There have been many theories about the death of Edgar A. Poe. Many of these theories includes brain tumor, heart disease, flu, alcoholism, rabies, etc. The stories have been supported but, how accurate are they? Out of all the different theories, alcoholism and rabies are the most accurate ones. But, the most common and accurate one is that Edgar A. Poe died because of rabies. Rabies is known as a very deadly virus spread to people from the saliva of infected animals. The rabies virus is usually transmitted through a bite. In the late 1800 rabies was well known to cause different symptoms, including itching, fever, headache, excess salivation, muscle spasms, and mental confusion. These symptoms tend to spread through entire body. Recently
Edgar Allan Poe creates this menacing tone by the repetition and description of his senses. In the killing the narrators explains that the eye of the old man is the reason why he killed him in the first place .The description of the old man’s “eye of a vulture- a pale blue eye, with an film over it. Whatever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees”(1). The senses of the narrator helps to bring on the mood of menace into the story.
The accounts of his death vary from days to weeks, but the consumption of alcohol is his killer (Annals). There was a fire at the Richmond theater which killed 72 people, including the governor. With those 72 people, most of which were well-known, there were a lot of good kids that were now orphaned, and other good families decided to take them in. Although Edgar wasn't a part of the fire, he got to live with a good family as well, the Allan's
Around the year 1845, an infamous literary writer named Edgar Allan Poe wrote a poetry piece deemed, "The Raven." This piece was a staple in Poe's career, allowing him to grow becoming one of the most preferred poets due to "The Raven" garnering him so much popularity. On October 9th, 1849, tragically Poe (at the time) mysteriously died. No one was seen around him at the time nor spoke to him; this was a mystery that no one could solve easily. As time passed, his death continued to be a mystery.
Even though we will never truly know the reason for his death, rabies
The famous author, Edgar Allan Poe, lived with a series of unfortunate deaths until he faced his own. Poe's death is still a mystery that everyone has their own input of. Some say he drank himself to death right before he got remarried. Others believe he was infected with rabies without even knowing. However, Poe died of rabies because of his actions and the evidence right before his death.
October 3 1849, Poe was discovered in a state of semiconsciousness; four days later he died. The causes of death are unknown. Born 1809, both parents were professional actors. At the time of his birth, his parents were members of a repertory company in Boston. Before reaching the age of three, both parents died.
The reasons people believe Poe died from rabies is because in one of the letters Dr. Benitez says “Poe refused alcohol and could drink water only with great difficulty, rabies victims exhibit hydrophobia”. If Poe had been drinking he would have taken the alcohol, this shows he may have had something else. Another thing that Dr. Benitez said was “there was no evidence of a bite but some rabies victims don’t remember being bitten”. This shows that he could have been bitten a long time ago and couldn’t remember.
What Happened to Edgar Allen Poe? Ever wondered how the famous writer “Edgar Allen Poe” died? Some say that it was caused by alcoholism and others thought it was because of rabies. I believe that it will never be known and forever will be a mystery. Over the years many people tried to decipher the cause of his death; in articles, biographies, and letters.
Edgar Allan Poe had experienced a loss multiple times. Poe married his cousin when she was 13, he was 27. Both of Poe’s parents died in 1811 and so he was raised as a foster child. In the poem “Annabel Lee” he talks about how his love Annabel Lee passed away. In the poem “The Raven” he talks about his love, Lenore passing away and The Raven comes to him and is repetitive.
Gathering all the evidence, I believe that Edgar Allan Poe was a victim of schizophrenia. Although no one can be sure, considering no one was able to diagnose him, the symptoms do add up. Without all of our medical advances, no one can imagine what Poe went through his life. He may have let his feelings and thoughts flow into his numerous pieces of writing. Whether his feelings and emotions flowed into his writing, or he purposely wrote his stories like that, which would make him an even better writer.
While some symptoms Poe exhibited matched rabies, doctors did not know enough about the disease back in the 1800’s. Dr. Benitez even admits the faults in his theory, “Lack of evidence of a bite or scratch. In those days rabies was known as to causes and symptoms, including itching and other sensations that could affect an entire limb or side of the body. . . Catrina [Poe’s pet cat], who, uninfected and and showing no signs of rabies” (qtd. In Pollin and Benedetto 189).
The theme of the premature burial is very prevalent in many of Poe’s stories. It is seen time and time again throughout his works because at the time he was writing them, the theme of premature burial or fear of being buried alive was extremely commonplace and it got people talking about his writings. It is clear to see that the theme of burial while alive is so developed and widespread in Poe’s works. This is because it is what the general public were interested in at the time and he was using this to his own benefit to gain more popularity. Poe was completely obsessed with the whole idea of being buried whilst still alive.
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author; he mainly focused in genres such as short stories and poems. Poe didn’t have much of an academic background in literature but, he excelled in it. Some people believe that his success was mostly due to the fact that his life was very sad, filled by a series on misfortunate events, such as being an orphan, suffering from poverty and being constantly surrounded by death. In his works, Poe portrays narratives that are characterized by their mystery and macabre. The topic of death was ever present in his work, constantly describe with dark moods and somewhat terrifying settings.
Are zombies a reflection of society 's fears and anxieties about the future? According to Ozog, many of the films and television shows we consume are "directly related to what we believe, fear, and love in our current existence" (2). Ozog suggests that the increase in demand and popularity for zombies "is directly connected to our fears and anxieties as a culture" (2). For instance, The Walking Dead, a popular comic written by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore, revolves around a zombie outbreak that creates a dystopian society for the survivors while they wait for the government to save them. Platts describes these zombies as a "mindless walking dead" (549) that "represent fears associated with a loss of identity and the anxieties associated with
Of all gothic writers, Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most groundbreaking of them all. From The Cask of Amontillado, a story with integrated historical references of the time, to The Fall of the House of Usher, a deep and morbid story full of imagery. Anywhere from The Tell-Tale Heart, truly a story of both unique syntax and perspective, to The Raven, a poem full of symbols and eerie repetition. Through these and many more, Poe has been using his writing style to immerse people into his stories and poems alike since 1839. However, Poe is only able to accomplish this through his unique writer’s style, particularly his forceful imagery and meaningful syntax.