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Edgar Allan Poe -Kicked out of Military Academy!  

Edgar Allan Poe


Who has not heard of Egar Allan Poe??? Everyone has, irrespective of being a literature lover or not! But did any of you know him as a Sergeant-Major? It's true. Poe already had published his first volume of poetry, Tamarlane and Other Poems, when he joined the U.S. Army as a Private in 1827.

So what with it, eh? Apparently, the next year, in 1830, Poe secured an appointment to West Point. Poe excelled in his studies at first, but after an argument with his adoptive father, John Allan, Poe apparently let his studies degrade deliberately. After a court-martial in January of 1831, Poe was dismissed from the academy and from the army.

Edgar Allan Poe's classic poem "The Raven" talked about his reputation as a black-feathered literary master of the macabre. Later, Poe mixed poetry with work as a soldier in the U.S. Army. He was dismissed from West Point and moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where he began writing prose.


Poe wrote for various magazines in Richmond, Philadelphia and New York, and also published creepy short stories and poems, including "The Purloined Letter," "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Cask of Amontillado." His story The Murders in the Rue Morgue is widely considered to be the first modern detective story, with Poe, later emerged, masters of the craft like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie.


Being a heavy drinker and smoker, Poe was never in robust health. Poe thus, died under mysterious circumstances at age 40 after visiting Virginia to lecture. He was found languishing on the street in Baltimore and taken unconscious to a local hospital, where he died.


Now, as I say….life histories about writers are always interesting and Edgar Allan Poe’s biography is one of the most interesting of all others! Hope you enjoyed reading and please pardon my for a while for not posting regularly for me exams are around the bend…..But I promise to be back soon!!!

11 comments

  1. Anonymous  

    wow-I never even knew he was in the military, let alone West Point!

  2. Lucifer  

    wow!!! tats some nice history to discuss...interestin!!

  3. Meghna  

    @janelle,
    Yes, West Point! And to be out of there.....

  4. Meghna  

    @mayz,
    Thank you!

  5. Anonymous  

    We do get busy in life and in any case,blogger is not life and vice versa.Do well in exams.All the very best.

  6. Meghna  

    mishra,
    You are very right. Thank you for the best wishes.

  7. Anonymous  

    another interesting fact about his military career is that he was kicked out because he came to class wearing only a belt!

  8. Meghna  

    @ ANonymous- Wowie.....thanks for that info...did not know :)

    Thanks for sharing!

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