Captioning provided by the
U.S. Department of Education and A&E Television Networks. (male narrator)
FOR GENERATIONS,
THE NIGHTMARES OF MILLIONS HAVE BEEN FUELED BY THE DEMONS
OF ONE MAN. [dramatic music] ♪ ♪ (as Poe)
"FROM CHILDHOOD'S HOUR,
I HAVE NOT BEEN AS OTHERS WERE. "I HAVE NOT SEEN AS OTHERS SAW. "I COULD NOT BRING MY PASSIONS
FROM A COMMON SPRING. "AND ALL I LOVED,
I LOVED ALONE. "THEN, IN MY CHILDHOOD, IN THE
DAWN OF A MOST STORMY LIFE, "WAS DRAWN FROM EVERY DEPTH
OF GOOD AND ILL THE MYSTERY
WHICH BINDS ME STILL." (narrator)
FROM HIS YOUNGEST DAYS, EDGAR POE SAW WOMEN
AS ANGELIC FIGURES. HIS EARLIEST MEMORIES WERE
OF HIS ACTRESS MOTHER, ELIZA, CHARMING AUDIENCES. (woman)
"SHE NEVER CAME ONSTAGE, "BUT A MURMUR
RAN THROUGH THE HOUSE. "WHAT AN ENCHANTING CREATURE. "HEAVENS, WHAT A FORM. "WHAT AN ANIMATED
AND EXPRESSIVE COUNTENANCE. NEVER WAS ANYTHING
HALF SO SWEET." <i> --NORFOLK HERALD,</i> 1811. (narrator)
POE'S FATHER, DAVID POE, JR., ABANDONED HIS FAMILY
WHEN EDGAR WAS ONLY A YEAR OLD. ELIZA STRUGGLED VALIANTLY TO SUPPORT
HER THREE YOUNG CHILDREN, PERFORMING DOZENS OF ROLES IN THEATERS
FROM BOSTON TO CHARLESTON. AND THEN WHILE TOURING
IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, SHE WAS STRUCK DOWN WITH THE
DREADED SCOURGE OF TUBERCULOSIS. (Furqueron)
EVERYONE IN RICHMOND
KNEW OF HER CAREER, KNEW OF HER SICKNESS AND WERE VERY, VERY SYMPATHETIC. EVEN THOUGH SOCIETY LOOKED DOWN
ON THE PROFESSION OF ACTRESS, SHE WAS VERY WELL THOUGHT OF, AND PEOPLE SYMPATHIZED
A GREAT DEAL WITH HER PLIGHT. (narrator)
DESPERATELY POOR, ELIZA LAY DYING
IN A SQUALID BOARDING HOUSE. AND YOUNG EDGAR
WATCHED HELPLESSLY AS SHE COUGHED UP BLOOD
AND SANK INTO DELIRIUM. (man)
"ON THIS NIGHT, MRS. POE,
LINGERING ON THE BED OF DISEASE "AND SURROUNDED
BY HER CHILDREN, ASKS YOUR ASSISTANCE AND ASKS
IT FOR PERHAPS THE LAST TIME." <i> --RICHMOND ENQUIRER,</i> 1811. (narrator)
WHEN ELIZA DIED ON DECEMBER 8th,
SHE WAS 24 YEARS OLD. EDGAR WAS NOT YET THREE. (Kennedy)
FOR HIS ENTIRE LIFE,
POE CARRIED WITH HIM A SMALL MINIATURE
OF ELIZABETH POE. AND I DOUBT THAT POE HAD
ANY ACTUAL TANGIBLE MEMORY OF HIS MOTHER AT ALL. BUT HE HAD A KIND OF BONE-DEEP
MEMORY OF HER PRESENCE. AND HE CERTAINLY HAD
A BONE-DEEP MEMORY OF THE EXPERIENCE
OF BEING SEPARATED FROM HER, NEVER TO SEE HER AGAIN. (narrator)
ORPHANED BY DESERTION
AND DEATH, THE THREE POE CHILDREN WERE SCATTERED TO DIFFERENT
FOSTER HOMES AROUND RICHMOND. YOUNG EDGAR WAS TAKEN IN
BY THE ALLAN FAMILY. MRS. ALLAN WAS VERY FOND
OF MRS. POE, AND SHE AND JOHN ALLAN
HAD NO CHILDREN. SO YOU CAN ALMOST IMAGINE
MRS. ALLAN PRESSING MR. ALLAN BY SAYING, "OH, LET'S TAKE
THE DEAR CHILD IN." (Karlen)
MR. ALLAN, WHO WAS A TOUGH,
UP-FROM-UNDER, SUCCESSFUL SCOTS MERCHANT,
RAISED YOUNG, UNADOPTED EDGAR ABOUT AS WELL AS A CHILD COULD
BE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES: WITH GOOD SCHOOLING,
A GOOD EDUCATION, FINE MANNERS, A YOUNG SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN
OF HIS TIME. AND AN ENORMOUS GAP EXISTED
BETWEEN THIS PRECOCIOUS, BRILLIANT, POLISHED,
WELL-EDUCATED YOUNG POET AND THIS ROUGH-AND-READY
TOBACCO MERCHANT WHO HAD RAISED HIM. (narrator)
MRS. ALLAN SHOWERED EDGAR
WITH AFFECTION, GUIDING HIM INTO A CONFIDENT
YOUNG ADULTHOOD. (Furqueron)
HE WAS A VERY ATHLETIC
YOUNG MAN. SPORTS
HE WAS VERY INTERESTED IN. OF COURSE, LATER ON IN LIFE, HE WOULD DOWNPLAY ANY SORT
OF A PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, SAYING THAT A BABOON
COULD DO IT JUST AS WELL, BUT WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG MAN,
NATURAL LEADER, AN ATHLETE. (narrator)
WHEN HE WAS 15, POE SWAM SIX MILES AGAINST
THE CURRENT IN THE JAMES RIVER, A FEAT THAT MADE HIM RENOWNED
THROUGHOUT RICHMOND. CHEERFUL, VIGOROUS,
AND BRILLIANT, HIS SENSITIVE NATURE DROVE HIM
TO SEEK KINDRED SOULS. (Karlen)
JANE STANNARD WAS A MOTHER
OF A BOYHOOD FRIEND OF HIS. AND SHE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN
HIS ADOLESCENT FIRST LOVE. SHE DIED OF BRAIN CANCER. SHE DIED
WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 15. AND HE WAS ABSOLUTELY
BROKEN UP. HE ENDED UP CRYING AT THE GRAVE
A LOT. THIS WAS ONE OF SEVERAL TIMES
HE WOULD END UP WEEPING AT THE GRAVE
OF A WOMAN HE LOVED AND WHO DIED AT AN EARLY AGE. (narrator)
STILL GRIEVING
