Edgar Allan Poe: Rhode Island

The bountiful cultural heritage of Rhode Island shines proudly through a rather underrated nineteenth century poetess and lifelong resident of Providence, whose simple presence was compared to poetry itself by one of America’s greatest and well known poets, Edgar Allan Poe. Sarah Helen Power Whitman was engaged to Poe briefly in 1848, and is usually remembered solely for that connection. However, she was a gifted poetess, essayist, social reformer, and considered one of America’s first female literary critics. She was born in Providence to the Power family, whose name was rooted here after Roger Williams founded the colony in 1636.

Whitman rallied behind women’s suffrage, abolition, and animal welfare. She consistently promoted the city’s art and heritage scene. Whitman wrote the dedication for Swan Point Cemetery, Shakespeare Hall Theater, the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, and various other academic and cultural institutions throughout the city. The integrity of Providence’s social standing remained important to her until her dying day, when she willed thousands of dollars from her estate to African American orphans and to the Rhode Island Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Sarah Helen Whitman went against the grains of her time and she never wavered in defending what was morally right.  

Just ten days before her death, Sarah Helen Whitman inscribed a copy of her first volume of poems and gifted it to her friend. That inscription read: “Dear friend, whose presence often made the glow of life’s calm evening beautiful, elate! With cheerful thoughts, I will not linger now to say ‘Goodnight,’ but for a moment in calm faith await to say ‘Good morning’ by the Golden Gate.” Whitman died at 9:30 P.M. on June 27, 1878. She was 75 years old.

Today, we honor Sarah Helen Whitman on the 145^th anniversary of her death, in observation and mourning of a cherished life having left this world a bit brighter than she found it.

Ave atque vale.

First and foremost, I would like to thank local historian, tour guide, and actress, Catherine Hurst, who has portrayed Whitman at every wreath-laying ceremony we have done so far. Cathy is a wealth of knowledge and puts one hundred ten percent into everything she does. This year, Cathy reserved some of Whitman’s materials at the John Hay library and compiled a tailored selection of readings that would be performed at the ceremony. Unfortunately, we had to cancel this year’s program due to inclement weather. However, we are saving the program for next year with the hope of coming back even bigger and better! This annual tribute would be nothing without Cathy.

I would also like to thank Sherri Weaver Poe for travelling here from Maryland for two ceremonies so far. She has graciously shared her knowledge of Poe and treated the audience with readings from his works. This year, Sherri had something very special prepared and we are so excited to share it with you all at next year’s program!

I want to thank the director of North Burial Ground, Annalisa Heppner, for always accommodating us and promoting the ceremony.

And finally, a huge thanks to Jeff Jerome, curator emeritus formerly with the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. Jeff and I met when I was just a fourteen year old Poe fan visiting the Poe House with my mom. Since then, Jeff has served as my mentor, fueling my passion for Poe and supporting me at every turn. He has attended this annual ceremony since the very beginning to speak to the audience about the many myths surrounding Poe. There are really no words to say how much his support has meant to me over the years. Jeff is responsible for gathering fans from around the world to celebrate Edgar Allan Poe through a variety of programs. The integrity of Poe’s legacy has been in great hands with him.

We hope to see you next year for The Fourth Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony with twice the energy in 2024!

Thank you.       

Due to safety concerns surrounding the forecasted rain and thunderstorms, we have made the decision to cancel the ceremony this year. Check back here on June 27th for a written tribute to Sarah Helen Whitman on the anniversary of her death.

I am sorry for all of those who were looking forward to the event. Next year we will return with an even bigger and better program!

Thank you all.

Join us in Providence’s historic North Burial Ground for our third graveside commemoration of the life and legacy of Sarah Helen Whitman for the 145th anniversary of her death: Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 3:00pm.

There will be a biographical overview of Whitman’s life and times with details regarding her infamous courtship with Edgar Allan Poe that took place right here in Providence!

I’m pleased to announce the following guests of honor:

• Local historian, tour guide, and actress, Catherine Hurst, will be reprising her role as Mrs. Whitman to recite selected poems from Whitman’s body of works.

• Poet and Poe Scholar, Sherri Weaver Poe, will be joining us from Maryland as a guest reader. 

• And finally, Jeff Jerome, curator emeritus formerly with The Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum in Baltimore will be honoring us again this year as our guest speaker! 

Following these segments will be information on Whitman’s death and funeral, closing with a wreath laying tribute on her grave. Guests will also be able to pay their own tribute to the poetess by choosing from an assortment of provided flowers to place on her grave. 

The gates of the cemetery are closed and locked at 6:30pm, so you will have plenty of time to explore after the event. Please be prepared to leave when the staff make their closing rounds.

To find the location of the event (Sarah Helen Whitman’s grave) just head to the right of the fork after entering the front gates of the cemetery and follow the road named Eastern Ave straight through until you see Dahlia Path (or people/cars). There is also free parking available on North Main Street where you can enter through the Rochambeau Gates. See the pink dot on the map to help you find the location of the event from wherever you arrive.

