Posted on 11/01/2018 7:10:31 PM PDT by Western Phil
How He Probably Died To this day, physicians argue over the cause of his death. Alcoholism was ruled out because he did not have signs of alcohol withdrawal. On his deathbed he lapsed in and out of a coma and babbled incoherently. The most logical explanation for his death is that a few days before his death, he began to drink heavily, wandered drunk into the streets and fell into the hands of a gang of vote-repeaters. It was election day, and elections in Baltimore were won by the people who could threaten and force the most people to vote for them. So gangs went out and threatened to kill anyone who didnt do what they told them to do. They forced people to vote, then change clothes and go back to the polls to vote again and again. That would explain why Poe was found in horrible clothes that could not possibly have been his. The most likely cause of his death was brain damage from being beaten by the thugs.
(Excerpt) Read more at drmirkin.com ...
That's an odd statement for a doctor to make.
An absence of withdrawal symptoms does not rule out alcoholism. Perhaps he died from alcohol poisoning, which IIRC has a much higher risk of death than withdrawal.
Of course, it may have been that his depression was the reason why he relied on his writing to earn a living (i.e. too depressed to hold a job).
Longfellow sent a letter to be read at Poe’s funeral. If he were the stand-up guy you believe, it was not negative.
Personally, I know very little of Longfellow.
“...because it may be the more scandalous things that are remembered.”
Scholars today believe all those supposed scandalous accusations about Poe were only smears, character assassination.
Spare yourself. You stepped on a turd and the best thing now is to throw the shoe away lol.
Your appreciation of the poem is admirable.
As an aside, I can’t think of Poe and his great work without thinking about The Alan Parsons project and their debut album. An incredible piece of work.
I don’t know about “scholars,” but the bible says that out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.
“...but the bible says that out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.”
You missed the point; Poe did not necessarily do or speak what has been attributed to him. All that was published by a man who hated him and did not have honesty as his goal.
Oh, I wasn’t aware that people ghost wrote for Poe. If they did, then I wonder how he got chosen to be the ostensible mouthpiece.
“Oh, I wasnt aware that people ghost wrote for Poe. If they did, then I wonder how he got chosen to be the ostensible mouthpiece.”
You are pranking, are you not? If you are serious, you are insane.
Just following on to your own logic.
Wake up... a chap who liked to churn out the macabre had got a bad obsession.
And he might have had a bad obsession. But I don’t particularly want to see folks celebrate sharing in it... hokay?
How’d Poe get in a pantheon?
Hmmm...... on deep reflection, I have no favorite poet.
Willy Nelson perhaps
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