FOR JANE STANNARD, POE LEARNED THAT HIS FOSTER MOTHER
WAS STRICKEN WITH TUBERCULOSIS. HER LONG ILLNESS
WOULD DEEPEN THE RIFT BETWEEN HIM AND JOHN ALLAN. (Gerome)
HIS OWN WIFE WAS DYING
OF TUBERCULOSIS, AND WHILE SHE WAS DYING
OF TUBERCULOSIS, JOHN ALLAN WAS HAVING NUMEROUS
AFFAIRS IN HIS OWN HOUSE. AND MAYBE THIS WAS ACCEPTED
BEHAVIOR FOR THAT TIME PERIOD, BUT POOR YOUNG EDGAR
KNEW OF THIS-- IT SEEMED LIKE EVERYBODY
KNEW ABOUT IT-- AND EDGAR BELIEVED THAT WOMEN SHOULD BE TREATED WITH RESPECT
AND COURTESY. (narrator)
EAGER TO CONDUCT HIS AFFAIRS
IN PEACE, IN 1827, JOHN ALLAN SENT EDGAR OFF
TO THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, THEN IN JUST ITS SECOND YEAR
OF EXISTENCE. (Furqueron)
THE PLACE WAS A WILD SCHOOL. THEY WERE CONTINUALLY HAVING
TO CALL IN THE POLICE. THERE WAS A PROFESSOR
WHO WAS MURDERED THERE. THIS WAS A ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE
PLACE. (narrator)
AT THE UNIVERSITY, POE'S DAZZLING IMAGINATION
CAPTIVATED HIS CLASSMATES. (Kopley)
HE WOULD DRAW ALL OVER THE
WALLS AND CEILING OF HIS ROOM. AND FELLOW STUDENTS WOULD COME AND HE WOULD READ TO THEM
FROM HIS STORIES AND SHOW THEM HIS ARTWORK. AND ACCORDING
TO ONE REMINISCENCE, IT WASN'T CLEAR TO THE STUDENTS
AT THAT TIME WHETHER POE WAS GOING TO BE A
GREAT WRITER OR A GREAT ARTIST. (narrator)
POE SOON FOUND HIMSELF
IN DESPERATE FINANCIAL STRAITS. (Karlen)
WHAT JOHN ALLAN DID WAS, HE GAVE POE JUST ENOUGH MONEY
TO GET THERE. HE GAVE HIM NO MONEY FOR FOOD,
NO MONEY FOR CLOTHING, NO MONEY FOR THE BASIC
NECESSITIES THAT A YOUNG MAN NEEDED. (narrator)
DESTITUTE, POE TRIED
TO MAKE MONEY GAMBLING AND SOON FOUND HIMSELF
$2,000 IN DEBT. HE PLEADED FOR HELP
FROM HIS WEALTHY FOSTER FATHER, BUT ALLAN,
ALREADY EAGER TO DISOWN HIM, REFUSED TO COVER THE DEBTS. THE PROUD YOUNG POET WAS REDUCED TO SMASHING THE FURNITURE
IN HIS ROOM AND BURNING IT TO KEEP WARM. (Karlen)
HE LEFT THE
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA WITH DEBTORS PURSUING HIM. AND DEBTOR'S PRISONS DID EXIST
IN THOSE DAYS. AND ALLAN DID NOT RESCUE HIM. HE RAN AWAY AND JOINED THE ARMY
UNDER AN ASSUMED NAME, BECAUSE HE WAS AFRAID HE'D END UP
IN A COLD STONE CELL SOMEWHERE OVER THE DEBTS
THAT JOHN ALLAN WOULDN'T COVER. (as Poe)
"RICHMOND AND THE UNITED STATES
WERE TOO NARROW A SPHERE, "AND THE WORLD SHALL BE
MY THEATER. "IF YOU DETERMINE
TO ABANDON ME, "HERE I TAKE MY FAREWELL. "NEGLECTED, I WILL BE
DOUBLY AMBITIOUS, "AND THE WORLD SHALL HEAR
OF THE SON WHOM YOU HAVE THOUGHT
UNWORTHY OF YOUR NOTICE." --LETTER TO JOHN ALLAN, 1828. (Karlen)
THAT WAS THE END
OF ANY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HIM AND JOHN ALLAN. AFTER THAT, HE WAS ON HIS OWN. HE WAS YOUNG. HE WAS A GENIUS. HE WAS BROKE. AND HE WAS OUT THERE
ON HIS OWN. (narrator)
POE FLED TO BOSTON, THE HOMETOWN
OF HIS NATURAL PARENTS, AND ENLISTED IN THE ARMY UNDER
THE NAME OF EDGAR A. PERRY. HE EXCELLED AS A SOLDIER, RISING SWIFTLY
TO THE HIGHEST ENLISTED RANK AND LATER BRIEFLY ATTENDING
WEST POINT. BUT MILITARY LIFE
WAS MERELY A WAY STATION ON THE PATH
TO HIS MOST TREASURED GOAL. (as Poe)
"I AM YOUNG, NOT YET 20. "I AM A POET, IF DEEP WORSHIP
OF ALL BEAUTY CAN MAKE ME ONE. "I WOULD GIVE THE WORLD
TO EMBODY ONE-HALF THE IDEAS AFLOAT
IN MY IMAGINATION." --LETTER TO JOHN NEIL, 1828. (narrator)
BY AGE 20, HE HAD USED
HIS OWN MEAGER FUNDS TO PUBLISH TWO BOOKS OF POETRY. UNFORTUNATELY, LIFE KEPT PROVIDING INSPIRATION
FOR HIS WORK. EARLY IN 1829, FRANCES ALLAN SUCCUMBED TO THE RAVAGES
OF TUBERCULOSIS. (Karlen)
HER DEATH AFFECTED HIM TERRIBLY. IT WAS THE THIRD OLDER WOMAN
WHOM HE HAD LOVED-- IT'S EVEN SAFE TO SAY
WORSHIPED--WHO DIED, AND THE SECOND ONE TO DIE
OF TUBERCULOSIS. AND OF COURSE, THE GREAT IRONY
WAS THAT THIS WAS NOT THE LAST TIME IT
WAS GOING TO HAPPEN IN HIS LIFE. (narrator)
ORPHANED BY TWO MOTHERS,
REJECTED BY TWO FATHERS, POE SEARCHED MIGHTILY
FOR A SAFE HAVEN. IN 1831, HE MOVED
INTO THE BALTIMORE HOUSE OF HIS AUNT, MARIA CLEMM, AND HER EIGHT-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER,
VIRGINIA. HERE FINALLY WAS THE LOVING
AND SUPPORTIVE HOME HE HAD SO LONG BEEN DENIED. (Clemens)
THE CONCEPT OF FAMILY WAS
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO POE. HALF HIS LIFE WAS SPENT
