Final answer:
Edgar Allan Poe faced the personal obstacle of losing his mother at a young age, which influenced his writing and affected his ability to form normal relationships.
Step-by-step explanation:
One personal obstacle that Edgar Allan Poe faced was the loss of his mother at a young age.
This experience had a profound impact on his writing, as he often explored themes of loss, grief, and longing for the past in his works.
Poe's desire to be reunited with his mother left him symbolically castrated, which affected his ability to form normal relationships, particularly with women.
This personal obstacle is reflected in his fiction and poetry, which often delve into the depths of the human psyche.