Where's Marty? Learning more about the history of Edgar Allan Poe

Hi Everyone!

The sting of the Ravens loss has left me. It is kind of like a cut;  it hurts for a day then scabs over, and done. With that, the painful loss is done. But we did have a couple of cool Ravens stories planned for this week, win or lose, and today was one. Welcome to 304 N. Amity Street, the home of Edgar Allan Poe.

In his life, Poe wrote more than just "The Raven." His works are many and studied to this day. But in Charm City that football tie-in does creat a good buzz for the home of the original goth poet, and his wife Virginia. (She died of TB very young at 24 years old, but he continued to live on Amity Street. It was him remembering her final days  when Poe delared, "I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity." He was a heavy thinker at the poets desk, and away from it.) 

The house is a National Historic Landmark, and a United for Libraries Literary Landmark. He was, simply put, legend. And when fans voted through a Baltimore Sun contest co-sponsored with the footballl team for the name Raven to be used, Edgar Allan Poe's legend grew to a wider audience. And our purple color came from the poem. Colors were important to Poe, and he used them a lot in his works. This is the first purple reference in, "The Raven";

     And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain

Thrilled me—filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;

    So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating

    "'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door—

Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;—

            This it is and nothing more."

Today we met with the director of the Poe House, and Museum, Enrica Jang, and one of the Poe House tour guides. They are helping me hold one of my favorite tee shirts, (shout out Under Armour for creatng this perfect Baltimore football tee shirt.) This is how engrained the poet, team, and city are.

Enrica told us that YES during this exciting season they did get an uptick in attendance, calls, and website visits. Being a city tourist attraction, both said many more than just a few visiting fans, wearing their team gear, came by. And a few did not make the connection to the football Ravens until the visit. All in all, a good "WM?" today. In the second half hour, we learned of his military service. In fact, he was a Master Sergeant in the Army. Listen, you'll hear the story.  

For more information including how to book a tour, and Poe House/Museum events. You can find the website here. 

And I leave you with the final words of Edgar Allan Poe's, "The Raven." The tormented subject's last words on his lost love;

    And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

    And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,

    And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

            Shall be lifted—nevermore!

Marty B!