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Early in 1827 Poe made his first literary venture. He induced Calvin
Thomas, a poor and youthful printer, to publish a small volume of his
verses under the title "Tamerlane and Other Poems." In 1829 we find Poe
in Baltimore with another manuscript volume of verses, which was soon
published. Its title was "Al Aaraaf, Tamerlane and Other Poems." Neither
of these ventures seems to have attracted much attention.
Soon after Mrs. Allan's death, which occurred in 1829, Poe, through
the aid of Mr. Allan, secured admission to the United States Military
Academy at West Point. Any glamour which may have attached to cadet life
in Poe's eyes was speedily lost, for discipline at West Point was never
so severe nor were the accommodations ever so poor. Poe's bent was
more and more toward literature. Life at the academy daily became
increasingly distasteful. Soon he began to purposely neglect his studies
and to disregard his duties, his aim being to secure his dismissal from
the United States service. In this he succeeded. On March 7, 1831, Poe
found himself free. Mr. Allan's second marriage had thrown the lad on
his own resources. His literary career was to begin.
Poe's first genuine victory was won in 1833, when he was the successful
competitor for a prize of $100 offered by a Baltimore periodical for the
best prose story. "A MSS. Found in a Bottle" was the winning tale. Poe
had submitted six stories in a volume. "Our only difficulty," says Mr.
Latrobe, one of the judges, "was in selecting from the rich contents of
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