Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe

Virginia’s marriage to her first cousin, Edgar Allan Poe, has always been a subject of debate. Some say that the relationship was more of a brother and sister and it was never consummated. Others say that Edgar was passionate about his cousin. There is also another school of thought that says that she was an inspiration for his work and he never looked upon her sexually.

They slept separately till she reached the age of sixteen, after which they lived like a normal couple. They loved each other in a very special way and supported each other. However, they had no children.

Marriage between first cousins was not uncommon during her time. However, marriage at the age of 13 was. While Edgar was enamoured by her beauty, she idolized him. He was also devoted to his wife because he was orphaned when he was just a child and knew what it was to live without parental support.

Virginia Eliza Clemm was born on August 15, 1822 in Baltimore, Maryland to William Clemm, Jr and Maria Poe. Her father was a hardware merchant who died when Virginia was four years old. She had two brothers from her parent’s marriage and five half-siblings from her father’s previous marriage to her mother’s cousin who had died due to illness.

Her mother made a living by stitching clothes and taking boarders to make ends meet. Her two brothers died by 1836 leaving Virginia as her mother’s only surviving child. When she was seven years old her cousin, Edgar Poe came to live with them for a while after his discharge from the Army. During this period, he courted their neighbor Mary Devereaux and young Virginia played the role of a messenger between them.

The financial condition of the family deteriorated with the death of her grandmother, who brought in an annual pension. Later, Edgar proposed to marry Virginia, which was opposed by the family as they were first cousins. Virginia's other cousin Neilson even volunteered to take her in and educate her in order to prevent the relationship.

However, due to their destitute state, her mother agreed to the marriage when Virginia was just 13 years old and Edgar was 27. The wedding was conducted in a quiet ceremony due to the debate generated on the couple’s blood relationship and age. On official records she was shown as 21 when they got married.

Virginia and her mother moved to Richmond after the wedding and were financially supported by Edgar, who himself made meager earnings out of his writing career. He took upon himself to educate his young wife in English and Mathematics, in which she excelled.

The only portrait available of Virginia was made by an artist employed by her husband after her death, who used her corpse in the coffin as a model.

Most of Poe’s poetry reflects the life of his wife, Virginia, and her suffering. He was one of the first American writers who wrote detective fiction and something close to science fiction.

The Norwegian band ‘Katzenjammer’ in their debut album titled “Le Pop’ portray the life of Virginia in a girl who is married at the age of 13, whose husband flirts with other women and who dies young due to prolonged illness.

Virginia lived with her husband and mother and her beloved cat named Caterina.

Shortly after Virginia’s death, her husband courted several women but could not establish a meaningful relationship due to the memories of his late wife.