Poe was never reunited with his siblings as a family. Sadly, things weren’t easy for Rosalie and Henry, as if fortune turned back on them. For many years, Henry sailed around the world. On returning to Baltimore, he started writing short stories and poems. One of his works called “The Pirate” described the first relationship between Edgar Poe and his adolescent sweetheart Sarah Elmira Royster. Unfortunately, Henry died very young, when he was just twenty-four years old. Interestingly, his sister’s life was also covered in mystery and misfortunes. Even her exact date of birth was unknown. There was speculation that Rosalie was not the true child of either David or Eliza Poe, and that her real father was supposedly the prominent actor John Howard Payne. Even Edgar Poe added fuel to the fire when he once said that Rosalie was actually his older sister. Rumors persist that when Rosalie was still a child, a wealthy resident of Richmond left her an enormous fortune. She was the sole heiress in his will, which gave rise to many curious speculations, rumors, and legends. As for her foster family, no one knows exactly whether she was treated like a family member or merely a ward. Unfortunately, Rosalie’s adult life was also a failure. She was said to walk the streets trying to sell postcards of her famous brother. As I see it, she was devastated and scared. Being unemployed, it was the only possible way to earn her living. She had no one to rely on and was left alone to survive in this world. Eventually, she lost heart. Rosalie spent her last days in a charity home.
Let’s go back to the childhood of Edgar Poe. Taking pity on the baby, John and Frances Allan became his foster family, but they never adopted him officially. Poe seemed to have a strong bond with his foster mother, but he couldn’t find a common language with his foster father. In fact, John Allan was a wealthy merchant and wanted Edgar to follow in his footsteps. He didn’t approve of his passion for literature. Edgar, in turn, had no interest in taking up the family business. It’s not surprising that they didn’t get along well with each other. Though it’s commonly believed that opposites attract, in reality, the reverse is true. As I see it, Edgar Poe lived for his ideas and, like most writers, needed inspiration and privacy. Poe was a dreamer who lived in his little world, while his foster father was more down-to-earth and focused on material goods. Money had always been a touchy subject for John Allan, and he often accused Edgar of being ungrateful. No matter how complicated the relationship between Edgar and his foster father was, he got education at expensive boarding schools. Frances Allan was the complete opposite of her husband. She always gave Edgar care and attention and even encouraged his desire to become a poet.