Solve the mystery…
After the
death of Poe’s wife Virginia in 1847, Poe was deeply saddened. Poe continued to work, but suffered from poor
health and financial issues. On
September 27, 1849, Poe was supposedly on his way to Philadelphia. On October 3rd,
Poe was found in great distress in Baltimore.
He was taken to Washington College Hospital and later died on October 7th. Poe’s last words were, “Lord, help my poor
soul.” Poe’s cause of death was said to
be “congestion of the brain,” although his actual cause of death has been the topic of much
speculation.
Visit the
website below to read the published theories surrounding Poe’s death. Choose a theory you believe to be the cause
of Poe’s death and comment on how Poe died and the evidence you read to support
that theory. Comments should be at least 4-6 sentences in length.
A theory I believe to be the cause of Poe's death is the one talking about how he had a pre-existing condition,possibly a brain tumor. In the piece of evidence I read that supported this topic was a letter written by Edgar Allan Poe's friend and nurse, Marie Louise Shew, to Poe's biographer, John Henry Ingram. (This is a very credible and reliable source of evidence due to the fact that at least one of the people involved in this letter personally knew Poe.) In the letter, Marie mentions some medical issues brought to her attention. Such as, "His heartbeat was irregular, and he could not consume alcohol without “producing insanity.” Some evidence that I noticed and thought it was important was the date the letter was published/written: January 23, 1875. Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7, 1849. 26 years in between the actual death of Edgar and when the letter was written. So, I believe that this evidence is a very reliable source and Edgar Allan Poe did die of health conditions.
ReplyDeleteI believe the cause of Poe's death was that he had a medical condition (a brain tumor) that he later died from. I believe he knew that he was going to die soon so he set up all of his letters/documents for his mother in law just in case he didn't return. I the evidence that persuaded me came from theory that Mary Louise Shew, Poe's nurse, created, and a magazine article that had a letter from Poe's mother in law saying that he organized his documents in case he didn't return. I believe Poe died from the tumor because his nurse said he had an irregular heartbeat and she diagnosed him with having a brain tumor. she also said that alcohol makes him insane because of the tumor. maybe by that she meant that the alcohol irritates the tumor and he died from that. a few days before he died, Poe got drunk and maybe that caused his tumor to react. I believe this is a credible source because usually when a nurse diagnoses someone, they know what is wrong with them. I believe Poe died from a brain tumor and drinking too much alcohol.
ReplyDeleteA theory that I think to have caused Poe's death was the one where he was thought to have an attack of alcohol-induced hallucinations. In the text, it said that he was found near the fourth ward polls under an attack of mania a potu, and the most shocking condition. He was then sent to the hospital until his death on October 7th. Some evidence that I found was that he used to drink excessively, so the text may have been legit. In many ways, I believe that the text was correct and true.
ReplyDeleteI believe one of the most likely causes of Poe’s death was that he had a pre-existing health condition, perhaps a brain tumor. Even if it was not a brain tumor, Poe’s drinking habits could have brought on other serious medical disorders such as liver or cardiovascular diseases, or maybe even certain cancers. Evidence for a cardiovascular disease is shown in a letter when Marie Louise Shew (Poe’s friend and nurse) says, “Mr. Poe’s heart beat only ten regular beats after which it suspended or intermitted.” Irregular heartbeat may be a sign of atrial fibrillation, in which the upper chambers of the heart twitch unevenly instead of constricting normally. Heart diseases like this may trigger strokes or heart attacks, leading to sudden death. Whether it was a brain tumor or heart disease, Marie Louise Shew is a trustworthy source, and she knew that there was something medically wrong with Poe. All in all, I think that Edgar Allan Poe passed away from medical conditions, as stated in the first theory on the website.
ReplyDeleteThe theory I believe to be correct about Poe's cause of death was that of alcohol-induced hallucinations.It states that right before his death he called for some person by the name of "Reynolds" which could possibly be a part of his hallucinations. Also in another section it was said that he was seeing imaginary objects shortly before he died.Considering that not one, but two full articles say that he saw hallucinations is in fact credible to my point that Mr. Poe had died from attacks undoubtedly caused by alcohol-induced hallucinatiions.
