Major Actors in Edgar Allan Poe - Essay Example

Despite the adoption, he couldn’t get adequate financial support from his foster father; and that forced Poe to cease his studies. As Quinn (119) states, at the age of 18 Poe joined the United States Army claiming that he was 22 years old and served there for two years. He released his first book of poetry named ‘Tamerlane and Other Poems’, relying on his salaries from the army. However, the book got little notice in the market. Frank (5) illustrates Poe’s biography that in 1829 when he was 20 years old, Poe enlisted in the west point military academy but unfortunately got dismissed just after one year; again in 1831 he moved to Baltimore where his aunt Eliza Clemm had lived. From there, he fell in love with his young cousin Virginia whom he married later. This marriage and thereby increased family obligations influenced him to think about a new income source. In 1833 he won a contest for his story ‘MS found in a Battle’.

As described in the article ‘Edgar Allan Poe’ on www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/130, Poe enthusiastically accepted the post of editor as well as contributor of the Southern Literary Messenger. Subsequently, he worked with other publications such as Gentleman’s Magazine, Graham’s Magazine, Evening Mirror, and Godey’s Lady’s Book; and it was the starting point of his career as an appreciated critic and essayist. In 1836 they shifted to New York City where he completed the adventurous novel “The Narratives of Arthur Gordon Pym”. In addition, he published the poem ‘The Raven’ in 1845, the success of which greatly contributed to his repute. However, misfortunes followed him continuously. For instance, after five years of his marriage, in 1847, his wife Virginia passed away due to tuberculosis. This made him fully addicted to both alcohol and drugs and highly passionate about the poet Sarah Helen. At last in 1849, he said valediction to his world of writing and also to his life. The real cause of his departure is not still known to anyone. He completed many things within his short life span of 40 years. He and his contributions largely affected US literature and the world. According to Vijaydabla, Allan Poe is the part of American Romantic Movement. He would be the first well-known author who tried to meet his livelihood only through writing. It was his incessant confrontation with tribulations that preserved the fire of creativity within him. The paucity of love, money, and moral support played a crucial role in Poe’s life taking him to an entirely different career path despite his ambitions. However, one cannot blame him for his ethical flaws because all features of his traits are to be attributed to his life experiences. In short, the world is highly rewarded by Allan Poe, the versatile writer namely for his outstanding novels.