Women In Edgar Allen Poe

Throughout much of Edgar Allen Poe’s work, the female is often written in some form of importance one way or another. Whether through symbolism, a clever plot device, or a direct reference to a female character, women are never simply overlooked in the work of Poe. Often times the woman may represent death or perhaps love. A lot of this relates to the reality that is Poe’s life. During his 40 years of life, Poe had suffered nothing but estranged relationships and loss with women in his life. His grandmother was left paralyzed from the start, his mother died at an early age, and, though he seduced many, he had one wife and even she died of tuberculosis. So the question that many of Poe’s readers are left with is “How are the females idealized …show more content…
They represent the real women that he knew. Poe often goes with the theme of “death of a beautiful woman”, which is nothing short of the actual events of his life. The women in his stories and poems are the works of first hand inspiration. They are “His ideal, his essence, as told through his poems and stories, is not an attainable Eden, but rather an unattainable, nightmarish vision that echoed his real-life tragedies with calculated skill.” (helpfulresearch.com)
Poe was born on January 19th, 1809 to Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe and David Poe, Jr. His father left Poe and his siblings with only his mother at a young age. It was soon after that Edgar would also lose his mother, but to death. Elizabeth died just before Edgar’s third birthday. “Elizabeth Arnold Poe died on December 8, 1811, at age 24, surrounded by her three small children: Henry, three; Edgar, two; and …show more content…
She would also become Poe’s wife and a very important piece of inspiration for Poe’s writing. Unfortunately for Poe,
Virginia would only live for a few more years before dying due to Tuberculosis. Poe was deeping saddened by the loss of his wife. He was a changed man. Although, some will often say that Poe was the cause of her death. People often report that Poe may have rushed to an early death so that he could write such stories about her. With the death of Virginia came much inspiration for her husband’s poems. It is said that much of his work would then be inspired by his love for Virginia and the tragic loss of her. The most famed piece of work that may have drawn inspiration from
Virginia is “Annabel Lee”. It is often argued over who is the true basis of the poem, but Virginia is indeed one of the more likely women. The poem speaks of a couple that fell in love young, but their relationship was powerful. Long after the death of the girl, the man’s love for continues.
“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 night-tide, I lie down by the