The Different Theories Surrounding the Death of Edgar Allan Poe - Essay Example

The Different Theories Surrounding the Death of Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe is a famous in macabre literature and grotesque art, who with his unique use of words and choices of sentences gave some of the most extra-ordinary pieces of prose and poetry that are still enjoyed by readers. His life was a tale that is heart breaking but his death painted even a more secret yet disturbing scene that leaves historians even now confused as to what happened. There are different theories surrounding the death of Edgar Allan Poe, his disappearance and then a sudden emergence on the streets of Baltimore where he was found in a state that was upsetting and unsettling to witness. He was then taken to Baltimore hospital where he took his last breaths, after spending three days there. (Neyfakh). Edgar Allan Poe’s life was marked with financial as well as personal health problems which many believed was the cause of his death. A life marked with problems and then a slow sudden death of the love of his life Virginia left Poe in a mental condition that was both tragic and troubling. These events contributed to the life of the author and poet, who saw nothing more in life than a series of problems that led him heartbroken. He however did not see a life all that dark. In 1845, the poet did gain much attention because of his poem called “The raven”, which is still enjoyed and read by many. He was made the editor of a famous Journal called “The Broadway Journal” at that time and also consumed profits from the growing fame which served as a bleak of light in his dark life. (Knight,302). Later, it is viewed that the downfall of the great macabre poet began, when soon the glory that shined upon him vanished and the journal who he was the proud editor of was seen to be surrounded by debts in 1846. This led him to suffer major financial crisis and impacted his health both physically and mentally. His troubled state of mind made him an object of affection among women, and that he sought after the death of Virginia. Satisfying both his physical and emotional needs –the prominent one Sarah Helen Whitman broke the engagement in 1848 which, caused Poe’s first suicide attempt. There is to be noted that his attempt to take his life by his own hands failed and then only a few months after his need to end his life, the great poet died and his existence marked with tragedy and pain came to an end. (Knight 302, 303) The case that surrounds the death of the famous macabre poet who died at the age of 40 has still fascinated many historians and literary intellectuals, who question how he ended up in Baltimore and what was the cause of his death. A suicide attempt failed to take his life but what ended up taking his life in the end is a question and remains so, though there are many theories surrounding the death of the great macabre poet. One of the theories that mark on how Poe died is that he was made a target of cooping and the ill handling of his troubled state took his life. Cooping is referred to as a custom that prevailed in the times before when people were maltreated and beaten up in underground cellars and slums before the voting polls opened so that on the day of election they could be compelled to vote for the party contesting the elections. This political practice prevailed for many years, where political parties cooped up people from the streets and ended up treating them badly-often taking the lives of many and then making them vote for the party of the gangs choice. It is believed that Poe was the victim of one such cooping practice and it had been done so much to his poor existence that it ended up taking his life. This hypothesis is however dropped since, medical records claim there were no signs of violence on the man and that he was found in a tavern drinking at the time (MacGowan,6). The recent, unearthing of his statue in his hometown has now given rise to a new set of theories surrounding the death of Edgar Allan Poe. 165 years ago Poe died on the streets of Baltimore. Some of the theories that reemerged as a sign of his death were alcoholism, rabies and even murder. (Schaub) The theory that surrounds that Poe has encountered rabies during his last days and that is what took the great poets life is also a strong one because one of his medical physicians who was treating Poe at that time claimed that he refused alcohol and drank even water with great difficulty, marking it hard for him to swallow. This is a condition that is exhibited by many of those who suffer from Rabies that is they develop a case of hydrophobia (fear of water). The patients who die from Rabies show symptoms which his doctors claimed were visible in the poet himself and ended up taking his life. But then again, the flaw in the theory lies in the fact that there was no evidence of a bite by an animal infected by Rabies on Poe’s body (New York Times Archives). Another, most famous theory that revolves around the death of the poet is that he was killed by Elmira’s brothers, when her brothers stopped Poe from marrying their sister. The theory revolves around the love life that Poe had and how his troubled heart after Virginias death and Helen’s act to break the engagement led him to the need to marry Elmira. Elmira Shelton’s brothers are blamed in this theory to have taken Poe’s life who disregarded their threats to not make an attempt but to carry on with his plans to marry her. The violence led to Poe having suffered serious injuries where after, they left him lying on the streets and from there he was taken to the Baltimore hospital. The intensity of the violence and the beating followed by his already poor health and diseased self then caused Edgar Allan Poe to breath his last (MacGowan,6). In conclusion, the death of the great poet who defined macabre art for centuries to come gets commemorated every year, with a recent statue dedication (Schaub) and many young people reading and re-reading his literary works. There has been dedication by many other artists to Poe for his work and the gifted talent that he was. However, there are just mere theories that define how Poe ended up in the streets of Baltimore and how he died at the age of 40. Nobody is quiet sure about what happened and even the doctors account of his last day are messy and vague. The death of the poor soul is not accounted to being drunk but instead of mental traumas and poor health. His doctors remember him being well, then shouting at the imaginary figures in his head and on the fourth day dying on the bed of Baltimore hospital. Poe’s medical condition was also discussed in one of the journals by the doctors who treated him saying, that he suffered a classic case of Rabies. This appeared in the Maryland medical Journal (New York Times Archives). The theories that revolve around his death are innumerable and every person has a different account. This however, does not change the fact that the great artist troubled life met a more troubled end. A life gifted with talent with words marked with an end of poverty and mental trauma. Works Cited Knight, Denise D. Writers of the American Renaissance: An A-to-Z Guide. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2003. Print. MacGowan, Douglas. "The Murder Of Edgar Allan Poe." Crime Library. n.d . Web. 22 Nov. 2014. http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/celebrity/edgar_allan_poe/6.html Neyfakh, Leon. "Poe’S Mysterious Death: The Plot Thickens!." New York Observer/News. 16 Jul. 2010. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. http://observer.com/2007/10/poes-mysterious-death-the-plot-thickens/ Schaub, Michael. "For His Death Day, Edgar Allan Poe Gets A Statue." Los Angeles Times. 7 Oct. 2014.Web. 22 Nov. 2014. http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-death-day-edgar-allan-poe-statue-20141007-story.html The New York Times-Archives. "Poes Death Is Rewritten As Case Of Rabies, Not Telltale Alcohol." The New York Times. 15 Sep. 1996. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/15/us/poe-s-death-is-rewritten-as-case-of-rabies-not-telltale-alcohol.html Read More