What I Know about Poe
The Baltimore Sun is publishing a tribute to Edgar Allan Poe in their upcoming weekend edition. Our class has been asked to create obituaries that give a brief history of Poe’s life in relationship to his literature, his life, his loves, and the reason for his death. (The true cause of his death remains a mystery even today!) Follow the directions below, answering the questions about the important events and milestones in Poe’s life.
Answer the following questions about Edgar Allan Poe.
1. Poe did not have a happy life. What happened to his mother and father?
2. Who did Edgar Allan Poe go to live with?
3. Edgar Allan Poe was a good student and very grateful for his foster father. However, Poe and John Allan had a fight. What was the fight over and what happened to Poe?
4. Who did Poe live with in Baltimore?
5. Who did Poe marry? How old was she? How old was he? What was strange about their union?
6. Poe turned to writing to make money. This was the turning point in his writing career. What story won him a prize in 1833, and how much money did he win?
7. Poe is known as the father of what? He is the inventor of what?
8. Edgar Allan Poe lived in Philadelphia for a few years. Where is his house located? If you were to visit the house what would you find inside?
9. The events surrounding Poe’s death are a mystery. Describe the following regarding his death: (Use the links at the bottom of the questions.)
Where was he found?
What condition was he in when they found him?
What was odd about the clothes he was wearing?
What name did Poe call out? Did anyone find this person?
What were Poe’s final words before he died?
Nobody knows for sure how he died but there are several guesses. What are some suggestions about what he died from?