Question

Poe saw all women as what kind of creatures/beings?

a) Angels
b) Enigmas
c) Muses
d) Witches

Poe's real mother died when he was how old?
a) 2 years old
b) 3 years old
c) 6 years old
d) 1 year old

She died from what disease? (spell the best you can or use abbreviation)
a) Tuberculosis
b) Smallpox
c) Cholera
d) Influenza

What was Poe's adoptive parents' last name?
a) Allan
b) Smith
c) Brown
d) Johnson

What athletic feat did Poe accomplish that made him famous around Richmond, Virginia?
a) Long-distance running
b) Weightlifting
c) Swimming
d) Horseback riding

Who seemed to be Poe's first adolescent love?
a) Elmira Royster
b) Sarah Elmira Shelton
c) Virginia Clemm
d) Sarah Elmira Royster

Poe's foster mother died from what disease?
a) Tuberculosis
b) Influenza
c) Cholera
d) Pneumonia

While at the University of Virginia, what talent did Poe exhibit other than writing?
a) Singing
b) Mathematics
c) Chess
d) Acting

For what reason did Poe leave college?
a) Lack of funds
b) Disagreement with professors
c) Illness
d) Disinterest in studies

To hide from his debtors, Poe joins what?
a) The military
b) The diplomatic corps
c) The theater
d) The underground society

Poe's first wife was named:
a) Virginia Clemm
b) Elmira Royster
c) Sarah Elmira Shelton
d) Maria Clemm

She was already related to Poe because they were:
a) Cousins
b) Siblings
c) Step-siblings
d) Uncle and niece

How old was she when they got married?
a) 13 years old
b) 14 years old
c) 16 years old
d) 18 years old

Describe 2 things about Poe's condition/appearance when he met President Tyler?
a) Ill and disheveled
b) Dapper and cheerful
c) Wounded and restless
d) Anxious and pale

In many of Poe's stories, he seemed to be looking for proof of what?
a) Life after death
b) Existence of ghosts
c) Human resilience
d) The power of love

Poe is credited for inventing what genre of literature with his story "The Murders of the Rue Morgue"?
a) Detective fiction
b) Science fiction
c) Horror
d) Adventure

What story mimics the deaths of Poe's mother, foster-mother, and wife with its proliferation of blood exuding from the body?
a) The Tell-Tale Heart
b) The Masque of the Red Death
c) The Black Cat
d) The Pit and the Pendulum

Poe's first public success is the result of what piece of writing?
a) The Raven
b) Annabel Lee
c) The Fall of the House of Usher
d) The Cask of Amontillado

His wife died from what disease?
a) Tuberculosis
b) Pneumonia
c) Typhoid fever
d) Influenza

Poe then fell in love with Helen and proposed to her where?
a) At a masked ball
b) On a beach
c) In a garden
d) At a poetry reading

Describe some of the unusual circumstances that surrounded Poe's death? (2 or more details)
a) Found in someone else's clothes
b) Delirious and incoherent
c) Missing for several days
d) Unexplained presence in a voting booth

Answer 1

Edgar Allan Poe's life experiences, notably the death of his mother from tuberculosis and the recurring theme of loss, deeply influenced his literary work. His adoption by the Allan family and his early feats in Richmond reflect his complex character. Poe's fascination with mortality and creation of detective fiction with 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' reveal how closely his writing mirrors his personal life.

Step-by-step explanation:

The line of questioning delves deeply into the life and creative influences of the renowned author Edgar Allan Poe. When examining an author's life, we can observe how pivotal experiences and relationships shape their literary works. For instance, exploring Poe's life reveals a recurring theme of loss and death, which frequently translated into his stories. His works consistently reflect the anguish of his personal ordeals, such as the loss of loved ones, including his mother who died from tuberculosis when he was just three years old, and his wife, Virginia Clemm, who was also his cousin and only 13 years old at the time of their marriage. Additionally, Poe's adoption by the Allan family after his mother's death and his impressive feat of swimming six miles up the James River in Richmond, Virginia, contribute to our understanding of his character. The impact of his adoptive mother's death, also from tuberculosis, and his first adolescent love, Sarah Elmira Royster, further shaped Poe's psyche and thus his literary contributions.

Poe's encounter with President Tyler while looking ill and disheveled, his fascination with life after death in his stories, and his creation of the detective fiction genre with 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' further exemplify elements directly tied to his life experiences. The repeated motif of blood in his story 'The Masque of the Red Death' echoes the untimely deaths of the women close to him. His perpetual struggle with his personal demons is mirrored in his work and his tragic, mysterious death, marked by being found in someone else's clothes and displaying delirious and incoherent behavior, only adds to the enigmatic aura that surrounds his literary legacy.