by Paul Collins
Rodman, 46
obituaries, 99. See also death
Odes (Horace), 7
opiates, 90
Oquawka Spectator, 93–94
“Orion” (Horne), 66
orphans, 3, 4
orris root, 96–97
Outis (alias), 68
parodies, 67, 78, 81
Parry, William, 19
Patterson, Edward Horton Norton, 93–94
Pease, Peter, 14
Penn Magazine, 46–47
Perley, Thaddeus (alias), 65
Perry, Edgar A. (alias), 19–21
Phantasy-Pieces (Poe), 49
Philadelphia, 39, 58
Philadelphia Saturday Courier, 24–25
“The Philosophy of Composition” (Poe), 76–77
photos, 90
phrenology, 47–48, 77, 88
Pioneer (magazine), 53
pirates, 56–57
pirating. See plagiarism
“The Pit and the Pendulum” (Poe), 52–53
plagiarism
laws, 64
by Poe, 38, 43
of Poe, 29, 67, 81
playwriting, 30–31
Poe, David, 2
Poe, David, Jr. (Edgar’s father), 2–3
Poe, Edgar Allan. See also works
acting skills of, 9
admirers of, 103–4
adoption of, 3–5, 14
as alcoholic, 30, 52, 54–55, 69–70, 74–75, 89, 97–98
aliases of, 14–18, 19–21, 65, 68, 91
anthology of, 99–102
birth of, 2
burial site, 1, 99, 104–7
childhood of, 3–10
cipher solving by, 45–46, 48, 56–57, 110
collected works of, 70, 99–102
college life of, 10–12
critiques by, 33–34, 68–69, 71, 72, 77–79, 101–2
death desire of, 90, 95, 98
death of, 98–99, 104–5, 112–13
debts of, 12–14, 19, 22, 32, 52
depression of, 29–30, 52–55, 80–83
disposition of, 11, 55
editorial work of, 26, 28–35, 42–46, 64–65
education of, 5–6, 7–10, 21–23, 33
with Ellis family, 7
fame of, 56–57, 67–70, 81, 103–4
girlfriends of, 10
illness of, 79–81, 94–95, 97–98
jobs of, 13, 14–15
language skills of, 7–8, 12
lectures given by, 58, 69, 71, 84–86, 96
logic skills of, 41, 46, 76
magazines, attempts to start, 46–47, 54, 55, 72, 73, 93–94
marriages of, 31–33, 91–92, 97
memorial monument to, 104–6, 113
metaphysical beliefs of, 83, 84–90
in military, 19–24
parents of, 2–3
parody and satire of, 67, 78, 81
as Perry, Edgar A., 19–21
photo of, 90
phrenology interest of, 47–48, 77, 88
plagiarism by, 38, 43
plagiarism of, 29, 67, 81
playwriting by, 30–31
in prison, 94
reading skills of, 5–6, 7
religious views of, 83, 84–90
sobriety of, 36, 62, 96
songwriting by, 64–65
spiritual views of, 83, 84–90
style of, 26
suicide attempt of, 90
writing style of, 17, 24–25, 34, 49–50, 66
Poe, Eliza Arnold, 2, 3
Poe, Henry, 3, 15, 20, 24
Poe, Neilson, 104, 105
Poe, Rosalie, 3, 15, 96
Poe, Virginia Clemm
acrostic by, 74
death of, 80
illness of, 51–52, 62, 74, 80
interest in, 24
marriage to Edgar, 31–33
Poems (Poe), 23–24
poetry
“Al Aaraaf,” 22, 72
Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane, and Minor Poems, 22
“Annabel Lee,” 100, 107
“The Bells,” 100
collected works of, 70, 99–100
defining, 66
Latin game in, 7–8
logical formula for, 76–77
in military, 22–24
by Poe, Virginia Clemm, 74
in Poe family, 15, 20
Poems, 23–24
Poe’s first book of, 8, 15–18
Poe’s inspirations in, 65
Poe’s style, 17, 66
“The Raven,” 65–68, 72, 76
The Raven and Other Poems, 72–73
recitations, 71–72, 96
repetition, 66, 82, 100
Romantic, 17, 23, 65
“The Sleeper,” 23
“Tamerlane,” 17–18
Tamerlane and Other Poems, 15–18, 22
“To Annie,” 98
“Ulalume,” 81–82
See also specific titles
police archetype, 59
Politian (Poe), 30–31
Preston, John, 9
prison, 94
“The Prose Romances of Edgar A. Poe” (Graham’s), 57
Prose Writers of America (Griswold), 81
Providence, Rhode Island, 90–91
publishing. See also magazines; newspapers
hoaxes, 29, 63–64, 73
industry, 27, 35
puns, 45
“The Purloined Letter” (Poe), 58–60
Putnam, George, 86
puzzles
in detective stories, 59–60
as games, 45–46, 48, 56–57, 110
Pym (Poe), 36–38, 98, 104
ratiocination, 49, 59, 103
“The Raven” (Poe), 65–68, 72, 76
The Raven and Other Poems (Poe), 72–73
Raven Club, 103
Redpath, J. S., 100
rejections
by Poe, 33–34, 68–69, 71, 72, 77–79, 101–2
of Poe, 21, 27, 31, 35, 53
Le Rennet, Henri (alias), 14–18
repetition, 66, 82, 100
revenge theme, 78, 93
“Reynolds” (possibly Jeremiah Reynolds), 98
Richmond, Virginia
Allan family’s move back to, 6–7
Poe family in, 3
Poe’s education in, 7–9
Poe’s return to, 89, 95–96
