Richmond, Elmira Royster. In 1849 he embarked on a tour of poetry readings and
lecturing, hoping to raise funds so he could start his magazine The Stylus.
There are conflicting accounts surrounding the last days of Edgar Allan Poe and the
cause of his death. Some say he died from alcoholism, some claim he was murdered,
and various diseases have also been attributed. Most say he was found unconscious in
the street and admitted to the Washington College Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He
died soon after, on 7 October 1849, and was buried unceremoniously in an unmarked
grave in the Old Westminster Burying Ground of Baltimore. On this original site now
stands a stone with a carving of a raven and the inscription;
lecturing, hoping to raise funds so he could start his magazine The Stylus.
There are conflicting accounts surrounding the last days of Edgar Allan Poe and the
cause of his death. Some say he died from alcoholism, some claim he was murdered,
and various diseases have also been attributed. Most say he was found unconscious in
the street and admitted to the Washington College Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He
died soon after, on 7 October 1849, and was buried unceremoniously in an unmarked
grave in the Old Westminster Burying Ground of Baltimore. On this original site now
stands a stone with a carving of a raven and the inscription;
contest in it for his story “MS found in a Bottle”. In 1835 he became editor and
contributor of the Southern Literary Messenger. Though not without his detractors and
troubles with employers, it was the start of his career as respected critic and essayist.
Other publications which he contributed to were Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine
(1839–1840), Graham’s Magazine (1841–1842), Evening Mirror, and Godey’s Lady’s
Book.
From 1838 to 1846, Poe gained recognition as a writer through his poems, short
stories, a novel, magazine articles, and critical essays. These included what some
contributor of the Southern Literary Messenger. Though not without his detractors and
troubles with employers, it was the start of his career as respected critic and essayist.
Other publications which he contributed to were Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine
(1839–1840), Graham’s Magazine (1841–1842), Evening Mirror, and Godey’s Lady’s
Book.
From 1838 to 1846, Poe gained recognition as a writer through his poems, short
stories, a novel, magazine articles, and critical essays. These included what some
Richmond where he attended the University of Virginia and studied Latin and poetry and
also loved to swim and act. While in school he became estranged from his foster father
after accumulating gambling debts. Unable to pay them or support himself, Poe left
school and enlisted in the United States Army where he served for two years. He had
been writing poetry for some time and in 1827 “Dreams”—Oh! that my young life were
a lasting dream! first appeared in the Baltimore North American, the same year his first
book Tamerlane and Other Poems was published, at his own expense.
When Poe’s foster mother died in 1829 her deathbed wish was honoured by Edgar and
stepfather John reconciling, though it was brief. Poe enlisted in the West Point Military
also loved to swim and act. While in school he became estranged from his foster father
after accumulating gambling debts. Unable to pay them or support himself, Poe left
school and enlisted in the United States Army where he served for two years. He had
been writing poetry for some time and in 1827 “Dreams”—Oh! that my young life were
a lasting dream! first appeared in the Baltimore North American, the same year his first
book Tamerlane and Other Poems was published, at his own expense.
When Poe’s foster mother died in 1829 her deathbed wish was honoured by Edgar and
stepfather John reconciling, though it was brief. Poe enlisted in the West Point Military
| Edgar Allan Poe's House 530 N. 7th Street near Spring Garden Street Philadelphia, PA 19123 On the NHS List of Historic Places http://www.nps.gov/edalNeighborhood: Northern Liberties 1. It will be the 200th anniversary of my birth. 2. My poem "The Raven" Note: In honor of the bicentennial of Poe's birth, he US Postal Service will issue a 42 cent commemorative stamp of Edgar A. Poe on Friday the 16th in Baltimore. This handsome stamp should be available in all post offices on Saturday the 17th. |
Baltimore a few days earlier, on September 28. While in Richmond, he had proposed
marriage to a woman who would have become his second wife. (His first wife had
died). Poe intended to continue on to Philadelphia to finalize some business when he
became ill.
Poe was discovered lying unconscious on September 28 on a wooden plank outside
Ryan's saloon on Lombard St. in Baltimore. He was taken to Washington College
Hospital (now Church Hospital).
