Free Essays on Edgar Poe

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) Edgar Allan Poe was one of America’s famous poets, fiction short-story writers, and literary critics. He is known as the first master of short story form especially in tales of horror, and mystery. The work he produced was considered to be some of the most influential literary criticism of his time. His poems made him one of the most famous figures in American literary history. His influence on literature is seen in all literature books in schools everywhere. Some of his famous writings is that of "Annabel Lee"; his detective story, "The Murders in Rue Morgue"; "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "The Tell-Tale Heart" are the best among his horror stories; and The Raven one of his best poems which among all these, made him very famous in 1845. "The Fall of the House of Usher", and "The Masque of the Red Death", made him a forerunner of symbolism, and impressionism. Poe antagonized many people with a scathing campaign against an American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for supposed plagiarism. Later that year Poe admitted to being drunk, which further separated him from the public. Poe’s later years were full of economic hardship and ill health. Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. He was orphaned at the early age of two, his father deserted the family and his mother died all before he was three in 1811, then Poe became a ward and was raised as a foster child by John Allan, a wealthy merchant of tobacco, and his wife Frances in Richmond, VA but they never legally adopted him. Taken by the Allan family to England at the age of six, Poe was placed in a private school. In 1826 Poe enrolled at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. where he acquired gambling debts that John Allan refused to pay. Eventually, Poe was forced to withdraw from the university, and Allan prevented his return to the university and broke off Poe’s engagement to Sarah Elmira Royster, his Richmond sweethea... Free Essays on Edgar Poe Free Essays on Edgar Poe Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) Edgar Allan Poe was one of America’s famous poets, fiction short-story writers, and literary critics. He is known as the first master of short story form especially in tales of horror, and mystery. The work he produced was considered to be some of the most influential literary criticism of his time. His poems made him one of the most famous figures in American literary history. His influence on literature is seen in all literature books in schools everywhere. Some of his famous writings is that of "Annabel Lee"; his detective story, "The Murders in Rue Morgue"; "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "The Tell-Tale Heart" are the best among his horror stories; and The Raven one of his best poems which among all these, made him very famous in 1845. "The Fall of the House of Usher", and "The Masque of the Red Death", made him a forerunner of symbolism, and impressionism. Poe antagonized many people with a scathing campaign against an American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for supposed plagiarism. Later that year Poe admitted to being drunk, which further separated him from the public. Poe’s later years were full of economic hardship and ill health. Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. He was orphaned at the early age of two, his father deserted the family and his mother died all before he was three in 1811, then Poe became a ward and was raised as a foster child by John Allan, a wealthy merchant of tobacco, and his wife Frances in Richmond, VA but they never legally adopted him. Taken by the Allan family to England at the age of six, Poe was placed in a private school. In 1826 Poe enrolled at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. where he acquired gambling debts that John Allan refused to pay. Eventually, Poe was forced to withdraw from the university, and Allan prevented his return to the university and broke off Poe’s engagement to Sarah Elmira Royster, his Richmond sweethea...

The History of Calculators and William Seward Burroughs

The History of Calculators and William Seward Burroughs Determining who invented the calculator and when the first calculator was created is not as easy as it seems. Even in pre-historic times, bones and other objects were used to calculate arithmetic functions. Long afterward came mechanical calculators, followed by electrical calculators and then their evolution into the familiar but not-so-ubiquitous-anymore handheld calculator. Here, then, are some of the milestones and prominent figures who played a role in the development of the calculator through history. Milestones and Pioneers The Slide Rule:   Before we had calculators we had slide rules. In 1632, the circular and rectangular slide rule was invented by W. Oughtred (1574-1660).   Resembling a standard ruler, these devices allowed users to multiply, divide, and calculate roots and logarithms. They were not typically used for addition or subtraction, but they were commonplace sights in school rooms and workplaces well into the 20th century.   Mechanical Calculators William Schickard (1592 - 1635):  According to his notes, Schickard succeeded in designing and building the first mechanical calculating device. Schickard’s accomplishment went unknown and unheralded for 300 years, until his notes were discovered and publicized, so it was not until Blaise Pascal’s invention gained widespread notice that mechanical calculation came to the public’s attention.   Blaise Pascal (1623 - 1662): Blaise Pascal invented one of the first calculators, called the Pascaline, to help his father with his work collecting taxes. An improvement on Schickard’s design, it nevertheless suffered from mechanical shortcomings and higher functions required repetitive entries. Electronic Calculators William Seward Burroughs (1857 – 1898): In 1885, Burroughs filed his first patent for a calculating machine. However, his 1892 patent was for an improved calculating machine with an added printer.   The Burroughs Adding Machine Company, which he founded in St. Louis, Missouri, went on to great success popularizing the inventor’s creation. (His grandson, William S. Burroughs enjoyed great success of a far different kind, as a Beat writer.)