Sarah Elmira Royster Shelton (1810 – February 11, 1888) was an adolescent sweetheart of

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wide ...

who became engaged to him shortly before his death in 1849. Their early relationship, begun when she was 15, ended due to the interference of her father while Poe was studying at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

. Two years later she married Alexander B. Shelton, who became wealthy through his involvement in the transportation industry. The couple had four children, though only two lived past infancy. After Alexander's death in 1844, Royster and her children inherited $100,000 with the stipulation that she would lose a portion of this estate if she remarried. Poe came back into her life in 1848 and they renewed their relationship. Poe pressed her to marry him, though she was hesitant and her children did not approve. They never married; he died shortly thereafter in October 1849. Royster had an influence on Poe's work and may have inspired "

The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a myste ...

" and "

Annabel Lee "Annabel Lee" is the last complete poem composed by American author Edgar Allan Poe. Like many of Poe's poems, it explores the theme of the death of a beautiful woman.Meyers, Jeffrey. ''Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy''. New York: Cooper Squ ...

". The early relationship between Poe and Shelton was immortalized by other writers, including Poe's brother

William Henry Leonard Poe William Henry Leonard Poe, often referred to as Henry Poe, (January 30, 1807 – August 1, 1831) was an American sailor, amateur poet and the older brother of Edgar Allan Poe and Rosalie Poe. After the death of their parents, the three Poe chil ...

Biography

Royster and Poe were neighbors in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

when they began their relationship in 1825, when she was 15 years old and he was 16. They discussed marriage, though Royster's father vocally disapproved. They were secretly engaged as Poe began classes at the

in 1826; however, Royster's father intercepted and destroyed all of Poe's letters to his daughter. Royster wrote later that his disapproval was only because of their young age but he likely also considered Poe unsuitable due to social and financial status as a poor orphan. Thinking Poe had forgotten her, Royster married Alexander Shelton, a businessman from a well-to-do

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

family. Royster was only 17 at the time but quickly gained social prominence and wealth: Shelton worked in the transportation industry and was for a time the co-owner of a boat line that travelled the

James River The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia that begins in the Appalachian Mountains and flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 to Chesapea ...

.Silverman, Kenneth. ''Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance''. Harper Perennial, 1991: 425. The couple had four children, though a son and a daughter died in infancy. Alexander Shelton died of

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

Walsh, John Evangelist. ''Midnight Dreary: The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe''. New York: St. Martin's Minotaur, 2000: 5. at the age of 37 on July 12, 1844. Royster and her two children were left an estate worth $100,000.

Second relationship with Poe

Poe and Royster would meet again in July 1848,Sova, Dawn B. ''Edgar Allan Poe: A to Z''. New York: Checkmark Books, 2001: 214. over a year after the death of Poe's wife

Virginia Clemm Virginia Eliza Poe ( née Clemm; August 15, 1822 – January 30, 1847) was the wife of American writer Edgar Allan Poe. The couple were first cousins and publicly married when Virginia Clemm was 13 and Poe was 27. Biographers disagree as to the n ...

. His visit was unannounced. As Royster described it: "I was ready to go to church and a servant told me that a gentleman in the parlor wanted to see me. I went down and was amazed to see him—but knew him instantly".Meyers, Jeffrey. ''Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy''. New York: Cooper Square Press, 1992: 249. By this time, Royster was very religious, having been baptized as an adult at St. John's Episcopal Church. She was 39 and living with her 19-year-old daughter Ann and 10-year-old son Southall. A friend described her as being very attractive around this time:

"Her eyes were a deep blue, her hair brown, touched with grey, her nose thin and patrician... Her voice was very low, soft and sweet, her manners exquisitely refined, and intellectually she was a woman of education and force of character. Her distinguishing qualities were gentleness and womanliness."

Royster attended Poe's lecture in Richmond, sitting in the front row. Poe and Royster rekindled their relationship somewhat and discussed marriage. Her children disapproved, however, and her dead husband's will stipulated that remarriage would remove three-quarters of her estate. Poe visited Richmond on September 17, 1849, and stayed with Royster for the evening. He wrote: "I think she loves me more devotedly than any one I ever knew... I cannot help loving her in return." Poe hoped to be married before he left Richmond and pushed her to respond. She wanted time to consider: "I told him if he would not take a positive denial he must give me time to consider it". Royster may have been reticent because of the rumors of Poe's drinking and, because of this, may have inspired Poe into joining the Richmond chapter of the

Sons of Temperance The Sons of Temperance was and is a brotherhood of men who promoted the temperance movement and mutual support. The group was founded in 1842 in New York City. It began spreading rapidly during the 1840s throughout the United States and parts o ...