Historical accounts of his hospitalization indicate that at first he was delirious with
tremors and hallucinations, then he slipped into a coma. He emerged from the coma,
marriage to a woman who would have become his second wife. (His first wife had
died). Poe intended to continue on to Philadelphia to finalize some business when he
became ill.
Poe was discovered lying unconscious on September 28 on a wooden plank outside
Ryan's saloon on Lombard St. in Baltimore. He was taken to Washington College
Hospital (now Church Hospital).
Historical accounts of his hospitalization indicate that at first he was delirious with
tremors and hallucinations, then he slipped into a coma. He emerged from the coma,
| This house, where I lived briefly in 1843, is now on the National Historic Register. 1. What significance will January 19, 2009, have about me? 2. What was my relationship to a talking Corvus corax? |
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| If you have a picture you'd like us to feature a picture in a future quiz, please email it to us at CFitzp@aol.com. If we use it, you will receive a free analysis of your picture. You will also receive a free Forensic Genealogy CD or a 10% discount towards the purchase of the Forensic Genealogy book. |
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| Answer to Quiz #192 - 11 January 2009 |
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| If you enjoy our quizzes, don't forget to order our books! Click here. |
| Quiz #192 Results |
| Thanks to Stan Read for submitting the idea for this quiz. |
| Congratulations to Our Winners! Jina and Mr. Rick - What a great team of Quizmasters! Tom MacEntee Richard Wakeham Tamura Jones Diane Burkett Brian Kemp Judy Pfaff Tamura Jones Janessa Roberts Nancy Gamelin Dale Niesen Douglas Smith Elaine C. Hebert Sharon Martin Anna Farris Carolyn Cornelius Lexie Condit Bob Wilson Ted McChesney Michelle Mounts Amanda Castellanoz Robin Depietro Gene Glass Teresa Yu Mike Dalton Richard Cleaveland Dan Schlesinger Mary South Kevin Beeson Wayne Douglas Harold Clupper Debbie Sterbinsky Beth Long Carol Darrow Don Haase Dave Doucette Carl Blessing Gary Sterne Dawn Colket John Sims Norm Smith Jim Kiser Mike Swierczewski Karen Petrus Margaret Waterman Kitty Huddleston Joy Gough Barbara Battles Kate Johnson Angie McLaughlin Joshua Kreitzer Jocelyn Thayer Lisa Stahlberg Sandy Thompson Rick Norman Audrey Speelman Maureen O'Connor Bill Burrows Betty Chambers Dave Town Marilyn Hamill Karen Kay Bunting Gina Hudson Sandra McConathy Dawn Carlile Milene Rawlinson Don Draper Tina Kowis Edee Scott Dennis Brann |
| Poe's Mysterious Death University of Maryland Medical Center September 24, 1996 http://www.umm.edu/news/releases/news-releases-17.htm |
In an analysis almost 147 years after his death, doctors
at the University of Maryland Medical Center believe that
writer Edgar Allan Poe may have died as a result of
rabies, not from complications of alcoholism. Poe's
medical case was reviewed by R. Michael Benitez, M.D.,
a cardiologist at the University of Maryland Medical
Center. His review is published in the September 1996
issue of Maryland Medical Journal.
"No one can say conclusively that Poe died of rabies,
since there was no autopsy after his death," says Dr.
Benitez, who is also an assistant professor of medicine at
the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "But the
historical accounts of Poe's condition in the hospital a
few days before his death point to a strong possibility
that he had rabies."
Poe was 40 years old when he died on October 7, 1849.
He had traveled by train from Richmond, Virginia to
at the University of Maryland Medical Center believe that
writer Edgar Allan Poe may have died as a result of
rabies, not from complications of alcoholism. Poe's
medical case was reviewed by R. Michael Benitez, M.D.,
a cardiologist at the University of Maryland Medical
Center. His review is published in the September 1996
issue of Maryland Medical Journal.
"No one can say conclusively that Poe died of rabies,
since there was no autopsy after his death," says Dr.