SEARCHING FOR THAT IDEAL FAMILY, WHICH I THINK HE FOUND IN HIS LIFE WITH VIRGINIA
AND HER MOTHER, MARIA CLEMM. (narrator)
SUPPORTING HIMSELF AS A WRITER
HAD BEEN ALL BUT IMPOSSIBLE, AND NOW POE WAS BURDENED WITH
PROVIDING FOR HIS NEW FAMILY. (Gerome)
THERE WERE NO COPYRIGHT LAWS
TO SPEAK OF. AND IF YOU WERE DESPERATE
AND YOU WERE STARVING AND THE PUBLISHERS KNEW THIS,
THEY WOULD SET THE TERMS. HE HAD A HARD TIME SELLING<i>
THE TELL-TALE HEART,</i> BECAUSE PUBLISHERS
THOUGHT IT WAS TOO LOUD. THEY WANTED MORE QUIET STORIES. SO HE WAS AT THE MERCY
OF THE PUBLISHERS. (narrator)
AMID HIS STRUGGLES
TO SURVIVE AS A WRITER, IN 1834, POE WAS SUMMONED
TO THE DEATHBED OF JOHN ALLAN. (Kopley)
WHEN HE WENT
INTO JOHN ALLAN'S ROOM, JOHN ALLAN TOOK UP A CUDGEL
AND WAVED IT AND THREATENED, FROM HIS DEATHBED,
THE FOSTER SON WHOM HE CONSIDERED
SO UNGRATEFUL. (Gerome)
JOHN ALLAN LEFT POE
OUT OF HIS WILL. HE LEFT A LOT OF MONEY
TO ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN, BUT ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO POE. (narrator)
DETERMINED TO PURSUE
HIS LITERARY IDEALS, POE WOULD SPEND
THE REST OF HIS DAYS BATTLING POVERTY
AND OFTEN LOSING. IN 1835, HE TEMPORARILY LEFT
THE CLEMM HOME TO ASSUME THE POSITION
OF EDITOR AT THE NEWLY CREATED<i>
SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.</i> (Karlen)
HE WAS A MARVELOUS SUCCESS
AS AN EDITOR AS WELL AS A WRITER. UNFORTUNATELY,
HE WAS HEADSTRONG. HE WAS SOMETIMES ARROGANT,
AND ALMOST ALWAYS ENDED UP IN CONFLICT WITH HIS BOSSES. (Gerome)
WHEN HE CRITICIZED SOMEONE,
HE WAS RUTHLESS. HE WAS BRUTAL. HE HAD THE NICKNAME
OF THE "TOMAHAWK MAN" OR THE "COMANCHE OF LITERATURE" BECAUSE OF HIS BRUTAL,
SLASHING REVIEWS. (as Poe)
"THIS BOOK
IS A PUBLIC IMPOSITION. "IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRINTED
AMONG THE QUACK ADVERTISEMENTS IN A SPARE CORNER
OF THE NEWSPAPER." --BOOK REVIEW, 1836. (Kennedy)
HE WAS ALWAYS ONE
TO GET INTO LITERARY SKIRMISHES. HE HAD STARTED THAT PATTERN
EARLY BY ACCUSING HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW
OF BEING A PLAGIARIST. THAT MADE ALMOST EVERYBODY
IN AMERICA MAD AT HIM. HE WAS A VERY COMBATIVE
PERSONALITY, AND I'VE ALWAYS FELT
THAT POE'S OWN BATTLES IN THE LITERARY WORLD WERE ROOTED IN THAT EARLY
ANTAGONISTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH JOHN ALLAN AND HIS NEED
TO PROVE HIMSELF AND HIS NEED TO EXACT
SOME KIND OF REVENGE. (narrator)
SHORTLY AFTER MOVING
TO RICHMOND, POE FACED A DEVASTATING CRISIS. MARIA CLEMM WROTE HIM OF PLANS
TO HAVE HIS COUSIN VIRGINIA, THEN 12 YEARS OLD,
LIVE WITH ANOTHER RELATIVE. (Karlen)
AT THIS POINT, POE HAD HIS FIRST
TERRIBLE DRINKING EPISODE. HE CRASHED
INTO A HORRID DEPRESSION. HE WENT ON A DRINKING BINGE,
DAMN NEAR LOST HIS JOB, AND HE REALIZED
HE COULD NOT LOSE VIRGINIA. HE WAS IN LOVE WITH HER. (Clemens)
HE WROTE A HYSTERICAL LETTER
TO MUDDY, PLEADING WITH HER
NOT TO LET HER DO THIS, PLEADING WITH VIRGINIA
NOT TO DO THIS. IT'S A VERY EMOTIONAL LETTER, ALMOST PARANOID
IN ITS INTENSITY. (as Poe)
"I AM BLINDED WITH TEARS
WHILE WRITING THIS LETTER. "MY LAST, MY LAST, MY ONLY HOLD
ON LIFE IS CRUELLY TORN AWAY. "I HAVE NO DESIRE TO LIVE
AND WILL NOT. "I LOVE-- YOU KNOW I LOVE VIRGINIA
PASSIONATELY, DEVOTEDLY." --LETTER TO MARIA CLEMM, 1835. (narrator)
IN THAT LETTER, POE APPENDED A REVEALING
POSTSCRIPT TO VIRGINIA, IN WHICH HE ASSIGNED HER
A VARIETY OF FEMALE ROLES. (as Poe)
"MY LOVE, MY OWN SWEETEST
SISSY, MY DARLING LITTLE WIFEY, THINK WELL BEFORE YOU BREAK
THE HEART OF YOUR COUSIN EDDIE." (Kennedy)
TO WHAT EXTENT HE WAS TROUBLED BY THE FACT THAT HE MARRIED
HIS FIRST COUSIN, I DON'T KNOW. BUT IT CERTAINLY IS CURIOUS THAT
IN CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE THIS, HE APPARENTLY THOUGHT OF HER AS COUSIN AND SISTER AND WIFEY
ALL AT ONCE. (narrator)
THE NEXT MONTH,
POE AND VIRGINIA WERE MARRIED. HE WAS 26, SHE NOT YET 13. TO AVOID SCANDAL, THE MARRIAGE
DOCUMENT WAS FALSIFIED, LISTING HER AGE AS 21. WHILE THE INTIMATE DETAILS
OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP REMAINS A MYSTERY, THEY WERE CLEARLY A DEVOTED
AND LOVING COUPLE. (Gerome)
WHEN YOU WERE
WITH THE POE FAMILY, YOU COULDN'T SEE
A HAPPIER COUPLE. THEY WERE ALWAYS PLAYING GAMES. THERE IS ONE STORY WHEN POE
WAS LIVING IN NEW YORK, WHERE THEY WERE PLAYING HOP FROG
