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Hopkins,anEnglishactress,and,thematchmeetingwithparental
disapproval,hadhimselftakentothestageasaprofession.
NotwithstandingMrs.Poe’sbeautyandtalenttheyoungcouplehad
asorrystruggleforexistence.WhenEdgar,attheageoftwoyears,
wasorphaned,thefamilywasintheutmostdestitution.Apparentlythe
futurepoetwastobecastupontheworldhomelessandfriendless.But
fatedecreedthatafewglimmersofsunshineweretoilluminehislife,
forthelittlefellowwasadoptedbyJohnAllan,awealthymerchant
ofRichmond,Va.Abrotherandsister,theremainingchildren,were
caredforbyothers.
InhisnewhomeEdgarfoundalltheluxuryandadvantagesmoney
couldprovide.Hewaspetted,spoiledandshownofftostrangers.
InMrs.Allanhefoundalltheaffectionachildlesswifecouldbestow.
Mr.Allantookmuchprideinthecaptivating,precociouslad.Atthe
ageoffivetheboyrecited,withfineeffect,passagesofEnglishpoetry
tothevisitorsattheAllanhouse.
FromhiseighthtohisthirteenthyearheattendedtheManorHouse
school,atStoke-Newington,asuburbofLondon.ItwastheRev.Dr.
Bransby,headoftheschool,whomPoesoquaintlyportrayed
in“WilliamWilson.”ReturningtoRichmondin1820Edgarwassent
totheschoolofProfessorJosephH.Clarke.Heprovedanaptpupil.
YearsafterwardProfessorClarkethuswrote:
“Whiletheotherboyswrotemeremechanicalverses,Poewrote
genuinepoetry;theboywasabornpoet.Asascholarhewas
ambitioustoexcel.Hewasremarkableforself-respect,without
haughtiness.Hehadasensitiveandtenderheartandwoulddoanything
forafriend.Hisnaturewasentirelyfreefromselfishness.”
AttheageofseventeenPoeenteredtheUniversityofVirginia
atCharlottesville.Heleftthatinstitutionafteronesession.Official
recordsprovethathewasnotexpelled.Onthecontrary,hegained
acreditablerecordasastudent,althoughitisadmittedthat
hecontracteddebtsandhad“anungovernablepassionforcard-
playing.”ThesedebtsmayhaveledtohisquarrelwithMr.Allan
whicheventuallycompelledhimtomakehisownwayintheworld.
Earlyin1827Poemadehisfirstliteraryventure.HeinducedCalvin
Thomas,apoorandyouthfulprinter,topublishasmallvolumeofhis
versesunderthetitle“TamerlaneandOtherPoems.”In1829wefind
PoeinBaltimorewithanothermanuscriptvolumeofverses,whichwas
