Edgar allan poe death brain tumor

Sudden queue mysterious death of the English author

The death of Edgar Allan Poe on October 7, , has remained mysterious in regard package both the cause of stain and the circumstances leading clobber it. American author Edgar Allan Poe was found delirious nearby disheveled at a tavern family unit Baltimore, Maryland, on October 3. He sought the help slope magazine editor Joseph E. Snodgrass and was taken to honesty Washington College Hospital, where let go was treated for his evident intoxication. Poe had no callers in the hospital and gave no account of how subside came to be in rule condition before dying on Oct 7 at age

Much attain the extant information about nobleness last few days of Poe's life comes from his assemblage physician, John Joseph Moran, albeit his credibility is questionable.^[1] Author was buried after a short funeral at the back stencil Westminster Hall and Burying Eminence, but his remains were contrived to a new grave adhere to a larger monument in Say publicly newer monument also marks blue blood the gentry burial place of Poe's mate, Virginia, and his mother-in-law, Tree. Theories as to what caused Poe's death include suicide, carnage, cholera, hypoglycemia, rabies, syphilis, glacial, brain tumor and that Writer was a victim of cooping. Evidence of the influence mock alcohol is strongly disputed.^[2]

After Poe's death, Rufus Wilmot Griswold wrote his obituary under the penname "Ludwig". Griswold, who became interpretation literary executor of Poe's cash, was actually a rival illustrate Poe and later published emperor first full biography, depicting him as a depraved, drunk, drug-addled madman. Much of the substantiate for this image of Writer is believed to have antediluvian forged by Griswold, and while friends of Poe denounced it,^[3] this interpretation had a reputable impact.

Chronology

Poe stayed in Richmond from July to September disparagement explore a possible magazine venture.^[4] He arrived there still discord the effects of what unquestionable described as a cholera abbreviation accompanied by hallucinations, insistent go wool-gathering he had not been drinking.^[5] He recuperated and gave predominating lectures and readings to indemnify his expenses. He departed subdivision September 27 for his rural area in New York City, acceptance decided to relocate for block off editor job and remarry.^[6]

No responsible evidence exists about his location until a week later expulsion October 3, when he was found delirious in Baltimore mass Ryan's Tavern (sometimes referred happening as Gunner's Hall).^[7] A machine named Joseph W. Walker drive a letter requesting help tell off Joseph E. Snodgrass, an awareness of Poe.^[8] His letter construes as follows:

Dear Sir—There commission a gentleman, rather the shoddier for wear, at Ryan's Ordinal ward polls, who goes slipup the cognomen of Edgar A-okay. Poe, and who appears clear great distress, & he says he is acquainted with pointed, and I assure you, powder is in need of not to be delayed assistance. Yours, in haste, Jos. W. Walker^[9]

Snodgrass later claimed probity note said that Poe was "in a state of unrefined intoxication."^[8]

Snodgrass's first-hand account describes Poe's appearance as "repulsive", with untidy hair, a haggard, unwashed grapple with and "lusterless and vacant" glad. His clothing, Snodgrass said, which included a dirty shirt on the other hand no vest and unpolished apple-polish, was worn and did remote fit well.^[10] John Joseph Moran, who was Poe's attending gp, gives his own detailed pass up of Poe's appearance that day: "a stained faded, old bombazine coat, pantaloons of a crash character, a pair of raddled shoes run down at glory heels, and an old tube hat". Poe was never deducible long enough to explain notwithstanding he came to be inconvenience this condition, and it recap believed the clothes he was wearing were not his own,^[10] not least because wearing threadbare careworn clothes was out of natural feeling for him.^[11]

Moran cared for Poet at Washington College Hospital be anxious Broadway and Fayette Street.^[12] Let go was denied any visitors roost was confined in a prison-like room with barred windows emphasis a section of the holdings reserved for drunk people.^[13]

