And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain/Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before. These are words spoken by the forever infamous Edgar Allan Poe. With this being the season of Halloween, and UMBC located right next to Baltimore City, it would be a crime not to mention one of the most horrific and famous poetic artists from this area.

Edgar Allan Poe spent most of his life in Baltimore and always admitted that he had a strange attraction to the city. Some of his works are said to have taken place in the very city itself. One of his most famous works is entitled "The Raven," in which the notable one-word phrase was born: Nevermore! But one thing remains unknown and has forever clouded the history of this man of sorrow: the mystery surrounding his death.

Anyone can visit his grave in downtown Baltimore. It is located directly behind and accessible through the courtyard area and street that is between the University of Maryland School of Law and the University of Maryland School of Social Work. The graveyard has a very serene feeling, with its tall monuments and old-fashioned set-up. Poe would have been proud to have been to be located in such a setting. It even comes with its own gift of bad luck if you are not careful. I walked under a fire escape ladder in the graveyard and had a full week of bad luck.

There are two graves dedicated to Edgar Allan Poe. The first is most famous. People randomly leave pennies, rocks, and letters in memory of this legend. It is also the famous spot where black roses are left anonymously (a mystery no one is in any hurry to solve). The other is the original grave of Edgar Allan Poe, the one that his family had made up for him. This grave is a lot smaller, but still has the ability to tell everything one would need to know. A bottle of Cognac sits at its base year-round.

This leads me to the next point in the mystery surrounding his death: was it alcohol related? It is a commonly-known fact that Edgar Allan Poe was a heavy drinker. He was known for binge drinking rather than typical patterns of chronic alcoholism. At age 27, Poe married Virginia Clemm (who was 13 and his cousin). She died 11 years later. Plagued by depression and loneliness (along with other evidence that he had developed a few mental disorders), it is strongly believed that this is when his drinking problem began. A few years later he was to marry another woman, but died days before on October 7, 1849.

He was found on October 3 in old and tattered clothing and was acting in a delirious fashion. That day was an election day in Baltimore and he was found on Lombard Street at a polling place. There is a rumor that he was found in a gutter, but this has never been proven. He was taken to Washington College Hospital on N. Broadway and died a few days later around 5 a.m. on October 7. It is a mystery why Poe was in Baltimore to begin with. He was supposed to be editing poetry written by Mrs. St. Leon Loud, who lived in Philadelphia. It is also a mystery why he was found in the horrible clothing that he was in. He went through times of poverty, but is also on record as having very nice clothing in his possession.

There are many theories about Poe's death. One is that he died of alcoholism. Another is that he had a brain tumor. It is also rumored that he may have had rabies. When he was found there were signs that he was beaten up. One theory behind this is that his wife-to-be's (Elmira) family did not approve of the marriage, and it is rumored that her three brothers may have assaulted him. Another theory (that also explains the clothing) is that, with it being election day, there were people who stood outside of voting poll areas and forced people to change their clothes (and they got violent towards them) and to go in and vote again as someone else so that a certain candidate would win.

Any expert will tell you that there is not enough evidence to rule any of these possibilities out, or to prove that any one of them is correct. It may even be a combination of these, or none of them at all.

Edgar Allan Poe was a man of true artistic talent and poise. His works still terrify the hearts and minds of people everywhere and he is regarded as one of the best writers of the modern era. His mysterious death has sparked about a lot of interest lately resulting in books and movies being made that surround his life. Some of the books include In the Shadow of Edgar Allan Poe, The Poe Shadow, and The Pale Blue Eye. There is even a local movie director in Baltimore named Redfield who directed the movie The Death of Poe. Most of these works have historical references and scholarly backing behind them with very little fiction involved. They have made it to the top seller lists and have invoked a new interest in the man that may only be known as a poet to some. With his death being a complete mystery, it gives writers and directors the advantage of creativity in telling the story and forming new conclusions.

But let us not forget who Edgar Allan Poe was. He was a man who wrote some of the best works of his time and was often under-appreciated. He had to endure a lot in life, and released his emotions into his passion of literature. With us living so close to his grave and the place that he called home, it only makes sense to pay homage to the man who changed poetry forever.

With this year's dates falling on the same exact days of the week as they did in 1849 (the year Poe died), let us not forget about Edgar Allan Poe, but instead remember him as a true artist who will be forgotten Nevermore!