Edgar Allan Poe
Known as the American author and poet of the romantic movement, Poe rose to critically acclaim for his poetry and short stories by the early 1800's. His work also ventured in the genres of the macabre and mystery.
On January 19, 1809, Poe was left an orphan after his mother passed suddenly after childbirth. The young Poe was raised by the John and France Allan family of Richmond, Virginia. It was in Richmond that the young child grew up and flourished. Poe studied at the Unversity of Virginia for just one semester before turning his aspirations towards enlistment in the Army. His career in the Army was short lived as the youngster found life as a cadet at West Point more than he bargained for.
Failing as an officer's cadet at West Point did not slow down or deter Poe as he soon bounced back to embarked on the next phase of his life as a writer. Publishing an anonymous collection of poems was literally the start of something special for Edgar Allan Poe. Poems such as the Tamerlane were released by 1827 unaccredited. The poem entitled "a Bostonian" is the only poem Poe was accredited to at that time.
Poe was accredited as the inventor of detective style fiction which elevated him into the literary spotlight. The exciting emergence of science fiction was another genre that Poe contributed and drew inspiration from. He was one of the first authors to be noted in history as a "struggling writer". Poe paved the way for the writing profession and in the process left a long lasting mark. His work received literary acclaim for his signature literary criticism style. Writing for literary periodicals and literary journeys gave Poe's work direction and focus.
Work for the talented writer and poet to Philadelphia, New York City and Baltimore before his settled down and married his 13-year old cousin, Virginia Clemm in 1835. The newlyweds made Baltimore their hometown as both married life and Poe's literally career begun to flourish. Poe next published the poem 'The Raven" in 1845 which became his most highly received poem by the literary world. Two years after the release of this success poem, Poe's wife died of tuberculosis.
At the age of 40, Poe passed away on October 7, 1849 leaving behind the unproduced journey named The Penn. This journal would later be entitled The Stylus. Poe's work eventually would transcend for centuries to come and continues to receive both praise and acclaim today.
Poe's work transformed the face of literature and is now required reading for many students in standard high school. Any students who are interested in learning more about writing can utilize programs like the one offered through Online High School Diploma to either practice or complete their higher education.