ReplyDeleteThe theory I believe about Poe's death is, "Poe experienced hallucinations and was “totally deranged” for ten days shortly before his arrival in Richmond. " or you could say Poe was a very depressed man. What led me to believe this was the fact that most of all his loved ones died at a very young age. But, his mother in law, who he was very close with, stayed in touch. they'd write letters back and forth, and each time Poe would get one of her letters he would feel better, happier. Also, Poe was thought to be "totally deranged" meaning very insane or mental. With my point of view I think they thought this because he liked to drink or because he sometimes heard voices. In the end, I believe Poe's death was caused by deep depression and being deranged.
ReplyDeleteThe theory that I believe to be true aboet Poe's death is of a brain tumor. The article states that Poe had a pre existing brain tumo. Also the doctors in Poe's time presumed that his cause of death was congestion of the brain. Marie Louise Shew, the nurse said that Poe had an irregular heart beat, which means that internally Poe wasn't stable. Then it was said that Poe was seeing imaginary objects before he died. There fore meaning that Poe's brain wasn't right possibly because of a brain tumor
ReplyDeleteThe theory that I believe to be the cause of Poe's death is was he had a "pre-existing condition, possibly a brain tumor" and his drinking habits. Drinking is very bad, it is not healthy for you. Poe's drinking habit could have eventually caused him to have cancer or different diseases, which could eventually cause death, if not treated correctly. Back then they didn't have all the equipment that we have right now to treat diseases, cancer, or brain tumors. It also said in the article that Poe's "heartbeat was irregular". This is not a healthy sign for people. This could have caused high blood pressure and a lot of other disorders. Marie Louise Shew, his friend and nurse, said that she had noticed Poe had symptoms that could have showed that he had a brain tumor. I believe that this is a very credible theory about Poe's death.
ReplyDeleteThe theory that I believe is true about Poe's death was caused by a brain tumor. In the article, it stated that Poe's brain was congested. The doctor (Marie Louise Shew) mentioned that Poe's brain had a lesion on one side. Having a lesion on the brain means that there was a growth on his brain causing pressure and pain to his body. I don't believe that Poe could withstand the pain without the help of medication, so he died a very painful death.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Poe was depressed, full of alcohol, and possibly drugged. His mother, wife, and adopted mother all died from tuberculosis. His father left him and his siblings. He was delerious, like most people are when drugged. Also, his body may have had a problem with alcohol (more so than normal people). He kept going through violent hallucinations, talked to imaginary objects, and subjected to memory loss. His system most likely didn't handle drugs or alcohol in a good way, so he died.
ReplyDeleteThe theory that I believe to be the cause of Poe's death was that he possibly had a pre-existing brain tumor. Marie Louise Shew which was Poe's nurse and friend said that he could not have a stimulant or toxin without producing insanity. Joseph Snodgrass said that he saw Poe in the bar-room of a house. Since Poe was dinking alcohol,(a toxin), he most likely went insane. Marie Louise Shew said this would happen. Because of Poe's brain tumor when he consumed alcohol he went insane and he ended up dying.
ReplyDeleteMy theory on the death of Poe is that his tragic losses and drinking and possibly drugs finally took a toll on him. The reason is because at the young age of two his father abandoned him and his siblings. At the age of three his mother died of tuberculosis.Then, he went to live with a foster family and eventually he married his cousin and his foster mother died. The last and final straw happened to be the death of his wife/cousin. All three women died of tuberculosis. This lead to depression which could easily cause anyone to start becoming an alcoholic, plus his father was an alcoholic so it ran in the family.
ReplyDeleteI think the theory that caused Mr. Poe's death was the one where it said Poe was suffering from "an attack of Mania A Potu" or drugs. It stated that Poe was found near the Fourth Ward Polls laboring under an attack of Mania A Potu, and in a most shocking condition. He was placed in a carriage and taken to Washington Hospital. The next day he died. Even though Poe experienced some horrible times. I think Poe died because of doing drugs.