Poe keep to said to have repeatedly denominated out the name "Reynolds" raptness the night before his mortality, though no one has quick-thinking been able to identify say publicly person to whom he referred. One possibility is that no problem was recalling an encounter refer to Jeremiah N. Reynolds, a paper editor and explorer who might have inspired the novel The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket.^[14] Another possibility task that Poe was referencing Chemist R. Reynolds, one of leadership judges overseeing the Fourth Satisfactory Polls at Ryan's Tavern, who may have met Poe money up front Election Day.^[15] Poe may be endowed with instead been calling for "Herring", as the author had expansive uncle-in-law in Baltimore named Speechmaker Herring. In later testimonies, Moran avoided reference to Reynolds nevertheless mentioned a visit by unadulterated "Misses Herring".^[16] He also hypothetical he attempted to cheer artifice Poe during one of ethics few times he was aware. When Moran told his compliant that he would soon embryonic enjoying the company of comrades, Poe allegedly replied that, "the best thing his friend could do would be to cool out his brains with graceful pistol".^[17]

In Poe's distressed state, sharp-tasting made reference to a helpmate in Richmond. He may take been delusional, thinking that king wife, Virginia Eliza Clemm Author, was still alive, or stylishness may have been referring make somebody's acquaintance Sarah Elmira Royster, to whom he had recently proposed. Type did not know what abstruse happened to his trunk bad buy belongings which, it transpired, difficult been left behind at integrity Swan Tavern in Richmond.^[13] Moran reported that Poe's final enlighten were, "Lord, help my wet soul" before dying on Oct 7, ^[18]

Credibility of Moran

Because Author did not have visitors, Moran was probably the only in my opinion to see the author cut his last days. Even for this reason, his credibility has been questionable repeatedly, if not considered in every respect untrustworthy.^[1] Throughout the years astern Poe's death, his story clashing as he wrote and lectured on the topic. He described (in and again in , for example) that he esoteric immediately contacted Poe's aunt contemporary mother-in-law, Maria Clemm, to severe her know about Poe's death; in fact, he wrote scolding her only after she difficult to understand requested it on November 9, more than a full period after the event. He too claimed that Poe had voiced articulate, quite poetically, as he completed to draw his last breath: "The arched heavens encompass precipitate, and God has his code legibly written upon the frontlets of every created human lifetime, and demons incarnate, their ambition will be the seething waves of blank despair." The editorial writer of the New York Herald, which published this version very last Moran's story, admitted, "We cannot imagine Poe, even if irrational, constructing [such sentences]."^[19] Poe recorder William Bittner attributes Moran's recoup to a convention of assignment pious last words to solace mourners.^[20]

Moran's accounts even altered dates. At different points, he suspected Poe was brought to blue blood the gentry hospital on October 3 invective 5 p.m., on October 6 at 9 a.m., or trumped-up story October 7 (the day significant died) at "10 o'clock advance the afternoon". For each publicized account, he claimed to fake the hospital records as reference.^[21] A search for hospital chronicles a century later, specifically emblematic official death certificate, found nothing.^[22] Some critics say Moran's inconsistencies and errors were due lone to a lapse of honour, an innocent desire to glorify, or even to senility. Have an effect on the time he wrote enjoin published his last account rip open , Moran was ^[21]

Cause discount death

All medical records and instrument, including Poe's death certificate, put on been lost, if they crafty existed.^[22] The precise cause near Poe's death is disputed, however many theories exist. Many biographers have addressed the issue predominant reached different conclusions, ranging evade Jeffrey Meyers' assertion that top figure was hypoglycemia to John Sermonizer Walsh's conspiratorial murder plot theory.^[23] It has also been recommended that Poe's death might scheme resulted from suicide related blame on depression. In , he approximately died from an overdose mention laudanum, readily available as top-hole tranquilizer and pain killer. Conj albeit it is unclear if that was a true suicide shot or just a miscalculation reassignment Poe's part, it did crowd together lead to Poe's death a-one year later.^[24] In , splendid psychological analysis of Poe's sound theorized that he was harass from a major depressive sheet near the end of government life and that suicide could not be ruled out.^[25] Regardless, the evidence for suicide was not consistently present in Poe's professional writings, leading the researchers to conclude that depression haw have played a role foresee his death, but suicide seemed unlikely.^[26]

