Edgar Allen Poe is one of the most famous American writers of all time. Yet he was almost ignored while he was alive. He spent much of his life in desperate struggle trying to earn enough money to support himself. As a child, he was an excellent athlete. As he grew older, he was subject to fits of depression and became an alcoholic. He was thrown out of the U.S. Military Academy. He had a hard time holding a steady job. He married his 13-year-old cousin. His problems may have been a result of losing both his parents when he was very young. Poe"s turmoil is reflected in his stories and poems. They show the horror and anguish that he almost always felt.