Страница 7 из 8
Poe was never reunited with his siblings as a family. Sadly, things weren’t easy for Rosalie and Henry, as if fortune turned back on them. For many years, Henry sailed around the world. On returning to Baltimore, he started writing short stories and poems. One of his works called “The Pirate” described the first relationship between Edgar Poe and his adolescent sweetheart Sarah Elmira Royster. Unfortunately, Henry died very young, when he was just twenty-four years old. Interestingly, his sister’s life was also covered in mystery and misfortunes. Even her exact date of birth was unknown. There was speculation that Rosalie was not the true child of either David or Eliza Poe, and that her real father was supposedly the prominent actor John Howard Payne. Even Edgar Poe added fuel to the fire when he once said that Rosalie was actually his older sister. Rumors persist that when Rosalie was still a child, a wealthy resident of Richmond left her an enormous fortune. She was the sole heiress in his will, which gave rise to many curious speculations, rumors, and legends. As for her foster family, no one knows exactly whether she was treated like a family member or merely a ward. Unfortunately, Rosalie’s adult life was also a failure. She was said to walk the streets trying to sell postcards of her famous brother. As I see it, she was devastated and scared. Being unemployed, it was the only possible way to earn her living. She had no one to rely on and was left alone to survive in this world. Eventually, she lost heart. Rosalie spent her last days in a charity home.
Let’s go back to the childhood of Edgar Poe. Taking pity on the baby, John and Frances Allan became his foster family, but they never adopted him officially. Poe seemed to have a strong bond with his foster mother, but he couldn’t find a common language with his foster father. In fact, John Allan was a wealthy merchant and wanted Edgar to follow in his footsteps. He didn’t approve of his passion for literature. Edgar, in turn, had no interest in taking up the family business. It’s not surprising that they didn’t get along well with each other. Though it’s commonly believed that opposites attract, in reality, the reverse is true. As I see it, Edgar Poe lived for his ideas and, like most writers, needed inspiration and privacy. Poe was a dreamer who lived in his little world, while his foster father was more down-to-earth and focused on material goods. Money had always been a touchy subject for John Allan, and he often accused Edgar of being ungrateful. No matter how complicated the relationship between Edgar and his foster father was, he got education at expensive boarding schools. Frances Allan was the complete opposite of her husband. She always gave Edgar care and attention and even encouraged his desire to become a poet.
In his teens, Poe fell in love with his neighbor Sarah Elmira Royster. They were secretly engaged to get married soon. Unfortunately, their plans were not destined to come true. At the time, they were too young: Sarah was fifteen and Edgar was sixteen. Besides, Sarah’s father was against their relationship and disapproved of his daughter’s choice. Later, Mr. Royster would confess that his disapproval was only because of their young age. Personally, I believe that Edgar was seen as an unsuitable match for his daughter because he was an orphan. So, when Poe went to the University of Virginia, he sent love letters to his sweetheart but got no answer. As it turned out later, Mr. Royster intercepted and destroyed his letters, and Sarah thought that Edgar had forgotten her. Heartbroken, she married Alexander Shelton, a merchant from a well-to-do family. Nobody knows how the life of Edgar and Sarah would have turned out if Mr. Royster hadn’t interfered with their relationship. However, it’s definitely clear that those events changed the course of Poe’s life forever. What may come as a surprise is that fate brought them together anyway, but that was many years later.
In 1827, after a year of studying at the University of Virginia, Poe dropped out. It is said that money was not enough for Edgar to pay for classes, textbooks, and a room. Mr. Allan gave him about a third of what he needed for his studies. It could have been one of the reasons why he started gambling and got into debt. The second most probable reason could have been longing for his lost love. Anyway, Edgar abandoned his studies and decided not to return to Richmond. You might have guessed why. His fiancée married another man, and that was a terrible blow for him. He headed back to his birthplace city Boston. I wonder why our hearts leap when we return to the place where we were born or grew up. As I see it, Edgar returned to his hearth and home to reflect on his family and to find spiritual harmony. Besides, he seemingly decided to burn his bridges with his foster father. Having started his life afresh, Edgar worked at any job that would allow him some income. Yet, money was tight, and things went wrong at work. When he realized that he had no means of livelihood, Poe enlisted in the army, hiding his real name and age. It was 1827, and he was just eighteen. While serving in the army, Edgar Allan Poe devoted his time to writing. His first literary work, a short collection of poems called Tamerlane and Other Poems, was published anonymously (the author was listed as “A Bostonian”). Today, it’s believed that only twelve of approximately fifty copies of the collection still exist. Unfortunately, this work wasn’t an immediate success.
He served for two years and even became a sergeant major of artillery. However, like a caged bird who dreams of flying in the sky, the legendary writer was also dreaming of freedom. He didn’t want to serve in the army anymore. When he revealed his true age and name, his commanding officer agreed to release him on one condition: Poe was to get in touch with his foster father, but it was not that easy. Shortly after, it turned out that Frances Allan was seriously ill, and Edgar was unable even to see her on her last journey. Her passing away was a big loss for both Edgar and Mr. Allan. The writer felt he had to work things out with his foster father. They were able to reconcile but not for long. They would have frequent fights and disputes. At the end of his life path, John Allan didn’t even mention Edgar in his will.
In 1829, Edgar Poe entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point but soon realized that it wasn’t for him. What do you think happened next? He was expelled from the Academy for disciplinary reasons. As I see it, it was a way to rebel against his foster father, teachers, or society. He was trying to find himself, the purpose of life, and his true calling by breaking rules. That same year, Edgar Poe headed to New York, where he pla
His personal life was also clouded in mystery. The genius writer married his cousin Virginia Clemm, who was many years younger than him, but the nature of their relationship was controversial. Some biographers speculate that Poe treated his wife like a sister, and his mother-in-law, Maria Clemm, like a mother. One thing is for sure: the iconic writer finally found a family. Virginia admired her husband. She filled his life with joy and meaning. She would often follow him on walks or sing songs for him sitting by the fireplace. The legendary writer taught her French and encouraged her to take singing and piano lessons. Poe’s friends mentioned that he flourished after getting married. The family was poor but happy, indeed.