Poe and Boston

Abstract

This chapter considers Poe’s complex and often tumultuous relationship with Boston, the city of his birth, from his grandmother’s and parents’ theatrical performances to his efforts to return as a young poet, as a speaker on the lyceum circuit, and as an author published in such periodicals as The Flag of Our Union. The chapter examines key episodes in Poe’s life related to Boston—the publication of his first volume of poetry, Tamerlane, his enlistment in the U.S. Army, his verbal rows with members of the Boston literati, including the 1845 Boston Lyceum appearance, and his romantic/literary relationships and failed suicide attempt in Boston. It also considers places and spaces in Boston related to his professional life, perceptions of Poe by Bostonians, and his reception today in Boston with the installation of Stefanie Rocknak’s Poe statue.