Edgar Allan Poe was born in 1809 in Boston and died in 1849 in Baltimore. He had a tragic life, losing his mother at a young age and feeling uncared for by his guardians. He struggled with poverty, drinking, and gambling. Poe is considered the father of both the horror and detective genres. He wrote famous poems like "The Raven" and short stories like "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Fall of the House of Usher" that influenced many later authors. Though successful as a writer, he had a troubled life and died under mysterious circumstances at the young age of 40.

1. Edgar Allan Poe English 11 Portfolio Project Block 1, Days 2 & 4

2. Ultra-Condensed Biography Born: January 19 1809 Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts Died: October 7 1849 Parents: David Poe Jr. Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe Siblings: William Henry Poe (Older Brother) Rosalie Poe (Younger Sister) Guardians: John Allan Francis Allan Wife: Virginia Eliza Clemm (also his first cousin)

3. A Tragic Tale…. Mother died of Tuberculosis when he was 2 A surrogate father whom he never felt cared for him Repeatedly poverty stricken and out of work Problems with drinking and gambling Died at the age of 40 In the days before his death he “…talked to the walls and windows. His arms and legs shook uncontrollably while his vacant eyes sank back into his ghostly face…” His last words … Lord, help my poor soul! … Though some claim they were “ It is all over now; write 'Eddy is no more' ”

4. Master of Horror… Best Known Works of Edgar Allan Poe Annabel Lee The Bells Alone Tamerlane The Raven A Dream Within a Dream The Poems The Short Stories The Fall of the House of Usher The Pit and the Pendulum The Tell-Tale Heart The Black Cat The Premature Burial The Masque of the Red Death The Cask of Amontillado

5. Why all the hype about Poe? #1. He was a literary genius (Duh…) #2. He basically started the ‘Horror’ genre Authors like Stephen King were greatly influenced by Poe’s Writings #3. Try reading some of his stuff; if you’re not entertained, well, I can’t help the fact that you don’t appreciate a good horror story #4. No, really, he was a genius #5. Some claim he was insane… that’s interesting, right? #6. In addition to starting the horror genre, Poe is also credited with starting the Detective/ Mystery genre