POE
THE LEGEND, THE GENIUS;
BUT WAS HE HUMAN?

Forget the unforgettable lines of 'The Raven', as he pines for his lost Lenore; or the desperate longing for an end to his suffering as he pines for death in "For Annie". But think for a moment of the "human" Poe; the day-in-day-out existence of this man.

The following are some insights, rumors, and snippets about his life that hint at his humor, his lunacy, his love of beauty and too, his humanity.

-While attending WestPoint, the illustrious military academy, from which he never graduated, Poe was told he must arrive at roll call and stand at full attention wearing regulation cap, gloves, boots, and gun. He happily obliged - to the horror of his superior - by coming to roll call wearing those things and nothing else.

-After 'The Raven' was first published, he became a little better known than he had been, although he never really did achieve fame until after his death. It is said that the children of his town would follow him closely and tap the backs of his heels with sticks while he was walking down the street, just so he would turn, raise his arms and bellow "NEVERMORE!!!" to their delight, and they would scream and run away laughing at his good-natured jest.

-Although Poe is known for being very brooding and dark in his poetry, stories, and his life in general, he also appreciated beauty. He has been quoted as saying, "I love days like this; with the blue-blue sky and the sunshine-y earth..."

-While it's true Poe was a learned man, he never actually finished college. He would go, but would always wind up with liquor and gambling debts. His foster father, John Allan, refused to pay these debts, thus Poe was not able to return to these schools, as he had no money of his own.

-Poe started writing poems as a means of wooing the ladies. There were many poems that were written expressly for that purpose. For instance, one called "A Valentine"; if you read the first letter of the first line in connection with the second letter of the second line, the third letter of the third line, the fourth of the fourth, and so on to the end, the name of the person for whom he wrote the poem will appear.

-Sherry Dedman-Sherritt

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