ReplyDeleteThe theory of Poe's death that I believe is the one were he had alcoholic or drug problems. I think this because his friends and other people always saw him drunk or drinking because his life experience dramatized him. Also the doctors mentioned Poe was sweaty and shaking which is what happenes if your body goes without drugs or alcohol if your a heavy user. He was also delirious half the time which is another side effect of drugs/alcohol.
ReplyDeleteThe theory of Poe's death that I could predict that Poe was a alcoholic. The problem had may started when Poe was walking around drunk and cause him to die from drinking too much alcohol and using drugs. But, Poe wasn't wearing his clothes so Poe may have been walking around and died from someone who gave him the alcohol/drugs and took his clothes and replaced it with another set of clothes.
ReplyDeleteThe theory that I believe to have caused Poe’s death is that he had a pre-existing brain tumor. Marie Louis Shrew said that because of this tumor he could not consume any alcohol without producing insanity. An example of this insanity was when Dr. John Carter claimed Poe was drinking at a bar before leaving Richmond. Poe left with the wrong walking stick and without his luggage. I believe that Poe drank at the bar, which affected his brain tumor, producing insanity, leading to his death.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the theory of Poe having a brain tumor caused his death. It also could of been induced by the alcohol that made him produce insanity. This tumor was mostly brought on by suffering of the body and mind. There was not much hope for him. This is how I believe Poe died.
ReplyDeleteThe theory I believe that caused Poe's death was a pre-existing brain tumor. The alcohol most likely interfered with the tumor causing him to go crazy or insane like Marie Louis stated. A friend of Poe's also saw him at a bar with completely different clothes like it states he could have been robbed of his clothing while he was drunk. He also left Richmond with the wrong luggage and the wrong walking stick. All in all, I think the reason Poe died was from drinking alcohol which interfered with his brain tumor.
ReplyDeleteI beilive Poes death was because of the pre- existing tumor. the alcohol tampered with the tumor causung brain loss and letting him be forgetful.
ReplyDeleteI beilive poes death was from a pre existing tumor. And he had alcohol . A guy walked up and saw him dead and he had better closes so he took them.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Poes death was because of a pre-existing tumor. He was a alcoholic witch mad it worst. I think that the tumor is what caused his death and I think that he had to much to drink so he blacked out and died.
ReplyDeleteI believe the cause of Poes death was his pre-existing brains tumor. On top of that he had a big fever at the time and was a major alcoholic. He had an irregular heartbeat which could have caused more problems. I also believe he was going insane after suffering from the losses of all the women in his life and his childhood. I think that all of that added up to his death
ReplyDeleteI believe that caused poes death was that he had a brain tumor and he was a big alcoholic and had a fever. I also believe that he blacked out because he had so much to drink and died. he also had a fever. also he went insane after all the woman had died.
ReplyDeleteI think Poe killed himself by dirnking to much because he lost everyone that he cared about.He lost his foster mother and his real mother both by TB. His father was an achoholic and I think all that neglect caused him to kill himself. His first cuson Virginia that he married also died of TB.
ReplyDeletemy theory is that he had tuberculosis and that is why his mother, second mother, and his wife all died from tuberculosis.when he vanished he was found drunk so I think that when he consumed all of that alcoholic drinks in combined with his tuberculosis to make his mystery death.
ReplyDeleteMy theory on Edger Allan Poe's death is that he died of a brain tumor. A brian tumor can be very serious. It could be cancer and could stop functioning a part of you body. You could get a stroke and get parralized. His death was misterious and that is what i think killed him.
ReplyDeleteI think he was drunk. Because of this, he went crazy. He left his things. He was killed by someone in Baltimore.
ReplyDeleteMy theory on Poe's death is that, he was obvious not all there because of either drugs and drinking because of depression or heath issues. I really think he drank himself to almost death then was murdered. Or if he had health issues it was probably TB. Mainly because his mom, stepmom, and wife all getting the same disease he's going to be exposed to it and could be slowly developing from either of his moms or his wife.
