Edgar Allan Poe and the Love that did not Last

Zainab Abbas Dhinojwala
9 Min Read

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Edgar Allan Poe’s first love was Elmira Royster. Like all of Edgar’s chapters in life, this one has been sad and full of tragedy. When Edgar was expelled from college because of his excessive gambling habits, he was sent back to live with his godfather, where he met Elmira Royster.

Edgar Allan Poe and the Love that did not Last 1
Source: Britannica

Their flame was one of youth and passion. Both were teenagers when they first began their courtship and seemed deeply in love. They often spent their time together and even wrote letters to each other. They soon got engaged and were in a passionate relationship filled with young love, youth, and promises. However, it did not last long.

1. Elmira’s Father Disapproves

Elmira’s father disapproved of their engagement. He did not like Edga because of his alcoholic habits, because he had been expelled from college because of gambling, and also because he was an orphan or at least somebody whose father had abandoned him. For all these reasons, Elmira’s father did not like Edgar.

Elmira’s father intercepted whatever letters Elmira sent to Edgar and whatever letters Edgar sent to Elmira. He ensured their letters did not reach each other, leading to a feeling of misunderstanding and loneliness.

Lonliness
Source: Pexels

Edgar, who had already been abandoned multiple times, was highly insecure and sensitive about this topic. He had gained trust issues and instantly believed that Elmira had abandoned him. As it turned out, that had exactly been the case. Elmira abandoned Edgar because she, too, lost trust and stability in the relationship due to the misunderstanding created by the father.

2. The Turning Point

Elmira went on to marry another man, Alexander Shelton. When Poe learned of this news, he went berserk. He started writing and soon enrolled in the army. During this time, his foster mother died, adding to the blow that had already been worn by his heart.

Edgar left the military and enrolled in a military academy in New York; his behavior and performance were drastically ill-mannered. For the first week, he did not attend any drills or training, which led to his explosion.

Edgar Allan Poe and the Love that did not Last 2
Source: Pexels

Later on, after this chapter in his life, he took to writing again. Edgar gained a lot of recognition and love for his writing. Eventually, he married his cousin, who was twelve years younger than him. They had a good life until, unfortunately, his wife also died.

3. Edgar Allan Poe’s And the Curse of Death

It seemed that death followed Edgar Allan Poe wherever he went.

This tells the sorrowful story of Edgar Allan Poe and his first love, Elmira Royster. It describes the events in Edgar’s life, from his expulsion from college to his engagement with Elmira and their eventual separation due to misunderstanding and interference from Elmira’s father.

The story is filled with sad events and tragedies that shape Edgar’s personality and writing style. The text provides a glimpse into one of the most famous writers in history and shows how his personal life was intertwined with his writing.

One of the greatest writers in history had to face one of the greatest tragedies in life, not once, not twice, but multiple times. From this point onwards, Edgar Allan Poe took on writing aggressively. He wrote, he published, he wrote, he published.

Edgar Allan Poe and the Love that did not Last 3
Source: Pexels

He never moved on from his first love, Elmira Royster, or fully named Sarah Elmira Royster Shelton, Shelton being her married name. Poe used to write passionate and sorrowful poetry, focusing on romance and regret.

Poe could not forget Elmira, even after she had married off to another man. Hence, he continued to express his feelings on paper. This tells us that Poe tended to live and mop in the past. This trait largely impacted his mental health, as he was always in an intoxicated or depressed state of mind.

Edgar did not know what else to do; his writing had become his obsession and the major means of his livelihood, and he had no other qualifications or jobs. Life’s events took place in such a way that there came a time in both Elmira and Edgar’s lives when they were both widowed in the same timeline.

4. Elmira’s Presence In Edgar’s Married Life

Elmira abandoned Edgar in their youth by marrying another man; however, she remained one of Edgar’s well-wishers. In the days that followed Edgar and Virginia’s (Edgar’s wife and cousin) marriage of 9 years, Virginia fell victim to death.

Virginia died of the same disease that took away Edgar’s mother: Tuberculosis. However, before she died, the married couple had been approached by Elmira for any financial assistance. It was evident that Edgar’s sole writing career wasn’t keeping them very healthy.

Virginia denied any help from Elmira and soon passed away after 9 years of companionship.

5. The Union Of Edgar and Elmira

The long-last, star-crossed lovers—one abandoned and one objectionable to her past deeds—were present when Virginia died of tuberculosis. Elmira was present to offer condolences and comfort to Edgar. She tried to be a good friend and compensate for their past.

At this point, Elmira and Edgar were also widowed. This allowed them to explore their friendship and relationship further. What started as a friendly gesture to comfort an old friend in a tragedy rolled into deeper feelings.

Edgar wanted to be engaged to Elmira all over again. But it would seem that Elmira did not approve of this idea. Edgar chased Elmira for months but to no avail. Some records even mention that Edgar tried to convince Elmira’s aunt to let them get engaged.

Their love continued in secrecy. Even though Elmira did not give in, eventually, they fell into their feelings and reunited, only to last four more years. Many say that Elmira and Edgar were engaged when Edgar passed away for an unknown reason.

They reconnected in the late 1980s, and their love life again blossomed. Both are still young and yearning. They spent time with each other, and it felt like, after all the hardships, they were destined to live together. However, life had different plans that would not play out for them in the way they wanted.

6. The Death of Edgar Allan Poe

The exact cause, both healthwise and mindwise, of Edgar Allan Poe’s death remains unknown. There are no accurate sources that tell us how exactly Poe died. But there are many assumptions. It seems that the likely ways Edgar would have died are alcoholism, substance abuse, or suicide.

One of the greatest horror fiction and detective writers left his readers with a mystery never to be solved. How did Poe die? Only he could tell us.

Elmira continued to support Edgar’s family. She assisted them in publishing his works posthumously and ensured that his rights were properly transferred to the family he left behind.

If you want to know more about Edgar, then check out Edgar Allan Poe’s Life and Writing, the Dark Impact and the Bright Influence

Last Updated on by Rajeshwari_Das

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By Zainab Abbas Dhinojwala Content Writer
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A passionate prose editor and a prodigious reader, Zainab hails from a Literature background and has experience in academic writing and free-verse creative writing. Zainab considers herself a tourist of the world, a traveler and an insatiable explorer who will bring you accurate research and experience-based content through her detailed and comprehensive writing. Education: 1. The Bound Publishing Course 2. English Literature Specialization: Writing, Editing, and Literature Qualifications/ Certifications 1. Certified Graduate of The Bound Publishing Course with a Specialization in Editing 2. BA in English Literature
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