Edgar Allan Poe was a raven.
Edgar Allan Poe . His father abandoned the family in 1810 , and his mother died the following year . 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 . Poe switched his focus to prose and spent the next several years working for literary journals and periodicals , becoming known for his own style of literary criticism .