping to shape the emerging genre of science fiction with works like 'The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall.'
Did You Know?
The Baltimore Ravens football team is named in part after his poem 'The Raven.'
He received only $9 for the publication of his most famous poem, 'The Raven.'
An unknown visitor, referred to as the 'Poe Toaster,' left a bottle of cognac and three roses on his grave in Baltimore for decades until 2009.
““I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.””