ReplyDeleteI think the cause of Poe's death was that he drank to much and his face started to turn pale and he was covered in his own sweat . He fainted and the next morning woke up and saw that he was in the hospital and he already had a Brian tumor so when he drank to much it made the brain tumor get bigger so when he was in the hospital and didn't know where he was and he died shortly after. That's my reason or Poe death
ReplyDeleteI believe that his death was combination of thinks. I think that he was very depressed do to all the deaths in his life. So he would start to drink and witch can lead to a lot of bad things to your brain witch would end up to haunt him latter on. Then from all the damage done from drinking to his brain gave him a brain tumor and witch could be not properly medicated for it back then is what lead him to his mysterious death. So saying that i think it was like a chain reaction to his death.
ReplyDeleteMy theory on Poe's death it that, he died from a pre-existing brain tumor. He could have drank a lot which could have made the brain tumor worse. Then, he couldn't bear stimulants or tonics, without producing insanity, so those didn't help. Finally, he had an irregular heart beat. I think he died from health conditions.
ReplyDeleteI think the cause of Poe's death is from his drinking. I think that he tried to drink away all of his pain. He went to Baltimore, trying to get away from everything at home. I think he then drank some more. Drinking is very bad for you and your brain. Large amounts of it can harm you permanently.. sometimes even kill you... and I think that is what killed him. He tried to drink it away, he didn't stop, and I think he over dossed. I think that is what killed Poe.
ReplyDeleteMy theory on Poe's death is that he had a pre-existing brain tumor and had a drinking problem. He had a drinking problem which made the brain tumor worse. The brain tumor got worse as his drinking problem got worse too. He couldn't stop the drinking problem and it eventually killed him as the brain tumor did too.
ReplyDeleteI believe the cause of Poe’s death was that he was a drunk and since he showed up in a bar with clothes so unlike his own that his friends could barely even recognize him. And he became so drunk he couldn’t talk or walk, so much that he had to be carried out of the bar and sent to the hospital. He most likely traded his old nice clothes for these ugly, ratty, non-fitting new clothes because he was too drunk to realize he was getting a bad deal, or he traded them for money, which he ultimately spent on alcohol anyways. I believe Poe was a washed up drunk who ended up dying of alcohol poisoning after getting severely drunk at a bar in Baltimore.
ReplyDeleteMy theory of Poe's death was that he had a pre-existing brain tumor and a drinking problem. Which caused his irregular heartbeat which he also had worse as well as his brain tumor. I believe that one night he drank too much and got drunk and his tumor got worse and so did his heartbeat so he had a heart attack which killed him.
ReplyDeleteMy theory on Poe's death is that he had a pre-existing brain tumor and he had a bad drinking problem. I think he went to Baltimore to get away from all his troubles and worries. When he did that he ended up drinking and wouldn't stop, so that made the brain tumor worse. Then, he became an alcoholic and would constantly drink. He eventually died by his brain tumor getting worse due to the large amounts of alcohol he drank.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Poe's death was that he had a drinking problem and had a brain tumor and his brain tumor and his drinking problem act together and caused his heart attack and his death.
ReplyDeleteMy theory on Poe's death is that there are many reasons of his death. First, he had a pre-existing tumor and would heavily drink all the time. Then, he was very depressed about all the deaths that had came upon him in his life. I think the reason why he would drink a lot is because he would try to make all the pain and depression go away. He would also push all the stress away by drinking too. Therefore by his drinking issue it would make his brain tumor getting affectively worse and worse. The alcohol would interfere with his life. The article stated that a friend of Poe saw him at a bar hideously drunk and that his appearance with his clothing looked like he got robbed or cheated with trade. All in all, my theory on Poe's death is that his alcoholic issues made his brain tumor get worse and worse by the moment leading to him dying.
ReplyDeleteI believe Poe's death happened due to a lot of things. I think the first reason was he already had a brain tumor. I think his depression and drinking problems also played a big part in his death. I think all of the loved ones he lost and his health issues caused major depression and insanity. Eventually I think Poe died from constantly consuming a lot of alcohol with my brain tumor.
ReplyDeleteI believe in the theory that Poe knew he was going to die. I think that the doctors told him that he didnt have long to live do he prepared for his death. He wanted his loved ones to have everything they need in order for when he died. he was also told in another theory that if he had one more attack,he would probably die from it, which I think is what happened on his way back.
