![]() ![]() Why I was not a priest is a mystery, for I feel I am now a prophet. “How can Iīelieve in Providence when you look coldly upon me, was it not you who renewed my hopes and faith in God? Indeed, the most revealing comment we have is from one of Poe’s letters to Mrs. It should be noted, of course, that Poe and Hopkinsĭisliked each other intensely, for personal reasons. Reprinted in Miller, Building Poe Biography, p. smoked, drank, and played cards like gentlemen, and never said a wordĪbout religion” (John Henry Hopkins to Marie Louise Shew, Feb. Shew, quotes Poe (probably in 1848) as saying “They were highly cultivated gentlemen and In Fordham, NY, Poe often played cards with Jesuits who lived nearby. Poe married Virginia on May 16, 1836, their vows were administered by the Reverend Amasa Convers, a Presbyterian Refused to attend classes or church services, clearly indicating that in prior months, he had gone to both. School days at Bransby’s Manor House School, suggests that there were mandatory morning and evening servicesĪs an adult, Poe’s involvement with organized religion is less certain. Poe’sĭescription of school life in “William Wilson,” by Poe’s own admission based loosely on his own That he wasĪlso given lessons of a religious nature at the school of Reverend Bransby seems inherently obvious. Surprised that one of the subjects Poe was taught at the London school of the Misses Dubourg was the Catechism of It would have been nearly impossible to avoidīeing bathed in a general consensus of the existence of God and the importance of religion. Theory of evolution and the unutterable horrors of the Civil War. One must also remember theĭominant role of Christianity in the United States in the nineteenth century, especially before Darwin’s Mabbott feels that Poe was probably confirmed at Monumental Episcopal Church by bishop Richard Channing Moore ( Mabbott, Poems, 1969, p. (ThisĮvent is the origin of Allan appearing as Poe’s middle name.) Although no actual record exists, T. Not quite 3 years old, Edgar wasīaptized on Januby the Reverend John Buchanan, with John and Frances Allan as his godparents. Theme Poe would enshrine in several stories, most notably in “ The Blackĭetails of Poe’s personal exposure to religion are sparse but compelling. Even the best of intentions sometimes fail to control our actions, a One must be careful, however, not to rush to use this flaw to negate all possibility thatĪllan sincerely believed in God or morality. Least accepted a share of the financial obligations, indicates a personal weakness which clearly goes against the Now part of the collection of the Poe Museum in Richmond, VA.) At least one illegitimate child, for whom Allan at Painting of “the holy family,” a nativity scene complete with putti and seraphim. One of the surviving artifacts from Moldavia, John Allan’s elegant Richmond mansion, is a large Scotch Presbyterian, may have visited from time to time, if only for maintaining business contacts in theĬommunity. Francis and Edgar regularly attended services there. When the Monumental Episcopal Church wasīuilt in 1814, John Allan purchased pew number 80 for $340 ( Poe Log, p. One might question the depth of his sense of charity or forgiveness. Religious than his wife, strongly adhered to such Christian virtues as hard work, honesty and thriftiness, though By all accounts, FrancisĪllan, Poe’s foster-mother, was a pious and deeply religious woman. Poe’s upbringing in this regard appears to have been quite typical for his era. Have suggested, rather dramatically, that Poe’s only god was Art. Others assume his position based on the negativeĮvidence that there is no overtly moral preaching and relatively little mention of religion in his writings. Surprise, and was likely to say something merely for effect. Effusive enthusiasm was likely to raise Poe’s sense of the contrary. Hopkins, were often themselves quite zealous in Recall him as having no religion, such as R. Should we expect one.) We are, therefore, left to divine it for ourselves. Writings do we find a straightforward and definitive statement of his position on this topic. As with so many otherĪspects of Poe’s life, however, the truth is far less simplistic. A common, almost automatic, assumption about Poe is that he was an irredeemable atheist.
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