This Paper is about Edgar Allen Poe. Through out his life bad luck and misfortune seemed to follow him until his death. It seems as if from women and through out his time as an author there was no escaping it. This paper will discuss some of the misfortunes and bad luck that was in Poe's life.

Women were the most important aspect to Poe's life, Unfortunately all the women he ever loved died. His mother died of turbculoses when Poe was only three. Then Poe was taken in by the Allen family. After becoming quite attached to his stepmother died of turbculoses, while Edgar was still in his teens. His next fist love Merrie died of Brain Cancer, then Frances Allen his third love died of turboculoses. And finally his wife Virginia died of turbculoses. The Red Death in the Mask of the Red Death was turbculoses or at least in Poe's eyes it was.

Not all Poes bad luck was fate however some of it was self induced. Such as when he went to meet the President about a job. Luckily, the Presidents son intercepted Poe and told him to come back tomorrow. When Poe did come back the next day he tried to sell magazine subscriptions to the President. Another example would be after the Raven was published he was asked to do readings, Poe showed up to these readings drunk.

In Conclusion whether self-induced or fate was dealt a bad draw. And when he got a chance to pull himself out he chose not to. All the people he cared about died which pushed Poe into deep depression and Alcoholism. Although his life was a tragedy through fault of default I can't help but wonder if he would be as famous is he is now with out all the bad luck and misfortune.