The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur

September

Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849)

There is no exquisite beauty … without some strangeness in the proportion.

—Edgar Allan Poe

Source: Wikimedia

Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston in 1809. His parents, both working actors, died before Poe reached the age of three.

He was sent to Virginia to be raised by John Allan, a wealthy tobacco exporter. Allan took Poe in, but was not particularly kind or generous to him. When Poe matriculated at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville in 1825, he could attend for only one year because Allan refused to pay tuition.

Their relationship deteriorated, and Poe relocated to Boston and joined the army. While there, he published his first collection of poetry, Tamerlane and Other Poems, in 1827. He continued to write as he served in the military and was honorably discharged in 1829.

Over the next few years, Poe moved frequently. He first settled in New York, and then moved to Baltimore, where he reconnected with his aunt, Maria Clemm, and her daughter Virginia. In Baltimore, he began to gain attention for his writings, and eventually he was tapped to serve as editor for The Southern Literary Messenger.

He took the job, moving to Richmond, Virginia, with his aunt and cousin, whom he would later marry. During this time, he continued to write his own stories and poetry but became best known as a literary critic. He earned his living ...