When you hear the name Edgar Allen Poe, you might think about dark turrets, croaking crows, and crazy hair, but there was much more to the famous writer than his legend suggests. Edgar Allen Poe was an interesting character who led an extraordinary life full of mystery and action.   

Edgar Allen Poe: The Writer 

Most people have heard the name Edgar Allen Poe; after all, he is the Godfather of macabre and gothic horror, but it seems there is more to this literary visionary than meets the eye – he might well have been better known for his contribution to military service in a different story.   

Edgar Allen Poe: The Artificer 

It’s not what you think. An artificer is not someone who creates the artifice of life – something that Poe proved to be equally skilled at. In fact, an artificer is a special rank of artilleryman which Poe achieved in his short stint in the army before he left to become a famous man of letters.

Edgar Allen Poe: The Cadet 

A question mark remains, was Edgar Allen Poe a cadet, or was he not? According to a recent Netflix movie and a 2003 novel, Poe became a police cadet at West Point when he left the Army. Most of the story is fictional, except the part about Poe becoming a cadet after leaving the army. 

In the End 

Edgar Allen Poe is famous for his poem The Raven and the gothic short story The Fall of the House of Usher, he is less well-known for his time in the army or his time as a police cadet, but that doesn’t make it any less interesting or relevant. Now you can enjoy the movie with the facts.