ACROSS EACH OTHER'S BACKS AND POE SPLIT HIS PANTS BECAUSE HE JUMPED TOO HIGH
AND HE SQUATTED TOO FAST. POE WAS SO EMBARRASSED
THAT HIS FACE GOT RED, AND VIRGINIA
COULDN'T STOP GIGGLING, BECAUSE EDDIE
HAD SPLIT HIS BRITCHES. MANY PEOPLE CAN'T IMAGINE POE
PLAYING IN A GARDEN, PLAYING WITH ANIMALS, TEACHING
VIRGINIA HOW TO PLAY THE FLUTE, TEACHING HER ALGEBRA. HE WAS A VERY DEVOTED,
VERY LOVING AND CARING HUSBAND. (narrator)
BUT THE PRIVATE POE
WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE PUBLIC POE. HIS LIFE AS A WRITER AND CRITIC
WAS AN UNENDING SERIES OF BITTER QUARRELS
AND FINANCIAL HUMILIATIONS. (Clemens)
POE'S LIFE WAS A CONSTANT
STRUGGLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET. MANY TIMES HIS MOTHER-IN-LAW
BEGGED FOR HIM. SHE WOULD GO OUT AND TRY
TO SOLICIT EITHER WORK OR LOANS OF MONEY
FOR THE FAMILY. (narrator)
POE WAS OFTEN
HIS OWN WORST ENEMY, SABOTAGING HIS EFFORTS
AS THEY VERGED ON SUCCESS. IN 1842, HE SECURED A MEETING
WITH U.S. PRESIDENT JOHN TYLER TO REQUEST A GOVERNMENT JOB. (Clemens)
HE SHOWED UP FOR THE
APPOINTMENT QUITE INTOXICATED. HE WAS WEARING HIS CLOAK
INSIDE OUT; HE WAS DISHEVELED. AND FORTUNATELY FOR POE,
THE PRESIDENT'S SON, ROBERT TYLER,
INTERCEPTED HIM FIRST AND SAID, "WHY DON'T YOU
COME BACK IN A FEW DAYS?" WHEN POE SHOWED UP
FOR THE SECOND MEETING, HE WAS QUITE SOBER AND CONDUCTED
HIMSELF VERY WELL--AT FIRST. BUT THEN,
THROUGH SOME BIZARRE QUIRK, HE DECIDED TO USE THE
OPPORTUNITY OF THIS MEETING, NOT JUST TO SECURE
THE PRESIDENT'S HELP IN GETTING A POSITION
IN THE CUSTOMS HOUSE, BUT TO SOLICIT MAGAZINE
SUBSCRIPTIONS FROM HIM. (Kennedy)
HE WAS DRIVEN
TO SINK HIS OWN SHIP, AS IF THAT EARLY EXPERIENCE
OF BEING ABANDONED HIMSELF CREATED A KIND
OF CHRONIC PATTERN OF NEEDING TO DO HIMSELF IN,
IN SOME STRANGE, PERVERSE WAY. (narrator)
THROUGH HIS MANY TRIALS,
POE PERSEVERED, USING HIS IMAGINATION
AS A DEFENSE AGAINST A PITILESS WORLD. IN THE PEACEFUL SETTING
OF HIS HAPPY HOME, HE PUT PEN TO PAPER,
CREATING WORKS THAT REVEALED THE MORBID FEARS
AND UNSPEAKABLE LONGINGS OF EDGAR ALLAN POE. (male announcer)
ONLY EDGAR ALLAN POE, WHO KNEW INTIMATELY
THE TORTURES OF MADNESS, COULD CREATE SUCH
EVER-INCREASING SUSPENSE. (narrator)
BENEATH THEIR SENSATIONALISM,
HOLLYWOOD DEPICTIONS OF POE DO CONTAIN A CENTRAL TRUTH. THE THEMES OF HIS STORIES
ARE FIRMLY ROOTED IN THE GRIM REALITIES
OF HIS LIFE. BESIEGED BY PREMATURE DEATHS
OF THOSE HE LOVED, HE YEARNED FOR A CONNECTION
WITH THE AFTERLIFE. (as Poe)
"THE BOUNDARIES WHICH DIVIDE
LIFE FROM DEATH "ARE AT BEST SHADOWY AND VAGUE. "WHO SHALL SAY
WHERE THE ONE ENDS AND WHERE THE OTHER BEGINS?" <i> --THE PREMATURE BURIAL,</i> 1844. (Irwin)
POE IS A SEEKER
OF FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE. UNDERLYING ALL OF THESE KINDS
OF FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE IS THE ONE KNOWLEDGE
THAT IS FORBIDDEN TO EVERYONE: TO DIE
AND TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK WITH WORD
ABOUT WHAT DYING IS LIKE, WHAT EXISTS, IF ANYTHING DOES,
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF DEATH. (as Poe)
"IT IS EVIDENT
THAT WE ARE HURRYING ONWARDS "TO SOME EXCITING KNOWLEDGE, "SOME NEVER-TO-BE-IMPARTED
SECRET WHOSE ATTAINMENT
IS DESTRUCTION." <i> --MANUSCRIPT FOUND IN A BOTTLE,</i>
1833. (Irwin)
IF THE MIND AND IF LIFE
IS ALL THIS RICHNESS BUILT UP, IF IT IS ALL THE BEAUTY
OF NATURE, ALL THESE THINGS COMPREHENDED
IN A MEMORY, THAT MEMORY IS GOING
TO GO OUT LIKE A CANDLE. AND THAT'S THE KIND
OF KNOWING QUALITY IN ALL THOSE STORIES
ABOUT DEATH. DEATH CAN'T BE THIS WAY. IT CAN'T BE ANNIHILATION. IT CAN'T BE OBLIVION. (narrator)
POE GRAPPLED WITH THE MYSTERY
OF DEATH AND THE CAPRICIOUSNESS OF LIFE. (Karlen)
HE LIVED IN A TIME WHEN IT WAS
TERRIBLY, TERRIBLY DIFFICULT TO MAKE ANY KIND OF LIVING
WITH THE PRINTED WORD. HE LIVED WITH THE ILLNESS
AND DEATH AND MISFORTUNE OF HIMSELF, HIS RELATIVES,
FRIENDS. YOU NAME IT, THERE WAS ALMOST
NO CATASTROPHE THAT DIDN'T TOUCH HIS LIFE
AT SOME POINT. (narrator)
POE, LIKE HIS CHARACTERS, WAS
FOREVER CAUGHT IN A STRUGGLE BETWEEN RATIONALITY
AND IRRATIONALITY, ORDER AND CHAOS. (Clemens)
LOGIC WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO POE. HE CREATED THE DETECTIVE STORY BECAUSE OF HIS NEED FOR ORDER
