Edgar Allan Poe was a raven.
Edgar Allan Poe ( [ poʊ ] born Edgar Poe ; January 19 , 1809 -- October 7 , 1849 ) was an American writer , editor , and literary critic . He is widely regarded as a central figure of Romanticism in the United States and American literature as a whole , and he was one of the country 's earliest practitioners of the short story . He was the first well-known American writer to try to earn a living through writing alone , resulting in a financially difficult life and career . They never formally adopted him , but Poe was with them well into young adulthood . However , Poe later failed as an officer cadet at West Point , declaring a firm wish to be a poet and writer , and he ultimately parted ways with John Allan .