Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)

This Boston native grew up in Richmond, Virginia, with his

wealthy foster parents, the Allans. But upon reaching his teens,
Poe and the Allans grew apart, apparently due to his passion for
writing. Penniless, Poe published some poems after having
joined the Army. A sergeant major, and the author of classics
such as The Murders in the Rue Morgue and The Man That Was
Used Up, Poe was accepted to West Point; but decided to leave
the military for Baltimore, where he started contributing to
magazines.
At 27, he married his 13-year-old cousin and took up drinking,
as his writing wasn't taking him where he wanted to go.
Constantly on the brink of panic, his health deteriorated but he
still managed to write first-rate poems depicting the darkest
side of the human experience. His popularity, which he mostly
achieved after his death, stems from his pessimistic outlook on
life and his ability to turn it into art. He is the only poet to have
an NFL team named after one of his works.

Famous work: "The Raven"

Famous excerpt: "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I
pondered, weak and weary/Over many a quaint and curious
volume of forgotten lore/While I nodded, nearly napping,
suddenly there came a tapping/As of some one gently rapping,
rapping at my chamber door.