AND LOGIC IN HIS LIFE. SOME PEOPLE HAVE SAID
HE MAY HAVE CREATED THE DETECTIVE STORY
IN ORDER THAT HE NOT GO MAD. (narrator)
IN 1841, POE PUBLISHED<i>
THE MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE,</i> THE FIRST DETECTIVE STORY AND A DIRECT FORERUNNER
TO SHERLOCK HOLMES. HIS FRENCH DETECTIVE, AUGUST
DUPIN, USES ANALYTICAL REASONING TO INVESTIGATE A SERIES
OF HIDEOUS SLASHING MURDERS. THE FINAL SOLUTION
DEFIES ALL LOGIC: THE MURDERS HAVE BEEN COMMITTED
BY A RAZOR-WIELDING ORANGUTAN. IN<i> THE TELL-TALE HEART,</i>
THE NARRATOR LOUDLY PROCLAIMS HIS SANITY
AND THEN CALMLY TELLS US HOW HE MURDERED AND CHOPPED UP
AN OLD MAN. (as Poe)
"TRUE, NERVOUS-- "VERY, VERY DREADFULLY NERVOUS
I HAD BEEN AND AM. "BUT WHY WILL YOU SAY I'M MAD? "HARKEN AND OBSERVE
HOW HEALTHILY, HOW CALMLY I CAN TELL YOU
THE WHOLE STORY." <i> --THE TELL-TALE HEART,</i> 1843. (narrator)
LIKE MANY OF POE'S CHARACTERS, THIS NARRATOR IS DRIVEN BY GUILT
TO CONFESSING HIS CRIME. (Clemens)
POE'S THINKING WAS STRIKINGLY
MODERN, ALMOST 20th CENTURY, IN THE WAY HE EXPRESSED
PSYCHOLOGICAL INTROSPECTION. IN MANY OF HIS STORIES,
A TORTURED NARRATOR WOULD DELVE
INTO DEEP WELLS OF GUILT. AND THROUGH EXPLORING
THAT GUILT, I THINK POE APPROACHED SOMETHING VERY CLOSE
TO MODERN PSYCHOANALYSIS. (narrator)
PERHAPS NO STORY
STRUCK CLOSER TO POE'S SOUL THAN<i>
THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH.</i> (as Poe)
"NO PESTILENCE HAD EVER BEEN
SO FATAL OR SO HIDEOUS. "BLOOD WAS ITS AVATAR
AND ITS SEAL-- THE REDNESS AND THE HORROR
OF BLOOD." <i> --THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH,</i>
1842. (Clemens)
CONSUMPTION, WHICH NOW IS KNOWN
AS TUBERCULOSIS, WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF SO MANY PEOPLE
THAT POE LOVED. AND THAT ILLNESS INVOLVED
THE COUGHING UP OF A GREAT AMOUNT OF BLOOD. AND I THINK THAT IDENTIFICATION
WAS IMPRESSED ON POE'S BRAIN AT A VERY YOUNG AGE, AND TO HIM, CONSUMPTION WAS,
I THINK, THE RED DEATH. (as Poe)
"AND NOW WAS ACKNOWLEDGED
THE PRESENCE OF THE RED DEATH. "HE HAD COME
LIKE A THIEF IN THE NIGHT, "AND ONE BY ONE
DROPPED THE REVELLERS "IN THE BLOOD-BEDEWED HALLS
OF THEIR REVEL "AND DIED EACH IN THE
DESPAIRING POSTURE OF HIS FALL. "AND DARKNESS AND DECAY
AND THE RED DEATH HELD ILLIMITABLE DOMINION
OVER ALL." (narrator)
WHEN POE WROTE<i>
THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH,</i> HE HAD ALREADY LOST HIS MOTHER,
HIS STEPMOTHER, AND BROTHER TO TUBERCULOSIS. ONLY IN HIS WORST NIGHTMARE
COULD HE HAVE IMAGINED WHERE THE DREAD DISEASE
WOULD STRIKE NEXT. OVER THE YEARS, POE AND HIS BELOVED WIFE,
VIRGINIA, GREW EVER CLOSER. HER COMPANIONSHIP
SHELTERED HIM FROM THE STORMS
OF LITERARY LIFE. (Furqueron)
POE AND VIRGINIA INTERACTED
TOGETHER SITTING AT THE PIANO, PLAYING, LAUGHING. VIRGINIA WOULD GO
OUTSIDE OF THE COTTAGE AND PICK FLOWERS
OR SKIP ROPE. THEY WOULD TAKE WALKS TOGETHER
IN THE GARDEN AND TALKING AND SINGING, COME BACK IN AND FIX DINNER
TOGETHER, ALWAYS TOGETHER. (narrator)
POE DELIGHTED
IN HER SOPRANO VOICE AND OFTEN ASKED HER TO SING
AT HOME. ONE FATEFUL NIGHT IN 1842, HE AND MARIA CLEMM
WATCHED HER PERFORM. (Gerome)
AS SHE WAS SINGING,
THERE WAS A SLIGHT COUGH AND THEN THERE WAS
A DROP OF BLOOD THAT APPEARED ON HER LIPS. AND POE REALIZED THAT,
LIKE HIS MOTHER, LIKE HIS STEPMOTHER,
LIKE HIS BROTHER, HENRY, THAT VIRGINIA HAD CONSUMPTION,
TUBERCULOSIS. HE KNEW WHAT THAT MEANT:
THAT WAS A DEATH SENTENCE. (Karlen)
IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF A VERY LONG
AND QUITE HORRIBLE STRUGGLE, AND PROBABLY ONLY
HER YOUTHFUL ENERGY KEPT HER ALIVE AS LONG
AS SHE MANAGED TO FIGHT ON, WHICH WAS ABOUT FIVE YEARS. AND THOSE WERE FIVE YEARS
OF HELL FOR EDGAR ALLAN POE. (Furqueron)
POE TRIED VERY HARD
TO MAKE HIS WIFE COMFORTABLE. HE WOULD HAVE TO PHYSICALLY
CARRY VIRGINIA SOMETIMES FROM THE BED TO THE TABLE, WHEN SHE WANTED TO GO
TO THE TABLE TO EAT. AND SOMETIMES
HE WOULD BRING HER HER FOOD. (narrator)
IN THE MIDST
OF HIS PRIVATE HELL, POE ACHIEVED
HIS GREATEST PUBLIC FAME. IN JANUARY 1845,
HIS POEM<i> THE RAVEN</i> APPEARED IN THE<i>
NEW YORK EVENING MIRROR.</i> (Gerome)
WHEN<i> THE RAVEN</i> WAS PUBLISHED, IT WAS
AN OVERNIGHT SENSATION, AND HIS NICKNAME BECAME
"THE RAVEN." IT WAS THE TALK OF THE TOWN;
IT WAS SENSATIONAL, IT WAS SCARY.