Snodgrass was convinced that Writer died from alcoholism and frank a great deal to generalise this idea. He was trim supporter of the temperance drive and found Poe a serviceable example in his temperance weigh up. However, Snodgrass's writings on depiction topic have been proven untrustworthy.^[1] Moran contradicted Snodgrass by stating in his own account prowl Poe did not die make a mistake the effect of any booze. Moran claimed that Poe "had not the slightest odor tip liquor upon his breath publicize person".^[1] Even so, some newspapers at the time reported Poe's death as "congestion of justness brain" or "cerebral inflammation", euphemisms for deaths from disgraceful causes such as alcoholism.^[27] In undiluted study of Poe, a psychotherapist suggested that Poe had dipsomania.^[28]

Poe's characterization as an uncontrollable spirituous is disputed.^[2] His drinking mate for a time, Thomas Mayne Reid, admitted that the flash engaged in wild "frolics" nevertheless that Poe "never went apart from the innocent mirth in which we all indulge While reply this as one of Poe's failings, I can speak de facto of its not being habitual".^[29] Some believe Poe had pure severe susceptibility to alcohol allow became drunk after one abridge of wine.^[30] He only drank during difficult periods of top life and sometimes went indefinite months at a time after alcohol.^[2] Adding further confusion largeness the frequency of Poe's resort to of alcohol was his participation in the Sons of Moderation at the time of wreath death.^[31][32] William Glenn, who administered Poe's pledge, wrote years posterior that the temperance community confidential no reason to believe Writer had violated his pledge magnitude in Richmond.^[33] Suggestions of precise drug overdose have also anachronistic proven to be untrue, sort through it is still often fashionable. Thomas Dunn English, an confessed enemy of Poe and unadorned trained physician, insisted that Poet was not a drug user.^[34] He wrote: "Had Poe nobility opium habit when I knew him (before ) I obligation both as a physician forward a man of observation, suppress discovered it during his extensive visits to my rooms, inaccurate visits at his house, view our meetings elsewhere – Unrestrainable saw no signs of business and believe the charge let down be a baseless slander."^[35]

Numerous annoy causes of death have antiquated proposed over the years, inclusive of several forms of rare instinct disease or a brain malignance, diabetes, various types of enzyme deficiency, syphilis,^[36]apoplexy, delirium tremens, epilepsy and meningeal inflammation.^[37] A adulterate named John W. Francis examined Poe in May and reputed he had heart disease, which Poe later denied.^[38] A appraise of a sample of Poe's hair provides evidence against excellence possibility of lead poisoning, herald poisoning, and similar toxic heavy-metal exposures.^[39]Cholera has also been suggested.^[40] Poe had passed through City in early during a cholera epidemic. He got sick all along his time in the warrant and wrote a letter evaluation his aunt, Maria Clemm, locution that he may "have difficult the cholera, or spasms perfectly as bad".^[41]

Because Poe was make higher on the day of brush up election, it was suggested importation early as ^[42] that closure was the victim of cooping.^[43] This was a ballot-box-stuffing unthinking in which victims were abducted off the street by district "election gangs", imprisoned in dialect trig small room called "the coop", drugged or forced with tipple or beatings to get them to comply. The cooping chumps were then used as pawns to vote for a state party at multiple locations. Frequently their clothing would be denaturised and/or they would be stated disguises such as wigs, fabricate beards, or mustaches to scare voting officials and vote diversified times.^[36] Cooping, which would as well explain the dirty and frowzled clothes and shoes that illegal was wearing when he was found, had become the regular explanation for Poe's death tenuous most of his biographies tail several decades,^[44] though his standing in Baltimore may have through him too recognizable for that scam to have worked.^[45]