Richmond Enquirer, 3
“The Robber’s Tower” (Blackwood’s story), 43
Rodman (Poe), 46
Rogers, Mary, 50
Romanticism, 17, 23, 65
Royster, Elmira, 10, 95–96, 97
“Rue Morgue” (Poe), 48–49, 50, 51, 81
Sartain, John, 94
satire
horror, as theme, 24–25, 27–28
of Poe, 67, 78, 81
Saturday Visiter, 25–26
science
metaphysical, 83, 84–90
phrenology and, 47–48, 77, 88
science fiction, 38, 73, 104
secret messages, 45–46, 48, 56–57, 110
Sheppard Lee (Bird), 33
Sherlock Holmes, 104
Shew, Marie Louise, 80, 90
short stories. See also novels
“Berenice,” 27–28
“The Black Cat,” 57
“The Cask of Amontillado,” 78
contests, 24–26, 56
detective, 48–51, 58–60
“The Domain of Arnheim,” 82
“The Fall of the House of Usher,” 42–43
“A Fragment,” 20–21, 110
“The Gold-Bug,” 56–57, 62–63
“Hans Pfaall,” 29, 106
“Hop-Frog,” 93
“The Imp of the Perverse,” 71
industry, 27, 35
“Ligeia,” 40–41
“Maezel’s Chess Player,” 46
“The Man of the Crowd,” 47
“The Masque of the Red Death,” 51–52
“Mellonta Tauta,�
�� 85–86
“Morella,” 28
“The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” 48–49, 50, 51, 81
“The Mystery of Marie Roget,” 50–51, 59
“The Pit and the Pendulum,” 52–53
Poe’s style, 24–25, 34, 49–50
“The Purloined Letter,” 58–60
Tales, 70
Tales of the Folio Club, 26, 35
Tales of the Grotesque and
Arabesque, 44
“The Tell-Tale Heart,” 53, 57
“William Wilson,” 42–43
See also specific titles
sidekicks, 51, 59
Simms, William Gilmore, 70, 77–78
“The Sleeper” (Poe), 23
Snodgrass, Joseph, 97–98, 105
songwriting, 64–65
Sons of Temperance, 96
South Pole, 37
Southern Literary Messenger, 27–35, 36, 89
The Sphinx of the Ice Fields (Verne), 104
Stannard, Jane, 8
storytelling. See also themes
backward, 49, 59, 103
writing style, 17, 24–25, 34, 49–50, 66
The Stylus, 53, 54, 89, 93–94
suicide, Poe’s attempt, 90, 95
The Sun, 63–64
Tales (Poe), 70
Tales of the Folio Club (Poe), 26, 35
Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque (Poe), 44
“Tamerlane” (Poe), 17–18
Tamerlane and Other Poems (Poe), 15–18, 22
“The Tell-Tale Heart” (Poe), 53, 57
temperance, 46, 55, 96
theater. See acting
themes
death, 23, 41, 43, 66, 81–82, 98
decryption, 58
grief, 27–28, 66, 81–83
horror satire, 24–25, 27–28
identity, 41, 89
insanity, 53, 66, 71, 78
love lost, 16–18, 30–31, 66, 81–82
ratiocination, 49, 59, 103
revenge, 78, 93
South Pole, 37
youth lost, 16–18
Thespian Society, 9
Thomas, Frederick W., 54
Thompson, John, 89
Thrale, Hester, 111
“To Annie” (Poe), 98
The Toaster, 1
treasure hunts, 56–57, 62–63
Twice-Told Tales (Hawthorne), 35
“Ulalume” (Poe), 81–82
“Ultima Thule” (photo), 90
Unity, 87, 89
“unity of effect,” 66, 76–77
universe, 84–87, 89
University of Virginia (UVA), 10–13
“Usher” (Poe), 42–43
Valdemar, M. (fictional), 73
Verne, Jules, 104
The Victoria (airship), 63
Vidocq, Eugene Francois, 48–49
W.H.P., Henry Poe as, 20, 110–2
Walker, W., 97
Wallace, William Ross, 66
Webster, Noah, 36
Wertenbaker, William, 12–13
West Point, 22–23
White, Thomas W., 27–29
Whitman, Sarah Helen, 91–92
Whitman, Walt, 73, 106
Wiley & Putnam, 70, 71
“William Wilson” (Poe), 42–43
Willis, Nathaniel Parker, 21, 67, 69, 77
Wilmer, Lambert, 33
Wise, John, 63
works. See also novels; poetry; short stories; and specific titles
collected, 70, 99–100
detective, 48–51, 58–60
first masterpiece, 40–41
first novel, 36–38
first poetry book, 8, 15–18
first short story, 20–21
least known, 31, 46
magazine-published, 20–22, 24–31, 42–46, 73, 76–79
mastery of, 1, 40
metaphysical, 83, 84–90
newspaper-published, 56–57, 63–64, 92–93
rejected, 21, 27, 31, 35, 53
science fiction, 38, 73, 104
songwriting, 64–65
The Works of the Late Edgar Allan Poe (Griswold), 100–102
writing style, 17, 24–25, 34, 49–50, 66
Wyatt, Thomas, 41
Yankee, 21
youth, theme of lost, 16–18
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication Page
Contents
1 The Child of Fortune
2 Manuscript Found in a Bottle
3 The Glorious Prospect
4 The Shakespeare of America
5 Nevermore
Notes
Selected Further Reading
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Index
