My English 3 teacher at West Rusk Highschool told my class that many of the bad things that have been spread around about Mr. Edgar Allen Poe were based on opinions by some of those who knew him back in his time. She said that many people did not like him, and therefore they conjured up stories and spread rumors that were not based on fact at all. For example..she says that Poe wasn't a drunk,ect. and that those who didn't like him just said that along w/ many other horrible things. My question to you is, is this statment true? Did people really make up stories and spread rumors about him simply because they didn't like him? If so, why?

-- Anonymous, December 05, 2002

Answers

The worst slanders always have enough truth so that your defenders actually make matters worse with "yes, but" statements. Poe WAS an alcoholic but not so much offensive as murdering his own health. He definitely had the allergy to alcohol. One drink and he had the buzz. Worse charges were based on his stories and appearance. He was exceedingly tame for a Romantic poet(see G.B. Shaw's extreme defence of Poe)in regarding to scandals or abuse or even offensiveness. He was a ruthless literary critic from a position of safety. That they resorted to personal attacks after his death is the very first sign to ignore their message which also demeaned his writings. Whois more disgusting? Rufus Griswold ACTUALLY broke into his wife's crypt and spent the night with the body. Nobody remembers him and he was the one who started the legends with a rotten obituary.

That goes for snootier critics today and the old horse they rode in on.

-- Anonymous, December 06, 2002

Well Most of this may be because of one of his "SUPPOSED FRIENDS", Rufus Griswold see Edgar Allan Poe offended him while working as a critical reviewer and so Griswold tries his best to defame Poe, soon after Poe's death Griswold wrote an obituary depicting him as a drink, a drug addict, and even seeming him insane. It is true that Poe did like to drink though considering One night he was found on the streets of baltimore semi concious after a night of "partying" and the next day he died in the hospital. Hopefully this helps!

-- Anonymous, December 18, 2002