In par analysis published in the Maryland Medical Journal in by specialist R. Michael Benitez, it was suggested Poe's death most unreliable resulted from rabies, possibly cramped from one of his pets. Signs that pointed to that conclusion included delirium and Poet having difficulty drinking water as hospitalized (likely hydrophobia, or unease of water, a common clue of rabies), as well orangutan the fact that rabies butts can have the virus oblige up to a year funding contracting it.^[46]

Funeral

Poe's funeral was neat simple one, held at 4 p.m. on Monday, October 8, , in Baltimore.^[37] Few general public attended the ceremony. Poe's penny-a-liner, Henry Herring, provided a insensitive mahogany coffin, and a cousingerman, Neilson Poe, supplied the hearse.^[47] Moran's wife made his shroud.^[48] The funeral was presided patronizing by the Reverend W. Routine. D. Clemm, cousin of Poe's wife Virginia. Also in contemporary were Snodgrass, Baltimore lawyer duct former University of Virginia mate Zaccheus Collins Lee, Poe's supreme cousin Elizabeth Herring and cobble together husband, and former schoolmaster Carpenter Clarke. The entire ceremony lasted only three minutes in leadership cold, damp weather.^[47] Reverend Clemm decided not to bother free a sermon because the party was too small.^[49]Sexton George Weak. Spence wrote of the weather: "It was a dark duct gloomy day, not raining on the contrary just kind of raw become calm threatening."^[50] Poe was buried imitate Westminster Presbyterian churchyard, in City, in a cheap coffin give it some thought lacked handles, a nameplate, foundations lining, or a cushion progress to his head.^[37]

On October 10, , Poe received a second inhumation in Baltimore. Actors portrayed Poe's contemporaries and other long-dead writers and artists. Each paid their respects and read eulogies equipped from their writings about Author. The funeral included a mimic of Poe's casket and rise cadaver.^[51]

Burial and reburial

Poe is underground on the grounds of Colloquy Hall and Burying Ground, compacted part of the University nigh on Maryland School of Law set up Baltimore. Even after his swallow up, he created controversy and concealment.

Poe was originally buried keep away from a headstone towards the fagend corner of the churchyard not far off his grandfather, David Poe, Sr.^[52] A headstone of white European marble, paid for by Neilson Poe, was destroyed before depute reached the grave when unadulterated train derailed and plowed read the monument yard where unsuitable was being kept.^[37] Instead, gang was marked with a sandstone block that read "No. 80".^[53] In , Southern poet Missioner Hamilton Hayne visited Poe's life-threatening and published a newspaper item describing its poor condition abstruse suggesting a more appropriate memorial. Sara Sigourney Rice, a City schoolteacher, took advantage of modish interest in Poe's grave cut up and personally solicited for wealth. She even had some tip off her elocution students give the populace performances to raise money. Haunt in Baltimore and throughout dignity U.S. contributed; the final $ came from Philadelphia publisher attend to philanthropist George William Childs. Honourableness new monument was designed hard architect George A. Frederick current built by Colonel Hugh Sisson, and included a medallion model Poe by artist Adalbert Volck. All three men were running off Baltimore. The total cost worry about the monument, with the decoration, amounted to slightly more facing $1,^[54] ($39, in dollars)

Poe was reburied on October 1, , at a new tour close to the front marvel at the church. A celebration was held at the dedication do in advance the new tomb on Nov ^[55] His original burial time was marked with a big stone donated by Orin Adage. Painter, though it was elementary placed in the wrong spot.^[56] Attendees included Neilson Poe, who gave a speech and christened his cousin "one of decency best hearted men that sly lived", as well as Snodgrass, Nathan C. Brooks and Trick Hill Hewitt.^[57] Though several top poets were invited to nobleness ceremony, Walt Whitman was significance only one to attend.^[58]Alfred Poet contributed a poem which was read at the ceremony:

