Edgar Allan Poe: Struggles No Match for Determination - Essay Sample

Introduction

The life of Edgar Allan Poe is a perfect example of how imperfections and personal challenges cannot determine an individual's success. In life, many things happen to discourage a person and to ensure that they fail in the quest. However, through determination and hard work, Poe did not let his past failures or current challenges define him. He was always a spirited individual who struggled to tackle his confronts. Through his poems and essays, Poe ensured that his struggles are documented and given a fictional setting to ensure that people are reading it had a grasp of his experiences.

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The life of Poe was bumpy and full of miseries. According to Ingram, Poe's life can be described as a total mess despite his distinguished writing career (22). However, his piece of work has touched many souls due to rich content, grammar mastery, and the art form of fictional work, which captivates many individuals. Although Poe's literal work is very famous, he only won one award throughout his short life, which ended at the age of 40 (Ingram 41). Through his short stories and poems, Poe was regarded as the central figure of romanticism in the United States of America.

Earning a living through writing was a challenge during the early life of Poe (Meyers 1). However, Poe has been described as the first writer to accumulate wealth by solely relying on literal work (Ingram 30). Although it was a challenge to accumulate wealth at first, Edgar Poe accumulated much wealth, but his lifestyle problems contributed to his financial distress. Poe was a renowned gambler and a drug user throughout his life. Throughout his short life, Poe was known as an alcoholic and a drug user. The problem resulted in the social and economic crisis and thereby leading a mediocre life. According to Bazil, “Edgar Allan Poe, one of the most celebrated of American storytellers, lived through and wrote descriptions of episodic unconsciousness, confusion, and paranoia” (1). Although many describe the problem experienced by Poe to be a result of drugs and alcohol, medical reports indicated that the issue could have been a result of complex partial seizures, which was not common during his time (Bazil 1).

Poe battled with personal and work-related challenges throughout his life. According to Ingram, Poe can be commemorated by his financial and personal struggle that rendered him homeless at a young age (85). Poe was kicked out of his godfather's house, and his name omitted in the family's inheritance due to his issues (Ingram 42). Personal problems experienced throughout Poe's life did not deter him from making acquaintances. According to Ingram, his mother in law described him poor as a gentleman but perfect in love (85). However, through his short life, his literal work ensured that he was not a hopeless romantic (Ingram 42). Therefore, although he was irresponsible financially and personally, it did not deter him from having a perfect love life.

The writing career of Poe, which constituted of short stories and Poems is the sole reason why the renowned author is a legend in the literal work. However, the choices he made in life can be attributed to his premature death. Many authors, especially from the 18th and 19th centuries, live a long, meaningful life, which was not the case for Poe. Drug, alcohol abuse, gambling, among other reasons, contributed to the mystery the author experienced during his short life. Although he left behind a literal legacy that cannot be attained by most authors, he died a poor man due to his life choices.

Works Cited

Bazil, Carl W. "Seizures in the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe." Archives of Neurology 56.6 (1999): 740-743.

Ingram, John Henry. Edgar Allan Poe: His Life, Letters, and Opinions. London: W. H. Allen, 1886. Print.

Meyers, Jeffrey. Edgar Allan Poe: his life and legacy. Rowman & Littlefield, 2000.