IT WAS HORRIFYING. PEOPLE WERE HAVING NIGHTMARES. THEY WERE HAVING
DREAMS OF A RAVEN COMING THROUGH THEIR WINDOWS
AT NIGHT. CHILDREN WOULD FOLLOW HIM
ON THE STREET, FLAPPING THEIR ARMS
LIKE THE RAVEN, AND OF COURSE, HE WOULD
JUST PLAY ALONG WITH IT. HE WOULD SAY, "NEVERMORE," AND THEY WOULD RUN AWAY,
AND THEN THEY WOULD COME BACK. AND THEY WOULD BE TAKING STICKS
AND HITTING HIS HEELS. HE WOULD TURN AROUND
AND SAY, "NEVERMORE," AND THEY WOULD RUN AWAY. SO HE LOVED IT. HE LOVED THE FAME
THAT IT BROUGHT TO HIM. BUT IT DIDN'T BRING HIM
ANY FORTUNE. HE EARNED $14 FOR<i> THE RAVEN.</i> (Karlen)
HE WAS VERY POOR. HE ONLY HAD ONE COAT
FOR MANY YEARS. AND HE DIDN'T HAVE A FRESH
SHIRT TO WEAR UNDER IT, SO HE WORE THE COAT
BUTTONED TO THE COLLAR. HIS DRESS MAY HAVE SEEMED
RATHER AUSTERE, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING AUSTERE
ABOUT HIM. HE WAS RAISED
AS A SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN, AND THAT MEANT HE WAS RAISED
TO BE SOCIAL. HE WAS RAISED TO BE CONVIVIAL. HE WAS RAISED TO BE CHARMING, TO
BE ENTERTAINING, TO BE POLITE. AND HE WAS INDEED
ALL OF THOSE THINGS. (narrator)
AUDIENCES FLOCKED TO SEE
THE MYSTERIOUS, ROMANTIC POE GIVE DRAMATIC RENDITIONS
OF<i> THE RAVEN.</i> (as Field)
"HIS LECTURE WAS A RHAPSODY
OF THE MOST INTENSE BRILLIANCY. "HIS EYES GLOWED
LIKE THAT OF HIS OWN RAVEN, AND HE KEPT US ENTRANCED." --MONSEL B. FIELD, 1845. (narrator)<i>
THE RAVEN</i> TELLS THE STORY
OF A POET LONGING FOR HIS LOST LOVE, A TRAGIC ROLE THAT POE KNEW HE
WOULD SOON BE PLAYING HIMSELF. (as Poe)
"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 NAMED LENORE-- NAMELESS HERE FOREVERMORE." POE IS PROJECTING AHEAD
TO HIS OWN LOSS OF VIRGINIA, AND THE CIRCUMSTANCE
IN THE POEM IS OF A WRITER
WHO IS TRYING TO FORGET, DESPERATE TO REPRESS OR DENY OR SOMEHOW LET GO OF THE
TERRIBLE WEIGHT OF THIS LOSS. AND YET HE ASKS THAT QUESTION
AT THE END, "WHEN WILL I SEE
MY BELOVED LENORE? QUOTH THE RAVEN,<i> NEVERMORE."</i> (as Poe)<i>
"PROPHET!</i> SAID I,<i>
THING OF EVIL--</i> <i> "PROPHET STILL
IF BIRD OR DEVIL!</i> <i> "BY THAT HEAVEN
THAT BENDS ABOVE US--</i> <i> "BY THAT GOD WE BOTH ADORE,</i> <i> "TELL THIS SOUL
WITH SORROW LADEN</i> <i> "IF WITHIN THE DISTANT AIDENN,</i> <i> "IT SHALL CLASP
A SAINTED MAIDEN</i> <i> "WHOM THE ANGELS NAME LENORE--</i> <i> "CLASP A RARE
AND RADIANT MAIDEN</i> <i> "WHOM THE ANGELS NAME LENORE.</i> QUOTH THE RAVEN,<i> NEVERMORE."</i> (Kennedy)
THAT POEM IS A KIND
OF REHEARSAL FOR HIS OWN BEREAVEMENT. THE CIRCUMSTANCES
ARE TOO IMMEDIATE. AS HE WRITES THAT POEM,
IN ANOTHER ROOM OF THE HOUSE, HIS OWN WIFE IS DYING. (as Poe)
"SIX YEARS AGO, A WIFE, "WHOM I LOVED AS NO MAN
EVER LOVED BEFORE, "RUPTURED A BLOOD VESSEL
IN SINGING. "HER LIFE WAS DESPAIRED OF. "I TOOK LEAVE OF HER FOREVER "AND UNDERWENT ALL THE AGONIES
OF HER DEATH. "SHE RECOVERED PARTIALLY,
AND AGAIN I HOPED. "AT THE END OF THE YEAR,
THE VESSEL BROKE AGAIN. "I WENT THROUGH
PRECISELY THE SAME SCENE, "AND AGAIN, AGAIN, AGAIN. "EACH TIME I FELT
ALL THE AGONIES OF HER DEATH. "I BECAME INSANE WITH LONG
INTERVALS OF HORRIBLE SANITY. "DURING THESE FITS, I DRANK. GOD ONLY KNOWS HOW OFTEN
OR HOW MUCH." --LETTER TO GEORGE EVELETH,
1848. (narrator)
IN 1846,
POE MOVED HIS DYING WIFE TO A QUIET COTTAGE
IN FORDHAM, NEW YORK, WHERE THE POVERTY-STRICKEN
FAMILY STRUGGLED THROUGH
A BLEAK WINTER. (as Grove)
"THE WEATHER WAS COLD, "AND THE SICK LADY
HAD THE DREADFUL CHILLS "THAT ACCOMPANY THE FEVER
OF CONSUMPTION. "SHE LAY ON THE STRAW BED, "WRAPPED IN HER HUSBAND'S
GREAT COAT, WITH A LARGE TORTOISESHELL CAT
ON HER BOSOM FOR WARMTH." --MARY GROVE, 1846. (Karlen)
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ALMOST SENT POE OVER
THE EDGE DURING THOSE YEARS WAS THAT AS HE WATCHED VIRGINIA
GET BETTER, GET WORSE, GET BETTER, GET WORSE, VERY OFTEN HE LITERALLY,
