Who was Edgar Allan Poe's foster father?
Answer
John Allan
80 Edgar Allan Poe Trivia Questions with Answers
80 public questions with answers, drawn from the well. How many can you answer?
This Edgar Allan Poe trivia hub covers the writer’s life, military career, family history, poems, short stories, editorial work, and places connected with him. With 80 questions, it reaches from his foster father, John Allan, and his U.S. Army rank to the Fordham cottage in the Bronx where he lived near the end of his life.
Literature questions include “The Purloined Letter,” the character Rowena, Poe’s poem beginning “Ah, broken is the golden bowl!”, and the Philadelphia magazine he edited. The collection suits English classes, literature students, Halloween quizzes, pub quizzes, and readers who enjoy detective fiction and Gothic writing. It rewards both broad familiarity and close attention to publication history.
What rank did Edgar Allan Poe achieve in the U.S. Army?
Answer
Sergeant major
In which Poe story does a character named Rowena appear?
Answer
Ligeia
What magazine did Edgar Allan Poe edit in Philadelphia from 1841 to 1842?
Answer
Graham's Magazine
On what island does Poe's story 'The Gold-Bug' take place?
Answer
Sullivan's Island
What was the title of Poe's first published book?
Answer
Tamerlane and Other Poems
What military academy did Edgar Allan Poe attend?
Answer
West Point
What is the name of Poe's poem about bells?
Answer
The Bells
Which Poe story features an old man with a vulture eye killed by the narrator?
Answer
The Tell-Tale Heart
On what date did Edgar Allan Poe marry Virginia Clemm?
Answer
May 16, 1836
What magazine first published Poe's 'The Tell-Tale Heart'?
Answer
The Pioneer
What was the name of the boarding school Edgar Allan Poe attended in England?
Answer
Manor House School
Which Poe poem begins 'The skies they were ashen and sober'?
Answer
Ulalume
What organization tortures the narrator in 'The Pit and the Pendulum'?
Answer
The Spanish Inquisition
What was the name of the New York magazine Poe co-owned and edited in 1845?
Answer
Broadway Journal
What alias did Edgar Allan Poe use when he enlisted in the U.S. Army?
Answer
Edgar A. Perry
What is the name of the woman who was Edgar Allan Poe's first love and later his fiancée?
Answer
Sarah Elmira Royster
What is the name of the protagonist in Poe's story 'William Wilson'?
Answer
William Wilson
What is the name of the poem recited by Roderick Usher in 'The Fall of the House of Usher'?
Answer
The Haunted Palace
What type of animal killed the women in 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue'?
Answer
An orangutan
Upon what statue did the raven perch in Poe's 'The Raven'?
Answer
Bust of Pallas
What is the title of Edgar Allan Poe's essay that explains the writing of 'The Raven'?
Answer
The Philosophy of Composition
What is the name of the literary magazine that first published Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Gold-Bug'?
Answer
The Dollar Newspaper
Who was the literary executor of Edgar Allan Poe's works who also libeled him?
Answer
Rufus Griswold
What was the name of the magazine that first published Poe's prize-winning story 'MS. Found in a Bottle'?
Answer
Baltimore Saturday Visiter
What was the name of the periodical that first published 'The Raven' in January 1845?
Answer
The Evening Mirror
Which literary and debating society did Poe join at the University of Virginia?
Answer
Jefferson Society
What was the name of Edgar Allan Poe's younger sister?
Answer
Rosalie Poe
Which French poet and translator popularized Poe's works in Europe?
Answer
Charles Baudelaire
What was the title of Edgar Allan Poe's first published short story?
Answer
Metzengerstein
What is the name of the twin-like sister of Roderick Usher in Poe's story?
Answer
Madeline Usher
Which Poe story features a black cat named Pluto?
Answer
The Black Cat
What was the name of the projected magazine that Poe never launched?
Answer
The Stylus
Edgar Allan Poe trivia — quick answers
What are good Edgar Allan Poe trivia questions?
Good Edgar Allan Poe trivia questions cover his poems, short stories, detective fiction, military service, family relationships, editorial career, and residences. Strong examples ask about John Allan, Poe Cottage in the Bronx, “The Purloined Letter,” “The Raven,” his Army rank, and the magazines he edited.
How hard is Edgar Allan Poe trivia?
Edgar Allan Poe trivia ranges from moderate to difficult. Famous works such as “The Raven,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and “The Black Cat” are accessible to general audiences. Questions about obscure poems, publication dates, military details, and literary magazines are better suited to advanced readers or classroom competitions.
Who was Edgar Allan Poe’s foster father?
Edgar Allan Poe’s foster father was John Allan, a wealthy Richmond merchant. Poe was raised in the Allan household after his parents died, although John Allan and Poe later had a strained relationship. Allan did not formally adopt Poe, despite providing financial support and education during his youth.
What is Poe Cottage?
Poe Cottage is the small house in Fordham, now part of the Bronx in New York City, where Edgar Allan Poe lived with his wife Virginia and his mother-in-law Maria Clemm from 1846 until shortly before his death. The preserved cottage is now a historic site associated with Poe’s final New York years.
What is “The Purloined Letter” about?
“The Purloined Letter” is one of Edgar Allan Poe’s C. Auguste Dupin detective stories. Dupin investigates a politically sensitive letter stolen from a royal woman and hidden in plain sight by the culprit. First published in 1844, the story is known for its focus on logic, psychology, and observation.