Benitez, who is also an assistant professor of medicine at
the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "But the
historical accounts of Poe's condition in the hospital a
few days before his death point to a strong possibility
that he had rabies."
Poe was 40 years old when he died on October 7, 1849.
He had traveled by train from Richmond, Virginia to
| Comments from Our Readers |
The one this week is a little trickier. Everyone will automatically put in Martin Luther
King's home until they look at the date of 1842 (I think). Can you give just a little clue?
That musical group that you mentioned in the lower part of the question is very strange
and have not found the tie, as yet. Sharon Martin
*****
I had an unfair advantage for this puzzle. I live near Philadelphia and have been to the
Poe house. Thought I had no idea when his birthday is or that there is a German band
named Corvus Corax. How clever of them. Thanks for another fun time!
Dawn Colket
*****
Yes, at Immaculata, we also had to read him ... the scariest thing I ever read was "The
Tell-tale Heart". There is also a Poe museum in Richmond, Virginia, that David and I
had toured when we were there in 1973. He definitely holds an attraction for many
people. Fun puzzle this week ... easy for me as soon as I saw the raven!
Elaine C. Hebert
*****
What a perfect statue to commemorate Poe. It made me think of him before even
reading the questions. Don Haase
*****
Note: It wasn't really necessary to look at the photograph to solve this week's quiz. The
description and the questions themselves provided enough information.
Joshua Kreitzer
*****
Jan 19, 2009 is also the day of the inaguaral Ball of our latest elected president The
"Black Maven". (So there is more than one connection to our date; that is, if you have
an imagination) I personally hope our new maven isn't "Nevermore"
Although all your readers may not be of the same political persuasion they may
appreciate the artistic endeavor. LOL Jim Kiser
*****
As a side note - Edgar Allen Poe is among my favorite authors. Brian Kemp
*****
This one came to me immediately as my childhood bedtime stories included poetry and
short stories by E A Poe. Kate Johnson
*****
This quiz is so on my special radar as I was reading about Poe and his 200th birthday
some time in the past week. I have been plotting a trip to Philadelphia ever since. The
quiz is just another omen that I must get there this year. Judy Pfaff
*****
I think I read all of Poe's short stories in high school. The one that really creeped me
out was The Tell-Tale Heart. I'm looking forward to the information about his death. It
seems like they should be able to pin down the cause of his death...since it seemed so
dramatic. A collateral ancestor of mine had rabies according to family lore....he tied
himself to a tree to beat the disease and his son shot himself in the head to cure the
disease....that was in 1935 in OK. Mary South
*****
I wasn't sure what a corvus corax was, but the fact that this thing was talking got my
attention. I googled corvus corax, and it was confirmed that indeed, it is a raven.
From there, I just pulled up information on Edgar Allen Poe, and saw that his birthdate
matched. Janessa Roberts
*****
Once I found what a Corvus Corax was I was home free on this one!
Maureen O'Connor
*****
I have been thinking all week about the clues you have in this weeks quiz questions. It
finally came to me you are talking about Edgar Allen Poe and his poem The Raven.
January the 19th is Poe's birthday and is being celebrated all year long in Baltimore, Md.
where his home is located and also where he and his wife are buried.
This was a fun quiz to search and there are reenactments of some of Poe's poems
including the The Raven and The Telltale Heart. Anna Farris
*****
"Nevermore" did I dream that a family in Denison, TX would name their daughter
"Lenore" after the Lenore named in the second verse of my poem The Raven:
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;- vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow- sorrow for the lost Lenore-
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Nameless here for evermore."
Lenore moved from Texas to New Mexico where she married and I was born to the
couple. So I have a relation to Edgar Allan Poe. Bill Burrows
*****
The Raven on the gatepost is a dead giveaway of who's house it is and the clue
about Corvus corax also helped since it is the genus for the raven species.
Bob Wilson
N.B. That was the idea.
King's home until they look at the date of 1842 (I think). Can you give just a little clue?
