Poe's Childhood
Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 18, 1809 in Boston, Massachusettes to David and Elizabeth Poe. He was the second of the three children, Henry, Edgar, and Rosalie. David Poe mysteriously disappeared short after Elizabeth Poe died in December of 1811. Edgar was two when she died. Edgar became a foster son of John Allan, who was a tobacco merchant from Richmond, Virginia. Henry went to live with his grandparents, and Rosalie was taken in from another family. Poe went to school in England for 5 years, where he learned Latin and French, when he was six. When he returned to the Untited States, Poe attended the Universtiy of Virgina in 1826, staying for only a few months before he joined the United States Army. Edgar did okay in the army and accomplished the rank of sergeant major. He was honarably discharged around 1829.
Poe, the Writer
While Edgar was in the Army, Poe published his first volume of poems, entitled Tamerlane and Other Poems, and his second volume of poems, entitled Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems. Mrs. Allan died in 1829. John Allan signed Edgar's application to get into West Point and aided him with getting into West Point, which he sucessfully did as a cadet in 1830. Edgar was soon discharged for failing to follow orders. Seeking money and employment, he moved to New York City, and in 1831 he released his third volume of poetry, entitled Poems. John Allan died in 1934, and Edgar was not included in his will. Poe moved to Richmond. He became the editor of the Southen Literary Journal, a newspaper in Richmond, for two years, and in 1836 Poe married his cousin, Virgina Clemm who was 13 when they married. He was then 27 years old. In 1845 he briefly owned and edited his own magazine, entitled Broadway Journal. Since he married Virginia, Poe worked nonstop editing articles for newspapers and magazines and writing fiction, poetry, and essays until his death on October 7, 1849.
Poe's Final Days
Virgina died in 1847. Poe was now in New York when he moved to Philadelphia. Poe traveled between Richmond and Philadelphia a couple times, and at on October 3, 1847 Poe was found at Gunner's Hall in Philadelphia. He was taken to the hospital and died in the hospital on October 7, 1849. No on know how he died or what happened to him at Gunner's Hall. While in the hospital before he died he lapsed in and out of consciousness and was never able to explain what happened to him.
Poe's Life's Work
A complete list of Edgar Allan Poe's works can be found at:
http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/eapoe/bl-eapoe-complete.htm