. Poe's lecture tour then brought him to

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...

and

Old Point Comfort Old Point Comfort is a point of land located in the independent city of Hampton, Virginia. Previously known as Point Comfort, it lies at the extreme tip of the Virginia Peninsula at the mouth of Hampton Roads in the United States. It was renamed ...

. It is unclear if the couple was ever officially engaged but most biographers agree that they came to an "understanding" by late September. The wedding never took place; after Poe said goodbye to her, he left Richmond on September 27, 1849, and died mysteriously only two weeks later in Baltimore. Royster recalled her last moments with him: "He came up to my house on the evening of 26 Sept. to take leave of me.–He was very sad, and complained of being quite sick... I felt so wretched about him all of that night, that I went up early the next morning to enquire after him, when, much to my regret, he had left in the boat for Baltimore."Meyers, Jeffrey. ''Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy''. New York: Cooper Square Press, 1992: 251. On his deathbed, Poe mentioned a wife he had in Richmond, possibly referring to Royster.Silverman, Kenneth. ''Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance''. New York: Harper Perennial, 1991: 426. Biographer John Evangelist Walsh suggests that Royster's brothers were responsible for Poe's mysterious death. Royster later said that she would not "have married him under any circumstances". A letter Royster wrote to Poe's mother-in-law Maria Clemm, however announced that she was ready to accept her as her own mother-in-law. In her letter, she also referred to Poe as "the ''dearest object'' on earth" to her.

Later life

After Poe's death, Royster refused to speak about him or her relationship, bluntly denying all requests and living a relatively reclusive lifestyle. In 1875, she finally granted an interview to local sculptor Edward Valentine, as a response to a Poe biography written by John H. Ingram. In this conversation, she vehemently denied ever having been engaged to Poe. In June 1884, however, she privately admitted to Dr. John Joseph Moran, Poe's attending physician at the time of his death, that she and Poe had been engaged. Royster died on February 11, 1888, and her obituary, published on the front page of the Richmond ''Whig'' on February 12, bore the heading "Poe's First and Last Love".Walsh, John Evangelist. ''Midnight Dreary: The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe''. New York: St. Martin's Minotaur, 2000: 184.

References in literature

Many of the poems in Poe's first published work, ''

Tamerlane and Other Poems ''Tamerlane and Other Poems'' is the first published work by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. The short collection of poems was first published in 1827. Today, it is believed only 12 copies of the collection still exist. Poe abandoned his foster ...

'' (1827), were inspired by his failed childhood romance with Royster, with many lines discussing the follies of youth and lost love. One of Poe's minor poems, "

Song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...

," is presumed to be about Royster. She also believed that the "lost Lenore" in the poem "

" as well as the title character in "

" were representative of her and claimed that Poe himself had assured her of it. Biographers, however, often debate Poe's inspiration, particularly for "Annabel Lee". Poe's wife

, who had died two years prior to the poem's publication, was suggested by poet

Frances Sargent Osgood Frances Sargent Osgood ( née Locke; June 18, 1811 – May 12, 1850) was an American poet and one of the most popular women writers during her time.Silverman, 281 Nicknamed "Fanny", she was also famous for her exchange of romantic poems with Edga ...

and generally is considered the most likely candidate for the title character, though Osgood herself is another possibility.

Sarah Helen Whitman Sarah Helen Power Whitman (January 19, 1803 – June 27, 1878) was an American poet, essayist, transcendentalist, spiritualist and a romantic interest of Edgar Allan Poe. Early life Whitman was born in Providence, Rhode Island on January 19, ...

and Sarah Anna Lewis also claimed to have inspired the poem. Even so, in her later years, Royster was known familiarly in Richmond as "Poe's Lenore". Poe's brother

also wrote a short story based on his brother's young romance with Royster called "The Pirate" which was published in the October 27, 1827, issue of the ''North American''. Lambert A. Wilmer, a

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

writer who was friend of both Poe brothers, also wrote about the young relationship. His drama in verse, ''Merlin'', was in three parts, the first of which was published on August 18, 1827.Thomas, Dwight and David K. Jackson. ''The Poe Log: A Documentary Life of Edgar Allan Poe 1809–1849''. New York: G. K. Hall & Co., 1987: 81.

References

External links