10 Mind-blowing Facts About Edgar Allan Poe

All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.

MATTHEW CHILDERS

ARTIST, ILLUSTRATOR WRITER

February 29, 2020

Disclaimer: In the article below there are links to several of Edgar Allan Poe’s books. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Edgar Allan Poe was possibly named after a Shakespearean character.

Both of Edgar Allan Poe’s parents were actors and were performing in Shakespeare’s King Lear the year he was born. This has led to much speculation that he was named for the character of Edgar, the Earl of Gloucester’s son. Though his father would soon abandon the family when Edgar was only one years old.

Edgar Allan Poe had a gambling problem.

When Poe was in college at the University of Virginia he amassed a gambling debt. This led to problems between him and his foster father. John Allan gave him money when Poe tried to convince him that he didn’t give him enough money for classes, however, Poe’s debt just increased. This led Poe to drop out and enlist in the army. Poe, however, was soon expelled from West Point, his foster mother died and his foster father disowned him. To further punish Poe, when John Allan died he left Poe out of his will, providing for an illegitimate child that Poe had never met.

Edgar Allan Poe wasn’t just a prolific writer.

The master of the macabre was a writer’s writer. He wrote short stories, poetry, and a novel. He also wrote a textbook, a book on scientific theory as well as essays and book reviews. But that’s not all. Being such a prolific writer did not keep Poe from pursuing athletic pursuits. He held a record for swimming six miles up the tidal James River, was a champion long jumper, and enjoyed rowing and hiking.

Yes, Edgar Allan Poe did marry his cousin.

Edgar Allan Poe married his 13-year old cousin, Virginia Clemm. Though she was half his age her age was listed as 21 on the marriage certificate. There is some speculation that the marriage was less romantic and more of a brother/sister type relationship. Twelve years after their nuptials she died of tuberculosis which became the inspiration for Poe’s short story, The Masque Of The Red Death.

Edgar Allan Poe enjoyed cryptography.

Edgar Allan Poe had a deep fascination with cryptography, particularly the use of ciphers and codes, which he explored both in his literary works and personal interests. He was captivated by the challenge of creating and solving encoded messages, believing that cryptography was an intellectual pursuit that combined logic and creativity. This passion is most famously reflected in his short story The Gold-Bug, where a cryptographic puzzle plays a central role in unraveling the plot. The story’s protagonist deciphers a hidden message that ultimately leads to the discovery of a buried treasure, showcasing Poe’s understanding of encryption techniques and his ability to weave them seamlessly into his narratives. Beyond fiction, Poe even invited readers of a Philadelphia magazine to submit ciphers for him to solve, demonstrating his skill and enthusiasm for the art of secret writing. His engagement with cryptography not only added layers of mystery to his stories but also contributed to the broader public interest in codes and ciphers during his time.

Poe invented detective fiction.

If you enjoy Sherlock, you can thank Edgar Allan Poe for helping to shape detective fiction. His 1841 story The Murders in the Rue Morgue is considered the first true detective tale, introducing C. Auguste Dupin, a brilliant investigator who solves crimes through logic and deduction. Dupin became the model for later detectives like Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, influencing the genre’s key elements—an observant detective, a narrator companion, and a focus on logical reasoning. Poe’s innovative storytelling captivated readers and set the stage for the mystery genre, proving his lasting impact on crime fiction in literature, film, and television.

Poe theorized the Big Bang.

Strange as it may seem, some 80 years before the theory became popular, Edgar Allan Poe wrote an essay called “Eureka: A Prose Poem” in which he proposed the idea of The Big Bang. He considered it to be his career’s masterpiece.

Poe became an overnight success...kinda

In 1845 only four years before his death Poe became an overnight success with the publication of his famous poem “The Raven.” Though it did little to alleviate his life of relative poverty, the poem propelled him to fame. He is said to have been chased by children on the street, flapping their arms and cawing, to which he would turn and reply “Nevermore!”

He vanished for nearly a week before his death.

In late September 1849, Poe boarded a train home to New York City from Philadelphia. He would never arrive. A week later, on October 3, he appeared outside of Ryan’s Tavern disheveled and delirious, wearing clothes that didn’t fit. Unable to explain, and in almost a trancelike state he was taken to Washington College Hospital where he was rambling and calling out for a mysterious person named “Reynolds.” He finally passed away on October 7th, with no more of an understanding of what had happened to him or what the cause of his death other than the official cause of death being “congestion of the brain”