Edgar Allan Poe, a well-known American author best renowned for his poetry and tales of mystery and the macabre, was married to Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe. Given that they were first cousins and that she was just 13 at the time of their marriage and Edgar was 26 at the time, their union attracted attention. She was raised in a lowly, humble environment and was a loving wife to an adulterous husband. Sadly, she developed tuberculosis and had to endure its effects for the final five years of her life, passing away at the age of 24. Due to the fact that they didn’t have any children and acted more like a brother and sister, her relationship with her spouse came under scrutiny. Poe’s work makes it clear that he was motivated by his wife’s youth and suffering, which served as the inspiration for the majority of his poetry and prose. Because of his shock over Virginia’s passing, he began to drink heavily after her passing and continued to do so until his own death from tuberculosis. Virginia will always serve as an illustration of the positive influence a committed wife may have on her husband. He courted other women after she passed away and flirted with them while she was still living, but he was so smitten of his wife’s beauty and simplicity that he was never able to start another serious relationship.
Children and Life
William Clemm, Jr. and Maria Poe welcomed Virginia Eliza Clemm into the world on August 15, 1822 in Baltimore, Maryland. Virginia’s father, a hardware retailer, passed away when she was four years old. She had five half-siblings from her father’s prior marriage to her mother’s cousin, who passed away from illness, and two brothers from her parents’ previous union.
Her mother took in boarders and sewn clothing for a living to make ends meet. By 1836, Virginia was the sole child Virginia’s mother had after the deaths of her two brothers. When she was seven years old, after being released from the Army, her cousin Edgar Poe moved in with them for a period. Young Virginia served as a go-between when he courted their neighbor Mary Devereaux at this time.
Upon the passing of her grandmother, who was responsible for providing the family with an annual pension, their financial situation deteriorated. The family later objected to Edgar’s proposal to wed Virginia because they were first cousins. Neilson, Virginia’s other cousin, offered to house and teach her in order to break up the connection.
However, because of their precarious situation, her mother approved the union when Virginia was only 13 and Edgar was 27. Due to the controversy surrounding the couple’s biological relationship and age, the wedding was held in a low-key manner. She was listed as 21 when they got married on formal documents.
After the wedding, Virginia and her mother relocated to Richmond and were supported financially by Edgar, who earned pitiful money from his writing profession. He decided to tutor his young wife in math and English, which she did exceptionally well in.
Virginia was a modest housewife who stood firmly by her husband’s side and supported him. Her young age and pain from a protracted sickness served as the basis for her husband’s literature.
Virginia’s life is depicted in her husband’s poetry, which includes the poems “Annabel Lee,” “Ulalume,” and “Lenore.”
She is also included in two of his short stories: “Eleonora,” about a guy who marries his first cousin, and “The Oblong Box,” about a man who carries his wife’s body on a boat.
Personal Legacy & Life
The relationship between Virginia and her first cousin, Edgar Allan Poe, has always been controversial. Some claim that the couple had a more sibling-like connection and that they never actually got married. Others claim that Edgar had strong feelings for his cousin. Another school of thought contends that she served as an inspiration for his work and that he never had any sexual feelings for her.
Before she turned sixteen, they slept apart; after that, they cohabitated like a typical couple. They supported one another and had a really particular love for one another. But they weren’t parents.
During her day, it was usual for first cousins to get married. However, getting married at 13 wasn’t. She worshipped Edgar, who was seduced by her attractiveness. Because he was an orphan when he was a young child and had experienced life without parental guidance, he was extremely loyal to his wife.
Frances Sargent Osgood was a married poet who was renowned for flirting with Edgar. Virginia is thought to have supported the connection because it helped her husband, who was frequently under the influence of alcohol, become more sober.
Elizabeth F. Ellet, a poet in her husband’s life who was envious of Osgood and Virginia, was another woman in his life. She continued to sour Virginia’s relationship with her husband by writing her fictitious letters about him. She didn’t question her husband’s love for her, though, and she remained faithful to him.
She began experiencing tuberculosis symptoms in the middle of 1842, and she also started vomiting blood. Her condition continued to change, which caused her husband’s behavior to become severely depressed. The family moved homes several times over the course of the following couple of years in the hopes that a change of scenery might improve her condition.
Despite being aware that she was dying, she wished to stay at her husband’s side. To pass the time, she started gardening and learned to play the piano and harp. Her husband gave her words of encouragement and said that she was the source of all of his creative ideas. However, he developed tuberculosis as well, and his health started to decline.
Five years of sorrow ended in January 1847 with the passing of Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe. Her passing had a terrible impact on her husband, who turned heavily to drink and suffered health problems as a result. Virginia’s mother took care of him till his passing in 1849. On the 76th anniversary of her husband’s birth, Virginia’s remains were eventually reinterred next to him in 1885.
Estimated Net Worth
Virginia is one of the wealthiest and most well-liked family members. Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe’s net worth is roughly $1.5 Million, per our analysis of data from sources like Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.
Trivia
The only portrait of Virginia that exists was created by an artist that her husband hired after she passed away, using the model of her corpse in the coffin.
Poe’s poetry frequently depicts his wife Virginia’s struggles in life. He was one of the earliest writers in America to produce detective fiction and works that bordered on science fiction.
In their debut album, “Le Pop,” the Norwegian band “Katzenjammer” depicts the life of Virginia, a girl who marries at the age of 13, whose husband flirts with other women, and who passes away young due to a protracted sickness.
Virginia shared a home with her mother, husband, and the cat she adored, Caterina.
Virginia’s husband courted various women soon after she passed away, but he was unable to build lasting connections with any of them because of his grief over his late wife.