s under assumed names to fix the election results. Whether he was the victim of some political gang or his own legendary drinking remains a matter for speculation. But there is no doubt that he died impoverished, in a state of mental anguish and despair. His final words reportedly were, "Lord help my poor soul" (Wallechinsky 1185).
Poe was nearly as renowned for his drinking as for his literary achievements. He was known to go on drinking bouts that lasted for days, and one binge allegedly caused him to miss an appointment with the President of the United States. Moreover, his drinking cost him several editorial positions, perhaps delaying his acceptance as a respected poet and critic. His behavior, too, was sometimes erratic and peculiar, possibly due to a brain lesion that itself may have been caused by his excessive alcoholic consumption. His death, whatever the circumstances, was certainly directly related to this disease, which plagued him throughout his adult life.
Many of Poe's poems appeared several times in literary magazines and book form, subject to extensive revision by both the author himself and his editors. In his preface to his last collection of poems, The Raven and Other Poems (1845), Poe wro
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