Edgar Allan Poe, an often misunderstood literary mind, best known for his extraordinary tales of horror, forbidden love, madness, and mystery, is more than he seems. Although his genres of expertise may indicate otherwise, Poe was a highly sociable person, a gentleman by trade, and possessed more practical military experience than any other major American author in history. As a writer, Poe drew much of his inspiration from his surroundings. His enlistment in the Army contributed significantly to his repertoire and inspired some of his greatest works, including “'The Gold Bug;' “The Man Who Was Used,” a satire of Southern frontier politics; “The Balloon Hoax,” set along the mid-Atlantic Carolina coast; “The Oblong Box,” which involves a trip out of Charleston Harbor; [and] 'The Cask of Amontillado,' perhaps based on a Fort Independence/Castle Island legend” (Beidler, Soldier 342). His mother's death and his unfortunate love life played another important role in his writing, giving him the ability to write about “. . . the intense symbiosis between love and hate. . . [illustrating that] love is rarely as simple or happy as one hopes” (Hoffman 81). Poe's chilling tales remain popular today and have a long history of inspiring notable books and other cultural mainstays of entertainment. On January 19, 1809, Edgar Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His mother, Elizabeth Arnold Poe, a beautiful English actress, died on December 8, 1811, in Richmond, Virginia. Poe believed that he inherited his talent for reciting verse primarily from his mother. He perceived her in an almost angelic light, and his many attempts to find a woman who could match his memory are imprinted on his poet... middle of paper... contempt for democracy in some of his most notable work , such as "The Man Who Was Used" (1839) and "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether" (1842). After more than 150 years, Edgar Allan Poe's bizarre death and the days leading up to it remain the subject of speculation. The events leading up to his final breath stage a dark and unfortunate mystery worthy of Poe himself. Poe's scary stories serve as useful inspiration for entertainment in the present and for many years to come. The timeless relevance of his work and his unsparing examination of the human condition cement his place in history and his position of great admiration. In conclusion, the extraordinarily fleeting and tragic life of Edgar Allan Poe will forever be recorded as the story of an orphan, a gentleman, a soldier, and one of the most important literary figures in American history..