That musical group that you mentioned in the lower part of the question is very strange
and have not found the tie, as yet. Sharon Martin
*****
I had an unfair advantage for this puzzle. I live near Philadelphia and have been to the
Poe house. Thought I had no idea when his birthday is or that there is a German band
named Corvus Corax. How clever of them. Thanks for another fun time!
Dawn Colket
*****
Yes, at Immaculata, we also had to read him ... the scariest thing I ever read was "The
Tell-tale Heart". There is also a Poe museum in Richmond, Virginia, that David and I
had toured when we were there in 1973. He definitely holds an attraction for many
people. Fun puzzle this week ... easy for me as soon as I saw the raven!
Elaine C. Hebert
*****
What a perfect statue to commemorate Poe. It made me think of him before even
reading the questions. Don Haase
*****
Note: It wasn't really necessary to look at the photograph to solve this week's quiz. The
description and the questions themselves provided enough information.
Joshua Kreitzer
*****
Jan 19, 2009 is also the day of the inaguaral Ball of our latest elected president The
"Black Maven". (So there is more than one connection to our date; that is, if you have
an imagination) I personally hope our new maven isn't "Nevermore"
Although all your readers may not be of the same political persuasion they may
appreciate the artistic endeavor. LOL Jim Kiser
*****
As a side note - Edgar Allen Poe is among my favorite authors. Brian Kemp
*****
This one came to me immediately as my childhood bedtime stories included poetry and
short stories by E A Poe. Kate Johnson
*****
This quiz is so on my special radar as I was reading about Poe and his 200th birthday
some time in the past week. I have been plotting a trip to Philadelphia ever since. The
quiz is just another omen that I must get there this year. Judy Pfaff
*****
I think I read all of Poe's short stories in high school. The one that really creeped me
out was The Tell-Tale Heart. I'm looking forward to the information about his death. It
seems like they should be able to pin down the cause of his death...since it seemed so
dramatic. A collateral ancestor of mine had rabies according to family lore....he tied
himself to a tree to beat the disease and his son shot himself in the head to cure the
disease....that was in 1935 in OK. Mary South
*****
I wasn't sure what a corvus corax was, but the fact that this thing was talking got my
attention. I googled corvus corax, and it was confirmed that indeed, it is a raven.
From there, I just pulled up information on Edgar Allen Poe, and saw that his birthdate
matched. Janessa Roberts
*****
Once I found what a Corvus Corax was I was home free on this one!
Maureen O'Connor
*****
I have been thinking all week about the clues you have in this weeks quiz questions. It
finally came to me you are talking about Edgar Allen Poe and his poem The Raven.
January the 19th is Poe's birthday and is being celebrated all year long in Baltimore, Md.
where his home is located and also where he and his wife are buried.
This was a fun quiz to search and there are reenactments of some of Poe's poems
including the The Raven and The Telltale Heart. Anna Farris
*****
"Nevermore" did I dream that a family in Denison, TX would name their daughter
"Lenore" after the Lenore named in the second verse of my poem The Raven:
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;- vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow- sorrow for the lost Lenore-
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore-
Nameless here for evermore."
Lenore moved from Texas to New Mexico where she married and I was born to the
couple. So I have a relation to Edgar Allan Poe. Bill Burrows
*****
The Raven on the gatepost is a dead giveaway of who's house it is and the clue
about Corvus corax also helped since it is the genus for the raven species.
Bob Wilson
N.B. That was the idea.
