EDGAR ALLEN POE

On this date in 1849, one of the great American poets and the pre-eminent American short story writer died in a gutter in Baltimore, Maryland. He was only 40 years old. Many theories about the cause of his death exist; tuberculosis, alcoholism, drugs, rabies, cholera, and suicide are a few of the guesses. His wife had died of TB two years before.


Its a shame to hear that talented people died at so young an age. Modern medicine could have prolonged his life, no doubt, and given us so many more of his literary gifts. The Raven is a wonderful poem. If you're looking to read short stories, you could hardly do better than The Tell-Tale Heart or The Pit and the Pendulum.