Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe
Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe | |
|---|---|
 Virginia Poe, as painted after her death | |
| Born | Virginia Eliza Clemm August 15, 1822 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | January 30, 1847 (aged 24) Bronx County, New York, U.S. Pulmonary tuberculosis |
| Resting place | Westminster Hall and Burying Ground, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Occupation | Poetess |
| Genre | Acrostic |
| Notable works | An unnamed acrostic poem (dated 1846) |
| Spouse | Edgar Allan Poe (married 1835 or 1836 – 1847) |
| Children | None known |
Virginia Eliza Poe (née Clemm; August 15, 1822 – January 30, 1847) was an American poetess who was the spouse (wife) of Edgar Allan Poe. She was the poetess of only a single poem. They were first cousins. They first met in 1829. She was seven at the time.[1]
Biography[change | change source]
Virginia Clemm was born in 1822 to parents William Clemm and his spouse (wife) Maria Poe. Virginia's father William died when she was a child.
In 1829, when Virginia's first cousin Edgar Allan Poe, the infamous American poet, fell into poverty, he moved into his aunt's house, where he met Virginia, then seven years old. Over the years, Edgar fell in love with Virginia. He decided that he wanted to marry her in the summer of 1835, when she was 13, and he was 26. (This is only known through letters he wrote to his aunt Maria). Even though it has been disputed exactly when Edgar and Virginia got married (due to lack of records), it is known that they were already married shortly before Virginia turned 14. This means Edgar and Virginia got married in either 1835 or 1836.
Virginia's husband Edgar realized she had great talent in singing and encouraged her to sing songs.
In 1841, Virginia began to cough frequently, especially while singing to her husband and mother. Despite this, her husband encouraged her to continue singing. The coughing did not improve over time.
By the middle of January 1842, while Virginia was singing, she began coughing up blood. At first, Edgar was of little concern, but when the coughing got worse and more blood began to come out after some time, Edgar's concern grew. Virginia was taken to a physician who diagnosed her with having tuberculosis. Upon hearing this, Edgar later moved her to the countryside hoping the nature over there would ease Virginia's pain. Virginia stayed in the countryside for around seven months, only to become weaker and much more ill during this time. By January 1847, Virginia was so weak and ill that she was starting to die.
Virginia died on the 30th of January 1847, at the age of 24.
Her body was buried in the nearby cemetery, but later moved to the Westminster Hall and Burying Ground in Baltimore, Maryland.
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Sova, Dawn B. Edgar Allan Poe A to Z: The Essential Reference to His Life and Work. New York: Checkmark Books, 2001. ISBN 978-0-8160-4161-9.