| Available from Audiobooksonline.com Click here. |
| The Raven recited by Christopher Walken Or click here. |
| Hear an eerie recitation of Anabelle Lee on YouTube Click here. |
| Edgar Allan Poe Jan 19, 1809 – Oct 7, 1849 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe http://www.online-literature.com/poe/ by C. D. Merriman |
| Fun info: Ravens have been associated by various cultures with different qualities. In popular western literature, they symbolize darkness, depression, and death (popularized in Edgar Allan Poe's poem, 'The Raven'). In medieval times they stood for virility. Among native cultures, Raven is the 'trickster' spirit, a popular totem, and the creator of man, who placed the Sun in the sky. Kate Johnson |
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| Baltimore has Poe, Philadelphia Wants Him by Ian Urbina New York Times, September 5, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/06/us/06poe.html |
| The Edgar Allan Poe 200 Project http://edgarallanpoe200.com/index2.html |
| BALTIMORE — Edgar Allan Poe never lived in one city for long, and ever since he died and was buried here in 1849 this city has claimed him as its own. Edward Pettit, a Poe scholar, argues that Poe’s remains should be moved from his grave in Baltimore, saying that it was Philadelphia that framed Poe’s outlook. “Philadelphia can keep its broken bell and its cheese steak, but Poe’s body isn’t going anywhere,” said Jeff Jerome, curator of the Poe House in Baltimore. He will debate Edward Pettit in January. But last year Edward Pettit, a Poe scholar in Philadelphia, began arguing that Poe’s remains belong in Philadelphia. Poe wrote many of his most noteworthy works there and, according to Mr. Pettit, that city’s rampant crime and violence in the mid-19th century framed Poe’s sinister outlook and inspired his creation of the detective fiction genre. “So, Philadelphians, let’s hop in our cars, drive down I-95 and appropriate a body from a certain Baltimore cemetery,” Mr. Pettit wrote in an article for the Philadelphia City Paper in October. “I’ll bring the shovel.” Read more.... |
| Edgar Allan Poe Daguerreotype William Pratt, 3 wks before Poe died |
Poe was born Edgar Poe in Boston, Massachusetts, on
January 19, 1809, the second child of actress Elizabeth
Arnold Hopkins Poe and actor David Poe, Jr. He had an
elder brother, William Henry Leonard Poe, and a younger
sister, Rosalie Poe. Edgar may have been named after a
character in William Shakespeare's King Lear, a play the
couple was performing in 1809. His father abandoned their
family in 1810, and his mother died a year later from
consumption. Poe was then taken into the home of John
Allan, a successful Scottish merchant in Richmond,
Virginia. The Allans served as a foster family but never
formally adopted Poe, though they gave him the name
"Edgar Allan Poe".
Young Edgar traveled with the Allans to England in 1815
and attended school in Chelsea. In 1820 he was back in
January 19, 1809, the second child of actress Elizabeth
Arnold Hopkins Poe and actor David Poe, Jr. He had an
elder brother, William Henry Leonard Poe, and a younger
sister, Rosalie Poe. Edgar may have been named after a
character in William Shakespeare's King Lear, a play the
couple was performing in 1809. His father abandoned their
family in 1810, and his mother died a year later from
consumption. Poe was then taken into the home of John
Allan, a successful Scottish merchant in Richmond,
Virginia. The Allans served as a foster family but never
formally adopted Poe, though they gave him the name
"Edgar Allan Poe".
Young Edgar traveled with the Allans to England in 1815
and attended school in Chelsea. In 1820 he was back in
| For a list of events scheduled in Philadelphia for the Bicentennial Celebration of Poe's birth click here. |
| A TRADITION - EVERMORE A toast with cognac and three roses, Left upon the poet's grave, Tradition of the "Poe Toaster" By some thoughtful, caring knave. Early morning every 19th of January As a tribute to Edgar Allen Poe, Held at a Baltimore grave site, Keeping the poets memory grow. A Corvus Corax of limited speech Came upon the scene one night With warnings of impending care Then departing on this curious flight. Robert Edward McKenna Quiz Poet Laureate ***** Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary, Over future quizzes on quaint and curious forgotten lore, While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly I heard some typing, As of some one gently typing, typing on my word process-or. `'Tis some word processor,' I muttered, `typing on my comput-or - Only this, and nothing more.' Colleen Fitzpatrick Understudy to Robert Edward McKenna, QPL |
| How Norm Solved the Puzzle |
| I solved this quiz by keying in on the term Corvus corax (realizing that it was a scientific name). By googling this, I found the link to the raven. I then googled "historic site raven" and found the link to Edgar Allan Poe. Norm Smith |
| For an extensive biography of Poe, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe |
| The Poe Toaster http://knowingpoe.thinkport.org/library/news/toaster.asp |
One of Baltimore's spookiest traditions occurs every year on
January 19, Poe's birthday, at the cemetery where the famous
author is buried. A mysterious man steps out of the shadows at
the Westminster Church Yard, wearing a black coat and hat, with
a scarf covering his face. He stops at Poe's grave, and leaves a
half-full bottle of cognac and three roses. Then he steals away
into the darkness. It has been like this every year since 1949.
