reality he had followed his mother’s advice from the watercolor painting and gone to Boston. Edgar managed to make a living on his own in Boston, working with among other things, a small newspaper. He had brought some earlier manuscripts with him to Boston and handed these over to a printer by the name of Calvin F.S. Thomas. It resulted in a forty page booklet entitled “Tamerlane and other Poems” said to be written simply by “A Bostonian.” It consisted of “Tamerlane” and nine other, much shorter poems, most which were written in 1821 to 1822 when Edgar was only twelve or thirteen years old. His youthfulness was very noticeable in the poems, especially since the words “youth” and “young” appeared frequently. Byron whom inspired many young American poets at that time heavily influenced the poems. In fact the heroine in “Tamerlane”, Ada, was named after Byron’s daughter and the similarities with Byron’s work can for example be seen in:“I reach’d my home – my home no more” – From Poe’s “Tamerlane”“He entered in the house – his home no more” – From Byron’s “Don Juan” In “Tamerlane” there could also be seen some vague reflection of Edgar’s own experience with his unhappy courtship of Elmira Royster and his thoughts of Ellis and Allan and his recent break with them. The Army (1827-1829 continued) In June or July 1827, when “Tamerlane” appeared, Edgar had recently joined the US Army. He enlisted for a five-year term on May 26, under the name “Edgar A. Perry” and stating his age as 22. The reason for joining the army was possibly economic, but some other things could have helped him in making the decision; his grandfather’s association with the revolutionary army, his own service in the Morgan Junior Riflem...
