Edgar Allan Poe was the master of macabre tales. He is also widely known as a poet in the Gothic Romantic movement of the 1800s. Besides writing mysterious, terror stories, he is regarded as the father of modern detective stories. Poe received recognition throughout his lifetime; furthermore, his works were greatly appreciated even more after his death. The grief he experienced is shown through his works. The unfortunate events that happened throughout his life may have contributed to his dark, yet unique style of writing. Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. The concept of family was very important to Poe, because he spent most of his life looking for the ideal family. Poe's childhood was very depressing. He became an orphan at the age of three, when his father suddenly abandoned the family and his mother died from tuberculosis. Separated from his siblings, he was taken in as a foster son by John and Frances Allan, but was not legally adopted. John wanted to raise Poe as a businessman, but Poe dreamt of being a poet (Tilton 15-17). .
He began writing poetry by the age of 13. When he was accepted into the University of Virginia, he was attracted to poetry and Latin. He also fascinated his professors with his gift for languages. As time went by, he became more determined to become a poet and published his first piece of work, Tamerlane and Other Poems (Bio.com). Poe had a stricken relationship with his foster father, money being one of the many issues between them. He received only enough for two college courses, but not enough for his basic needs. Later, he began gambling for money, losing numerous times, and falling into greater debt. In addition to this, Poe developed a severe drinking habit. Tension further arose in the Allan family, when John Allan was discovered to be unfaithful to his wife. When Poe sided with with his foster mother, Frances, John withdrew him out of college and demanded him to leave the house.