Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer known for his mysterious and grim short stories. As well, most of his works are characterized by uncertainty, unpredictability, and ambiguity; his death continues to provoke many concerns, questions, and debates. Poe died on October 7, 1849, and no medical records or death certificates were found. Some people consider hypoglycemia as the main cause of death, while others support the impact of suicidal depression, drug overdose, and even a brain tumor. Many arguments support alcoholism as the cause of Poe’s death, including his friends’ testimonials, newspapers’ reports about brain congestion, and social observations.
Alcoholism affects people in various ways, and some factors prove Poe’s death because of alcohol-related euphemisms. For example, Joseph Snodgrass, the writer’s friend, admitted his systematic drunken and repulsive state, cheap clothes, and strange behaviors (as cited in Pruitt, 2018). Alcoholism could aggravate such emotional and physiological changes, leading to death. In addition, some newspapers wrote that Poe had congestion of the brain provoked by alcohol poisoning (Pruitt, 2018). Finally, his membership in the temperance movement and communication with other people served as evidence when the writer shared his thoughts about the impossibility of resisting social temptation. His image of a womanizer and a bankrupt could not be ignored (Pruitt, 2018). People believed that he drank a lot, explaining alcohol as an attempt to solve or, at least, forget his problems.
The life and death of Edgar Allan Poe were never simple, and many people across the globe get involved in this discussion regularly. The opinions of his friends, the preferred style of life, and the public mind may be used as strong arguments for alcohol as the thing that killed a famous writer. Poe’s story shows that alcoholism is not only a life-long problem but a trigger for other serious complications, including brain problems, mental disorders, and ambivalent behavior.
Reference
Pruitt, S. (2018). The riddle of Edgar Allan Poe’s death. History.com. Web.