Edger Allen Poe was born to traveling actors in Boston on January 19, 1809. Poe was the second of three children in his family. Three years after Poe's birth, both his parents had died and he was taken in by wealthy tobacco merchant John Allan and his wife Frances Valentine Allan in Richmond, Virginia, while Poe's siblings went to live in other families (Life). He was a very talented writer from a young age. By the age of thirteen, Poe had written enough poetry to publish a book, but was advised against it by his supervisor (Life). In 1826, Poe left Richmond to attend the University of Virginia, where he excelled in his classes while accumulating considerable debt. He took up gambling to repay his debts, but was unable to do so. After being humiliated at the collage, Poe returned to Richmond and visited the home of his fiancée Elmira Royster, only to discover that she had become engaged to another man in Poe's absence (Life). He then published his first book Tamerlan when he was only eighteen years old. Two years later he learned that Frances Allan, the only mother he had ever known, was dying of tuberculosis and wanted to see him before she died, but by the time Poe returned to Richmond she had already been buried (Life). He then joined the army and attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, but before leaving he published another volume of poetry. Poe continued to write and publish numerous books and poetry. He found a new woman to love, but in 1842 she contracted tuberculosis and died, leaving Poe heartbroken (Life). He faced many trials throughout his life until October 7, 1849, when he died at the age of forty. The exact cause of Poe's death still remains a mystery today (Life). Poe wrote through the troubles middle of paper......n of this character makes one wonder if sanity was even a factor in this story. The character development throughout the story shows how the character went from sanity to madness in a short period of time. Studies in Short Fiction 16.3 (1979): 231. Academic Research Premier. Marry. April 15, 2014 “The Life of Poe”. Edgar Allan Poe Museum: Poe's Life, Legacy, and Works: Richmond, Virginia.Np., nd Web. April 20, 2014. "The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe - Poestories.com." Poems. Np, and Web. April 22, 2014. “Tuberculosis in Europe and North America, 1800-1922.” » Open collections program: Contagion. Np, and Web. April 22, 2014.Wing-chi Ki, Madeleine. “Ego-Evil and “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Renascence 61.1 (2008): 25-38. Introduction to academic research. Internet. April 15. 2014