DESPITE WORKING 16 HOURS A DAY, COULD NOT RAISE ENOUGH MONEY
TO KEEP HER WELL-FED, TO KEEP HER WARM,
TO KEEP A FIRE GOING, TO BUY HER MEDICINE, EVEN TO KEEP A ROOF
OVER HER HEAD. AND HE WENT THROUGH TERRIBLE SPASMS
OF HELPLESS RAGE AND GUILT, AND FINALLY, OF COURSE,
THE ULTIMATE DEFEAT: HE COULD NOT KEEP HER
FROM DYING. (narrator)
POE WOULD NEVER RECOVER
FROM THE LOSS OF VIRGINIA. HE ENTERED
A MENTAL TWILIGHT WORLD, WANDERING OUT TO LIE
ON HER GRAVE AT ALL HOURS, CRYING HIMSELF TO SLEEP. AND LATER,
IN THE LAST YEAR OF HIS LIFE, HE WOULD SUMMON THE STRENGTH
TO IMMORTALIZE HIS CHILD BRIDE IN THE POEM<i> ANNABEL LEE.</i> (as Poe)
"I WAS A CHILD,
AND SHE WAS A CHILD "IN THIS KINGDOM BY THE SEA; "BUT WE LOVED WITH A LOVE
THAT WAS MORE THAN LOVE-- "I AND MY ANNABEL LEE-- "WITH A LOVE THAT THE WINGED
SERAPHS OF HEAVEN "COVETED HER AND ME. "AND THIS WAS THE REASON
THAT, LONG AGO, "IN THIS KINGDOM BY THE SEA,
A WIND BLEW OUT OF A CLOUD, "CHILLING MY BEAUTIFUL
ANNABEL LEE. "YES, THAT WAS THE REASON-- "AS ALL MEN KNOW
IN THIS KINGDOM BY THE SEA-- "THAT THE WIND CAME OUT
OF THE CLOUD BY NIGHT, "CHILLING AND KILLING
MY ANNABEL LEE. "FOR THE MOON NEVER BEAMS
WITHOUT BRINGING ME DREAMS "OF THE BEAUTIFUL
ANNABEL LEE. "AND THE STARS NEVER RISE,
BUT I FEEL THE BRIGHT EYES "OF THE BEAUTIFUL
ANNABEL LEE. "AND SO, ALL THE NIGHTIDE,
I LIE DOWN BY THE SIDE "OF MY DARLING--
MY DARLING-- "MY LIFE AND MY BRIDE, "IN HER SEPULCHRE
THERE BY THE SEA, IN HER TOMB
BY THE SOUNDING SEA." "THE SKIES,
THEY WERE ASHEN AND SOBER, "THE LEAVES,
THEY WERE CRISPED AND SERE. "THE LEAVES,
THEY WERE WITHERING AND SERE. "IT WAS NIGHT
IN THE LONESOME OCTOBER OF MY MOST IMMEMORIAL YEAR." <i> --ULALUME,</i> 1848. (narrator)
POE'S 40th AND FINAL YEAR
WAS A FURIOUS STRUGGLE TO RECAPTURE THE IDEALS
OF HIS YOUTH. (as Poe)
"I SHALL BE A LITERATOR
AT LEAST ALL MY LIFE. "NOR WOULD I ABANDON THE HOPES
WHICH STILL LEAD ME ON FOR ALL THE GOLD
IN CALIFORNIA." --LETTER TO F.W. THOMAS, 1849. (narrator)
BUT HIS PROFESSIONAL GOALS
WERE DASHED BY A TORMENTED PERSONAL LIFE. WITH VIRGINIA GONE, IT BECAME
CLEAR THAT HE COULD NOT SURVIVE WITHOUT THE AID
OF A FEMININE SOULMATE. (Kennedy)
SUDDENLY POE'S LIFE
BECOMES A KIND OF CHAOTIC CHASE, IN WHICH HE IS MOVING
FROM PLACE TO PLACE, ROMANCING SEVERAL WOMEN
AT ONCE AND SOMETIMES ALMOST LITERALLY
WRITING THEM THE SAME LETTERS, USING THE SAME PHRASES
TO TRY TO COURT THEM. I DON'T THINK
HE WAS BEING INSINCERE; I THINK IT'S A MARK OF HOW
FUNDAMENTALLY CONFUSED HE WAS IN THE WAY HE WAS TRYING
TO ARRANGE HIS OWN LIFE. (Clemens)
POE SAID THAT "WOMEN HAVE BEEN
ANGELS OF MERCY TO ME, "TENDERLY LEADING ME
FROM THE VERGE OF RUIN, WHILE MEN STOOD ALOOF
AND MOCKED." AND I THINK HE MEANT THAT
VERY SINCERELY. (narrator)
HE BECAME WILDLY ENAMORED
OF HELEN WHITMAN, A POETESS AND A WEALTHY
SOCIETY FIGURE, AND PURSUED HER RELENTLESSLY. (as Poe)
"AS YOUR EYES RESTED UPON MINE,
I SAW THAT YOU WERE HELEN, "MY HELEN, THE HELEN
OF A THOUSAND DREAMS. "IF YOU DIED, THEN I WOULD
CLASP YOUR DEAR HAND IN DEATH "AND WILLINGLY, JOYFULLY,
JOYFULLY GO DOWN WITH YOU INTO THE NIGHT OF THE GRAVE." --LETTER TO HELEN WHITMAN, 1848. (Clemens)
POE IS DRAWN TO THAT WOMAN,
IN PART, OUT OF A DESIRE TO SHARE
THE EXPERIENCE OF DEATH. POE IMAGINES THAT DYING
WITH A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN OR BEING
WITH THE DEAD, BELOVED OTHER WILL, IN SOME WAY, EASE
HIS PASSAGE OUT OF THE WORLD. (narrator)
POE PROPOSED TO HELEN WHITMAN
IN A CEMETERY. AFTER AN INITIAL RELUCTANCE,
SHE ACCEPTED, AND IT SEEMED
THAT HE WAS RESCUED. BUT HIS GROWING REPUTATION
AS A DRINKER DOOMED HIS HOPES. (Furqueron)
SARAH HELEN WHITMAN'S MOTHER ACTUALLY DREW UP A DOCUMENT
THAT SHE WANTED POE TO SIGN, SAYING THAT POE HAD NO CLAIM
ON ANY OF SARAH'S ESTATE. AND THIS WAS INTOLERABLE
TO POE. THIS WAS AN INSULT,
AND HE TOOK IT AS AN INSULT. SO THIS WAS REALLY THE THING
