On October 7, 1849, Edgar Allan Poe died at 40 years of age. As the anniversary of his death draws near, it seems appropriate to pay a tribute to Poe and the impact his writings have had on American literature and poetry.

Poe was born in 1809. When he was a young child, his father left the family. His mother died the following year, leaving Poe an orphan. Separated from his siblings, Poe was taken in by John and Frances Allan. Poe was very close to Frances Allan, but never connected well with John, and as Poe grew older, he and John began to argue a lot. They argued over money and about what Poe would do after school. Poe ended up going to the University of Virginia, but had to drop out after one semester because he had no money.

In 1827, Poe enlisted in the Army and at that time began his writing career. He published his first book, Tamerlane and Other Poems, that year. He was 18 years old.

After leaving the Army, Poe devoted all of his time to his writing. He moved around a lot, living in Richmond, Baltimore and New York City while looking for opportunities. When he was in Baltimore, he stayed with his aunt and her daughter Virginia. Poe fell in love with Virginia and married her in 1836. She was a major literary inspiration for Poe.

For a time, Poe wrote reviews for a magazine in Richmond. Due to his vicious reviews of his fellow writers, Poe developed a reputation as a very strong critic. James Russell Lowell, a fellow critic, called Poe “the most discriminating, philosophical, and fearless critic upon imaginative works who has written in America.”

After publishing more stories and tales, Poe began to be known for his spine-tingling stories and mysteries. Poe’s genre is gothic with his most recurring themes being that of death and loss. Many of his works are classified as dark romanticism

When Poe’s most famous poem, The Raven, was published in 1845, Poe became a literary sensation. Continuing to write in a unique and creepy way, Poe saw many more pieces published, including “The Cask of Amontillado,” “The Poetic Principle” and “Ulalume.”

In 1847, Poe’s wife Virginia died. Although Poe was overcome with grief and had declining health, he continued to write.

Edgar Allen Poe died in 1849. The cause of his death is a bit of a mystery. At the time that he died, it was said that Poe had died of congestion of the brain. Today most theories of the cause of his death include alcoholism, rabies and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Poe brought about many changes in literary styles as a writer, poet and critical writer that not only influenced american literature but had an impact on international literature. He was one of the first writers to develop the genre of both detective fiction and horror. Stories such as the “Black Cat” and “The Pit and the Pendulum” set him apart from other writers.

Poe is one of America’s most popular writers. His stories continue to surprise, inspire and move readers just as they did a couple of centuries ago.