ReplyDeleteI believe Poe's death happened because he had an existing brain tumor and he excessively drank alcohol and made his brain tumor grow. One of Poe's doctors reported that Poe's heart beat only ten regular beats then it suspended and then decided that Poe had a lesion on one side of his brain. One of Poe's friends reported that he was "stupefied with liquor". After a long amount of time of drinking and having a brain tumor i think that it became too much for Poe and killed him.
ReplyDeleteMy theory on how Poe died is based on a few things. One reason why I think he died is the brain tumor found in his head. Another reason is his alcohol addiction as he spent a lot of time in bars. At these bars I believe that he was beaten because he was drunk. That is the reason why I think he died as he was beaten to death after being intoxicated at a bar.
ReplyDeleteI believe Poe's death happened due to multiple things. First off he had a brain tumor and that couldn't have been easy for him to deal with while he was depressed by the deaths of his mom and wife. Second, he couldn't consume alcohol without having any problems. Because of this, the brain tumor and the drinking problem were happening inside him and he died from that. My overall theory on Poe's death is that his brain tumor and alcohol problem cause him to become ill and soon lead to his death.
ReplyDeleteI think poes death is related to his drinking. His mom and wife had died and he had a long sense of bad luck of himself. That caused him to drink uncontrollably. He developed a brain tumor and when he drank with the brain tumor it created bad thoughts of himself. He became depressed and stopped eating and eventually died of starvation.
ReplyDeleteMy theory on how Poe died was one his brain tumor and also he was very depressed adding with his alcohol problem im thinking because of his depression because of his wife and mom both dying of the same disease an at the same age and feeling it is his fault because he thought he was cursed. since he was drinking and had a brain tumor I believe that made it worst and that was the reason why I think Edgar Allen Poe died at the age of forty.
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of way I be leave of Poe's death. I think that Poe's death was for having a brain tumor. People in his family back then had problems drinking alcohol and also had a curse on his family of his. His mom death at a young age of Poe and his wife dies at same age, also for same cause. So Poe just took one night to get every thing off his back and got a brain tumor. That how I be leave of Poe's death.
ReplyDeletei think poes death was because of a brain tumor. I think this because they say that his heart beats were irregular. also because he could not drink without having insantey. and that i how and why i think poe died.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this article, I have come to the conclusion that Poe's death was a result of a mix of poor health and a fight with bill collectors.Before his death, Poe was in debt and was trying to hide from a violent group of people whom which he owed money. He was dressed in very unusual clothes to disguise himself from the man. However, poe most likely suffered from diseases such as cholera and/or a brain tumor. In Poe's poor state of health, any amount of blut force trauma from a bill collector in a scuffle, could have resulted in enternal hemorrhaging and eventually lead to his death. Down on his luck, Poe went to a bar with the intention to drink his problems away, something he had become quite good at right before his death. Although, he feared getting caught by people he was in debt to, so he disguised himself as someone else. This plan was to no avail, for his creditors found him. There must have been a fight in trying to get any remaining money out of Poe, a fight that knocked him unconcious. A stranger found poe at the bar after the scuffle and took him the hospital. there at the hospital, Poe died from the blunt force trauma incured during the fight. Just before he died he kept having flashbacks of the fight rushing back to his memory. This explains why Poe was yelling the name "Reynolds" over and over again. Reynolds must have been the man Poe was in debt to.