THAT BROKE OFF THE ENGAGEMENT. POE DIDN'T TAKE IT. I MEAN, HE GAVE IT
RIGHT BACK TO HER, SAID, "NO," AND THAT WAS IT. (narrator)
EVEN BEFORE BREAKING
WITH HELEN, HE HAD BEEN WRITING
PASSIONATE LOVE LETTERS TO ANNIE RICHMOND OF
MASSACHUSETTS, A MARRIED WOMAN. (Kennedy)
HE EVEN MADE THE COMMENT, IN ONE OF HIS LETTERS
TO MARIA CLEMM, THAT THERE'S NO GOOD NEWS
SHE CAN TELL HIM, EXCEPT PERHAPS
THAT MR. RICHMOND HAS DIED. (narrator)
POE WAS SPIRALING
OUT OF CONTROL. HE WAS OFTEN SICK
OR DRUNK OR BOTH, AND HIS ONCE RIVETING LECTURES
BECAME HUMILIATING FIASCOES. (Clemens)
THE DRINKING BECAME MUCH WORSE
DURING THAT PERIOD. TOWARDS THE END,
HE HAD BOUTS OF INSANITY, DURING WHICH HE THOUGHT
THAT PEOPLE WERE AFTER HIM TO ASSASSINATE HIM. AT ONE POINT HE HAD A FRIEND
OF HIS SHAVE OFF HIS MUSTACHE, SO HE WOULDN'T BE RECOGNIZED. (narrator)
HIS NEVER-ENDING HUNT
FOR A BRIDE BROUGHT HIM TO A FIGURE
FROM HIS CHILDHOOD. (Kennedy)
POE RENEWED HIS ROMANCE, REKINDLED HIS ROMANCE
WITH THE WIDOW SHELTON, A LADY THAT HE HAD BEEN
ENGAGED TO YEARS, YEARS BEFORE,
WHEN HE WAS 17. (narrator)
BY LATE SEPTEMBER 1849, POE AND ELMIRA SHELTON
WERE ENGAGED. EAGER TO INFORM MARIA CLEMM
OF THE HAPPY NEWS, HE SET OFF FOR NEW YORK. THE PEOPLE WHO SAW HIM LAST
IN THE CITY OF RICHMOND, THE LAST THING THEY REMEMBER IS COMMENTING
ON HOW SICK HE LOOKED, HOW PALE, HOW ASHEN GRAY
HIS FACE WAS. (narrator)
POE WAS ENTERING
HIS FINAL NIGHTMARE. HE DISAPPEARED FOR SEVERAL DAYS;
HIS WHEREABOUTS WERE A MYSTERY. AND THEN, ON OCTOBER 3rd, HE WAS FOUND
LYING SEMICONSCIOUS ON A BALTIMORE STREET. (Gerome)
THEY FOUND HIM
IN A DELIRIOUS CONDITION. HE WASN'T EVEN WEARING
HIS OWN CLOTHING; HE WAS WEARING SOMEONE ELSE'S
CLOTHING THAT DIDN'T FIT HIM, THAT WAS SOILED. WE REALLY DON'T KNOW
WHAT HAPPENED TO POE. ONE THEORY IS
THAT HE WAS THE VICTIM OF A POLITICAL KIDNAPPING. IT WAS ELECTION DAY
IN BALTIMORE, AND FREQUENTLY, THUGS
WERE HIRED BY THE POLITICIANS, AND THEY WOULD GO OUT
AND KIDNAP PEOPLE. AND THEY WOULD GIVE YOU
DRUGGED LIQUOR AND USE YOU AS A REPEAT VOTER. (narrator)
HE WAS CARRIED INSIDE
TO A NEARBY TAVERN. (Clemens)
AND THE TAVERN OWNER
RECOGNIZED HIM AND SENT A MESSAGE TO SOMEBODY THAT HE KNEW WAS ACQUAINTED
WITH HIM AND SAID, "I HAVE A GENTLEMAN HERE
RATHER THE WORSE FOR WEAR," WHICH WAS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. AND POE WAS THEN RUSHED
IN A CARRIAGE TO WASHINGTON COLLEGE HOSPITAL. (Furqueron)
HE WAS DELIRIOUS. THEY SAID HE WAS TALKING
TO PHANTASMS ON THE WALL IN A FEVERISH DELIRIUM. AND THEN, OF COURSE,
EARLY SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER THE 7th,
ABOUT 5:00 IN THE MORNING, HE REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS, AND HE SAID,
"GOD HELP MY POOR SOUL," AND THEN HE DIED. (Kennedy)
ONE OF THE REASONS
WHY POE SPEAKS TO US SO CLEARLY IS THAT HE CONSTRUCTS
A WORLD OF UNCERTAINTY, A WORLD THAT'S PRECARIOUS,
A WORLD IN WHICH ONE YEARNS FOR AN AFTERLIFE, YEARNS FOR SOME IMAGE OF HEAVEN
TO BELIEVE IN, BUT IS CONFRONTED
BY VIOLENCE AND CRUELTY. POE DIDN'T LIVE INTO THE SECOND
HALF OF THE 19th CENTURY, AND HE COULDN'T HAVE IMAGINED
ALL OF THE HORRORS THAT HAVE UNFOLDED
IN THE 20th CENTURY. BUT I THINK THERE IS SOMETHING
IN POE'S FICTION THAT LOOKS BEYOND HIS OWN TIME AND GUESSES WHAT WE WILL FACE
IN OURS. (as Poe)
"THANK HEAVEN THE CRISIS,
THE DANGER IS PAST, "AND THE LINGERING ILLNESS
IS OVER AT LAST, "AND THE FEVER CALLED LIVING
IS CONQUERED AT LAST. "THE MOANING AND GROANING,
THE SIGHING AND SOBBING "ARE QUIETED NOW,
WITH THAT HORRIBLE THROBBING. "THE SICKNESS, THE NAUSEA,
THE PITILESS PAIN "HAVE CEASED WITH THE FEVER
THAT MADDENED MY BRAIN, WITH THE FEVER CALLED LIVING
THAT BURNED IN MY BRAIN." Captioning provided by the
U.S. Department of Education and A&E Television Networks. Captioning by<font color="#00FF00"> CaptionMax
www.captionmax.com</font>