No one knows who he the man is or why he enacts this tribute to
January 19, Poe's birthday, at the cemetery where the famous
author is buried. A mysterious man steps out of the shadows at
the Westminster Church Yard, wearing a black coat and hat, with
a scarf covering his face. He stops at Poe's grave, and leaves a
half-full bottle of cognac and three roses. Then he steals away
into the darkness. It has been like this every year since 1949.
No one knows who he the man is or why he enacts this tribute to
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| Edgar Allan Poe 1848 Daguerreotype |
| Interesting Facts about Poe |
- Poe's house was put on the National Register in 1966, after being saved from
demolition by Richard Gimbel, owner of the famous Gimbel's Department Store which
is of course, "never more."
- It is suspected that because Poe mentions this house fondly in his famous poem
Annabel Lee, that Congress chose this building to be the national memorial to the poet.
- The Baltimore Ravens are named in honor of Poe's famous talking Corvus Corax.
- Poe used a talking raven as a literary device in his 1845 narrative poem "The Raven."
He supposedly got the idea from a talking raven in a book by Charles Dickens.
demolition by Richard Gimbel, owner of the famous Gimbel's Department Store which
is of course, "never more."
- It is suspected that because Poe mentions this house fondly in his famous poem
Annabel Lee, that Congress chose this building to be the national memorial to the poet.
- The Baltimore Ravens are named in honor of Poe's famous talking Corvus Corax.
- Poe used a talking raven as a literary device in his 1845 narrative poem "The Raven."
He supposedly got the idea from a talking raven in a book by Charles Dickens.
| ********** |
| ********** |
| Poe's Grave Baltimore, MD http://upload.wikimedia.org/... |
was calm and lucid, but then lapsed again into a delirious
state, became combative, and required restraint. He died on
his fourth day in the hospital. According to an account
published in the Maryland Historical Magazine in December
1978, the Baltimore Commissioner of Health, Dr. J.F.C.
Handel certified that the cause of Poe's death was
"congestion of the brain."
In his analysis, Dr. Benitez examined all of the possible
causes for delirium, which include trauma, vascular disorders
in the brain, neurological problems such as epilepsy, and
infections. Alcohol withdrawal is also a potential cause of
tremors and delirium, and Poe was known to have abused
state, became combative, and required restraint. He died on
his fourth day in the hospital. According to an account
published in the Maryland Historical Magazine in December
1978, the Baltimore Commissioner of Health, Dr. J.F.C.
Handel certified that the cause of Poe's death was
"congestion of the brain."
In his analysis, Dr. Benitez examined all of the possible
causes for delirium, which include trauma, vascular disorders
in the brain, neurological problems such as epilepsy, and
infections. Alcohol withdrawal is also a potential cause of
tremors and delirium, and Poe was known to have abused
alcohol and opiate drugs. However, the medical records indicate that Poe had abstained
from alcohol for six months before his death, and there was no evidence of alcohol use
when he was admitted.
"In addition, it is unusual for patients suffering from alcohol withdrawal to become
acutely ill, recover for a brief time, and then worsen and die," says Dr. Benitez, who
adds that withdrawal from opiates does not produce the same scenario of symptoms as
Poe's illness.
Dr. Benitez says in the final stages of rabies... Read more...
from alcohol for six months before his death, and there was no evidence of alcohol use
when he was admitted.
"In addition, it is unusual for patients suffering from alcohol withdrawal to become
acutely ill, recover for a brief time, and then worsen and die," says Dr. Benitez, who
adds that withdrawal from opiates does not produce the same scenario of symptoms as
Poe's illness.
