Edgar Allan Poe Biography Webquest. 1. Name Poe’s parents. Elizabeth Arnold Poe David Poe, Jr. 2....

Edgar Allan Poe

Biography Webquest

1. Name Poe’s parents.

• Elizabeth Arnold Poe • David Poe, Jr.

2. What was Poe’s mother’s profession when he was born?

• actress

3. What happened to Poe’s biological father?

• He abandoned the family

4. How old was Poe when his mother died?

• He was two years old.

5. Name his siblings.

• William Henry Leonard Poe and Rosalie Poe

6. What happened to Poe’s siblings after they were orphaned?

• They were sent to live with other families

7. How did Poe come to live with the Allans?

• John Allan was his godfather, and took him in when his mother died

• OR Fanny Allan helped nurse Eliza Poe on her deathbed

8. In what other countries did Poe live as a young boy?

• England and Scotland, 1815-1820

9. Reasons why Poe didn’t like himself as a young boy?

• John Allan neglected the family and also never formally adopted him.

• Fanny was frequently sick and didn’t stay the entire 5 years in England, leaving Poe in boarding school

10. Describe Poe’s relationship with John Allan.

• They argued often because Allan didn’t show affection and thought Poe’s sadness over this was thanklessness

11. What university did John Allan send Poe to?

• University of Virginia

12. What happened to Poe at that university?

• He lost a lot of money gambling because Allan didn’t give him enough for his expenses

13. How did John Allan react to Poe’s behavior at the university? • Allan wouldn’t let him continue studying there

14. What did Poe do for money after being pulled out of university?

• He enlisted in the army

15. After paying for Poe’s release from the Army, what did John

Allan do for Poe? • He helped Poe get a place at West Point

16. What finally ruined Poe’s relationship with Allan?

• Poe got himself expelled from West Point and wrote Allan an angry letter

17. Describe Poe’s relationship with Maria Clemm

• She was his aunt who took him in when his relationship with Allan broke down and she became like a mother to him.

18. Who did Poe marry and how old was she?

• his cousin Virginia Clemm (Maria’s daughter), who was only 13

19. Name some jobs Poe held.

• He edited a lot of magazines and wrote for newspapers while periodically publishing collections of short stories and poetry.

20. How successful was Poe at these jobs?

• Poe was good at his work, but his drinking got in the way and prevented him from keeping a job for very long

21. How successful was Poe in his writing career?

• 1833 MS. Found in a Bottle won $50 from a Baltimore weekly

• 1843 The Gold-Bug won $100 from the Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper

• “The Raven” brought him national fame • However, he never earned much money.

22. What bad habit did Poe have as an adult?

• drinking

23. What happened to Poe’s wife?

• died in January 1847 of tuberculosis

24. How did Poe die and at what age?

• Under mysterious circumstances – found in a pub and taken to a hospital

• Died alone five days later• Family wasn’t notified• Of drinking or heart failure (cause is unclear) • at age 40