ReplyDeleteone of the reasons of poes death Is his brain tumor and his alcohol problem, he had a lot of problems wrong with his family like his mom at a young age hi wife and his foster mom dying all because the same reasons so there might be like a curse on his family he might of just been stressed with all what was going on and went threw depression so that's what caused him to drink. then some how he got a brain tumor and I don't really think they had the right kind of medicine to treat that kind of stuff. Those are some of the reasons I think poe died
ReplyDeleteMy theory on Poe`s mysterious death is a combination of the many speculated ideas throughout the years after his death. With all the rumors flying around, it was basically a big game of telephone. One person tells another, and that person hears another theory and combines the two. There is no way that such a mysterious death didn`t cause buzz among society. The only possibly accurate theory that could be contracted out of the madness is to find similarities between the tales. So here it is. Poe developed a sickeness of some sort, but knows about it ahead of time and makes arrangements accordingly. When he reaches Richmond the illness becomes worse. A high fever appears along with delusions. Somewhere around this time he is robbed of his clothes due to his disadvantaged state. He was finally taken to a hospital where he dies under a nurses care. The theory lacks much detail, but was created under the similarities between the various letters and articles, but there were few to work with.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that Poe’s death was caused by a series of things. Great depression happened to follow him throughout his life, death followed and reoccurred numerous times and were upon those he happened to hold dearest to him. It happens to also appear as if he had a brain tumor; like theories stated. Alcohol helped none; it seemed and was reported that consuming the beverage set him off. Some seemed to state consuming alcohol caused his mind frame to loose its stability and come into insanity. The combination of severe depression, a drinking problem, and brain tumor never leads to a great outcome. Stated is that there is a lesion on one side of the brain; a lesion on the brain means that there was a growth on his brain causing pressure and pain to his body. Since alcohol was a common method for numbing pain back then, Edgar most likely consumed the beverage to numb the pain caused by the lesion. Like stated before, alcohol seemed to produce insanity from Mr. Edgar Allen Poe. Therefore Mr. Poe had no way of exactly ridding himself of the pain and so called insanity that seems to have haunted him until his death. To sum it all up, alcohol, depression, and the tumor are all the reasons of Poe’s death.
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons people thought of Poe's death was because of his alcohol problem he had in his life. This alcohol problem also could have caused him to have a brain tumor or he could have the same disease that killed him mother, foster mother, and his beloved wife. You never know that the family could have a mental illness. Although it was thought that he died of a brain tumor, that could have caused him to some how go into depression, but who never know what could have caused Poe to die, it will be a mystery until solved.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Poe's death was due to a couple things. First, it is known for Poe to have had a drinking addiction. Also, doctors have reported that he had a brain tumor. I think both of these things became too much for Poe's body and it just shut down.
ReplyDeleteI think Poe died because of three things. First of all he had a brain tumor that was found in his head. Second of all he had a drinking problem which probably didn't help with the tumor. Plus the it made Poe go insane. Also at a young age his mom died, years later his foster mom died of the same disease. All in all i think the depression, brain tumor, and alcohol had a big role in his death.
ReplyDeleteI believe multiple things contributed to Poe's death; things such as cholera, delirium tremens and cooping. Firstly, as stated in some of the early letters, Poe had contracted cholera which gave him a fever and spasms. Poe believed he would die from cholera but no, after Poe's trip to Richmond he had been so sick he stopped drinking, Poe was a heavy alcoholic, because of this he developed delirium tremens (DT), or sever withdraws from alcohol. DT caused his 10 day hallucination, and severe anxiety(which is why he constantly thought he was going to die). DT also causes global confusion and disorientation, this explains why several times he didn't know where he was. Near the last times Edgar Allan Poe was seen, he was at a voting booth looking very disorientated. this was most likely because he was a victim of cooping, although this was mostly relevant in 19th century this form of rigging elections was slowly taking form in the US. Most likely Poe was taken and drugged because he was already suffering from withdraws (DT) the sudden gain of toxins was too much for Poe's already fragile body. During his final moments he called out for "Renolds" who I believe was the name of one of the men who attacked Poe. Although there are many speculations to what happened to Poe, I believe that based on Edgar Allan Poe's history this is a very reasonable explanation to what happened to him.
ReplyDeleteIn my personal opinion, based on the articles, I believe that Poe died due to previously existing health problems. Upon inspection one idea sparked my interest. That being that he had some sort of brain tumor. Though we as human beings weren't as advanced as we are now in the medical industry, I still believe that the doctors who diagnosed him with congestion of the brain were liable. Also, a few theories said that he was most likely drinking that day/night meaning that he could have had to much for the brain to handle especially due to his condition. Most likely, the tumor was the main cause of death however I do believe that the excessive alcohol intake is what pushed him to his demise.
ReplyDeleteI believe poe died of a brain tumor becauce that made the most sense to me of wat could have happen. i also think poe might have had mental disabilty.like when he would have achohal he would go crazy.
ReplyDelete