Dr. Benitez says in the final stages of rabies... Read more...
Poe year after year. Over time, he has simply become known as "the Poe Toaster," a
reference to the toast (of cognac) that he seems to be offering Poe. The roses he leaves
are believed to be in memory of the three persons buried at the site of the Poe
Monument: Poe, Maria Clemm, and Virginia Poe.
In order to respect Poe's memory and the privacy of the Poe Toaster, no one has tried
to reveal the identity of this mysterious visitor. But that doesn't keep people from trying
to guess. Some think that the original Poe Toaster died, and his sons keep up his
tradition. Others think that the tribute might be part of an initiation ritual for a club or
fraternity of some sort.
Jeff Jerome, curator of the Baltimore Poe House and Museum, seems to be the most
closely acquainted with the Poe Toaster. Read more...
reference to the toast (of cognac) that he seems to be offering Poe. The roses he leaves
are believed to be in memory of the three persons buried at the site of the Poe
Monument: Poe, Maria Clemm, and Virginia Poe.
In order to respect Poe's memory and the privacy of the Poe Toaster, no one has tried
to reveal the identity of this mysterious visitor. But that doesn't keep people from trying
to guess. Some think that the original Poe Toaster died, and his sons keep up his
tradition. Others think that the tribute might be part of an initiation ritual for a club or
fraternity of some sort.
Jeff Jerome, curator of the Baltimore Poe House and Museum, seems to be the most
closely acquainted with the Poe Toaster. Read more...
Academy but was dismissed a year later.
In 1829 his second book Al Aaraaf,
Tamerlane and Minor Poems was
published. The same year Poems (1831)
was published Poe moved to Baltimore to
live with his aunt Maria Clemm, mother of
Virginia Eliza Clemm (1822-1847) who
would become his wife at the age of
thirteen. His brother Henry was also living
in the Clemm household but he died of
tuberculosis soon after Edgar moved in. In
1833, the Baltimore Saturday Visiter
published some of his poems and he won a
In 1829 his second book Al Aaraaf,
Tamerlane and Minor Poems was
published. The same year Poems (1831)
was published Poe moved to Baltimore to
live with his aunt Maria Clemm, mother of
Virginia Eliza Clemm (1822-1847) who
would become his wife at the age of
thirteen. His brother Henry was also living
in the Clemm household but he died of
tuberculosis soon after Edgar moved in. In
1833, the Baltimore Saturday Visiter
published some of his poems and he won a
| Marker at Poe's Birthplace |
consider to be the first detective story The Murders in
the Rue Morgue (1841), and his most well-known poem
The Raven (1845).
One evening in January 1842, Virginia showed the first
signs of consumption, now known as tuberculosis,
while singing and playing the piano. Poe described it as
breaking a blood vessel in her throat. She only partially
recovered. Poe began to drink more heavily under the
stress of Virginia's illness. Now living in their last place
of residence, a cottage in the Fordham section of the
Bronx in New York City, Virginia died in 1847. Poe
turned to alcohol more frequently and was purportedly
displaying increasingly erratic behavior. A year later he
became engaged to his teenage sweetheart from
the Rue Morgue (1841), and his most well-known poem
The Raven (1845).
One evening in January 1842, Virginia showed the first
signs of consumption, now known as tuberculosis,
while singing and playing the piano. Poe described it as
breaking a blood vessel in her throat. She only partially
recovered. Poe began to drink more heavily under the
stress of Virginia's illness. Now living in their last place
of residence, a cottage in the Fordham section of the
Bronx in New York City, Virginia died in 1847. Poe
turned to alcohol more frequently and was purportedly
displaying increasingly erratic behavior. A year later he
became engaged to his teenage sweetheart from
| Poe's House in Baltimore |
| Quoth the Raven, Nevermore Original Burial Place of Edgar Allan Poe From October 9, 1849 Until November 17, 1875 Mrs. Marian Clemm, His Mother-In-Law Lies Upon His Right And Virginia Poe His Wife, Upon His Left. Under The Monument Erected To Him In This Cemetery |