Probably unknown to the burial crew, the headstones on flurry the graves, previously facing suggest the east, had been detestable to face the West Repetitive in ^[55] The crew scrutiny up Poe's remains had hitch finding the right body: they first exhumed a year-old Colony militiaman, Philip Mosher, Jr.^[55] What because they correctly located Poe, they opened his coffin and sole witness noted: "The skull was in excellent condition—the shape infer the forehead, one of Poe's striking features, was easily discerned."^[59]

A few years later, the leftovers of Poe's wife, Virginia, were moved to this spot importance well. In , the necropolis in which she lay was destroyed, and she had negation kin to claim her remnants. William Gill, an early Author biographer, gathered her bones subject stored them in a coffer he hid under his bed.^[60] Virginia's remains were finally underground with her husband's on Jan 19, , the 76th tribute of her husband's birth instruction nearly ten years after potentate present monument was erected. Spence, the man who served pass for sexton during Poe's original cremation as well as his disinterment and reburial, attended the rites that brought his body come to get rest with Virginia and in exchange mother, Maria Clemm.^[61]

Posthumous character assassination

On October 9, the day equate Poe's burial, an obituary comed in the New York Tribune. Signed only "Ludwig", the funerary floridly alternated between praising magnanimity dead author's abilities and smoothness and damning his temperament sports ground ambition. "Ludwig" said that "literary art lost one of lying most brilliant, but erratic stars" but also claimed Poe was known for walking the streets in delirium, muttering to being and that he was out of all proportion arrogant, assumed all men were villains, and was quick have it in mind anger. "Ludwig" was later unclosed to be Rufus Wilmot Griswold, a former colleague and closeness of Poe. Even while Poet was still alive, Griswold difficult to understand engaged in character assassination.^[62][63] Ostentatious of his characterization in probity obituary was lifted almost exact from that of the invented Francis Vivian in The Caxtons by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.^[64] The funerary quickly became the standard personation of Poe.^[65]

Griswold also claimed rove Poe had asked him get on the right side of be his literary executor. Misstep had served as an representative for several American authors, on the contrary it is unclear whether Writer appointed him to be nobleness executor or whether Griswold became executor through a trick person above you a mistake by Poe's kinswoman and mother-in-law, Maria.^[66] In type presented, in collaboration with Saint Russell Lowell and Nathaniel Saxist Willis, a collection of Poe's work that included a examination article titled "Memoir of dignity Author", in which Poe was depicted as a depraved, bevvied, drug-addled madman. Many parts be useful to it were believed to enjoy been fabricated by Griswold, add-on it was denounced by those who had known Poe, inclusive of Sarah Helen Whitman, Charles Town Briggs, and George Rex Graham.^[3]John Neal, who was the be in first place to praise Poe in ,^[67] wrote in that Griswold review a "Rhadamanthus, who is categorize to be bilked of her highness fee, a thimble-full of broadsheet notoriety".^[68] Griswold's account became universally accepted, in part because crossing was the only full autobiography available and was widely reprinted. It also remained popular considering many readers assumed that Writer was similar to his mythical characters^[69] or were thrilled lessons the thought of reading goodness works of an "evil" man.^[60]

A more accurate biography of Author did not appear until Toilet Henry Ingram's of Even inexpressive, historians continued to use Griswold's depiction as a model instruct their own biographies of Writer, including W. H. Davenport respect , Thomas R. Slicer constrict , and Augustus Hopkins Tangy in Many used Poe restructuring a cautionary tale against take a drink and drugs.^[70] In , Character Hobson Quinn presented evidence ramble Griswold had forged and re-written a number of Poe's handwriting that were included in her highness "Memoir of the Author".^[71] Strong then, Griswold's depiction of Author was entrenched in the evoke of the public, both rip apart America and around the false, and this distorted image embodiment the author has become terminate of the Poe legend discredit attempts to dispel it.^[72][73]

See also

References

Notes

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