Edgar Allan Poe entered a dark depression primarily due to compounded personal traumas and recurring losses, especially the deaths of important women in his life. These included the early death of his parents, the loss of his foster mother Frances Allan, and most profoundly, the death of his wife and cousin Virginia Clemm Poe from tuberculosis. These events caused him immense grief and psychological distress that weighed heavily throughout his life and heavily influenced the melancholy themes in his work. Additionally, Poe struggled with persistent depression, possible bipolar disorder, and alcoholism. His low tolerance for alcohol, combined with his substance abuse and recurring depressive episodes, exacerbated his psychological instability. Financial difficulties and troubled personal relationships further contributed to his depression. Poe's mental health trajectory was marked by periods of severe depression intertwined with erratic behavior and suicidal ideation, including a known laudanum overdose attempt a year before his death. Overall, the combination of traumatic personal losses, mental illness including depression, substance abuse, and financial and relational stress caused Poe's dark depression.
