Over the course of Poe's forty year stay on Earth, he was exposed early to several

key people who would have a profound impact on his writings. Though this idea in and of

itself is not uncommon in literature, for Poe it went far beyond being merely influenced.

Beginning at age 3 when he lost his parents, Poe was subjected to a difficult life that

would later play heavily in his works. Between his foster father (John Allan), his first love

(Sarah Elmis Royster) and his young first wife (Virginia Cleem), Poe's contacts largely

dictated his works. How was it that such an obviously brilliant individual like Poe allowed

himself to be mentally manipulated by these people? To answer this question, it is

necessary to take a step back and first get a little background.

Edgar Allen Poe was born on January 19, 1809 to two struggling actors, David

and Elizabeth Poe. When his father died at the age of 36, Edgar was left alone with his

pregnant mother. He traveled with his mother and sister from theater to theater, often

One should not think that Poe's life was a completely horrific existence. Though

he certainly was forced to deal with his share of controversy and death, he was also

Maelstrom, the fisherman also wants to understand it, and is saddened that he will not live

Amontillado...) so the possibility of that also influencing him seems a realistic option.

The tone of this poem perfectly reflects how forlorn Poe was at this point in his

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 3506
Approximate Pages = 14 (250 words per page double spaced)