Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer and poet known for his works of Gothic fiction and mystery. He married his cousin Virginia Clemm in 1836 in Baltimore. She later died of tuberculosis in 1847. Poe himself died in 1849 at the young age of 40, though he was considered one of the best writers of his time and is renowned for works like "The Black Cat" which is thought to represent the dark times in his life through symbolism of alcohol and a black cat.