This annual remembrance is one of the biggest celebrations of Sarah Helen Whitman’s life and legacy in recent history! You won’t want to miss it.

If you have any questions prior to the event, please feel free to email me: levi@edgarallanpoeri.com 

Here is a link to the event page on Facebook with further information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1008219383676932/?ref=newsfeed

We hope to see you there!

From the North Burial Ground Facebook page:

Celebrate National Poetry Month this April with North Burial Ground and the Roger Williams Park Museum of Natural History & Planetarium at the Betsey Williams Cottage! We are hosting a special afternoon performance of “Remembering Poe.” Join us on April 8th at 2pm in the Betsey Williams Cottage at Roger Williams Park.

Meet Sarah Helen Whitman, a descendant of one of the first families of Providence, as she courageously takes on the daunting challenge of defending the reputation of her one-time fiancée: Edgar Allan Poe. Like Poe, Whitman was an extremely intelligent poet and critic. Hear her recall in her own words what it was like to be courted by “The Raven” and her heroic efforts to counteract the libelous Poe biographer Rufus Griswold.

Whitman is performed by actress Helen McKenna, who retired from the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site. Collaborating with McKenna to help provide context will be up and coming Providence Whitman scholar, Levi Lionel Leland.

North Burial Ground regulars will know that Sarah Helen Whitman is one of our favorite “residents” of the cemetery. We are so excited to be able to bring you this performance and chance to encounter Whitman in a new way. We are hosting the event in partnership with our friends at the RWP Museum of Natural History and Planetarium in the Betsey Williams Cottage at Roger Williams Park (we said it twice, so you all note that this event is not taking place at the cemetery). Sarah Helen Whitman and Betsey Williams were contemporaries, and while we don’t know for sure that Whitman ever visited Williams at the cottage, we are excited to present this program to you in an amazing historic space where Whitman would have felt right at home.

This program is free, but an RSVP is required as space is limited. To RSVP, please email northburialground@providenceri.gov by April 4th to reserve your space.

Hope to see you there!

The 2022 tour schedule has been posted! Click on your preferred date below to reserve your spot through Eventbrite:

Saturday, October 15, 5pm-7pm

Sunday, October 16, 12pm-2pm

Saturday, October 22, 2pm-4pm

Saturday, October 29, 4pm-6pm

Saturday, November 5, 2pm-4pm

Saturday, November 19, 2pm-4pm

If these dates or times do not work for you, you can always schedule a private tour by clicking here. I will do my best to accommodate you!

This will be our second annual graveside commemoration of the life and legacy of Sarah Helen Whitman for the 144th anniversary of her death. The event will take place on Saturday, June 25, 2022 at 4:00pm at the North Burial Ground in Providence, Rhode Island.

There will be a biographical overview of Whitman’s life and times with details regarding her infamous courtship with Edgar Allan Poe that took place right here in Providence!

I am pleased to announce the following guests of honor:

-Local historian, tour guide, and actress, Catherine Hurst will be reprising her role as Mrs. Whitman to recite selected poems from her body of works.

-Poet and Poe Scholar Sherri Weaver Poe will be joining us from Maryland as a guest reader.

-And finally, Jeff Jerome, curator emeritus formerly with The Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum in Baltimore will be honoring us again this year as our guest speaker!

Following these segments will be information on Whitman’s death and funeral, closing with a wreath laying tribute on her grave. Guests will also be able to pay their own tribute to the poetess by choosing from an assortment of provided greens and flowers to place on her grave.

All questions for myself and the guests of honor will be welcomed at the end of the program!

The gates of the cemetery are closed and locked at 6:30pm, so you will have time to explore after the event. There is a lot of history and beauty to behold at the North Burial Ground!

To find the location of the event (Sarah Helen Whitman’s grave) just head to the right of the fork after entering the front gates of the cemetery and follow the road named Eastern Ave straight through until you see Dahlia Path (or people/cars). There is also free parking on North Main Street where you can walk through North Burial Ground’s Rochambeau gates and travel on foot just a short distance to the approximate location of the event.

This annual remembrance is one of the biggest celebrations of Sarah Helen Whitman’s life and legacy in recent history! You won’t want to miss it.

If you have any questions prior to the event, please feel free to reach out on this page, email me at levi@edgarallanpoeri.com, or visit the official event page on Facebook here.

Hope to see you there!

John Henry Ingram was a young, ambitious Englishman endeavoring to write the first true biography of Edgar Allan Poe. In 1873, he wrote to Sarah Helen Whitman appealing for her aid. Whitman had already spent the last few decades of her life vindicating Poe and publishing her own pieces about him, including her own short biography titled Edgar Poe and His Critics, in 1860. She wrote back to Ingram, unknowingly starting a very turbulent, dramatic, and peculiar correspondence over the next five years.

Whitman was optimistic of Ingram’s prospects, but she did not hesitate to assist other aspiring biographers where she saw fit. This often angered Ingram, as Whitman was such an asset to him that he did not want to share this treasure trove of information. The idea of having another biographer possibly steal his spotlight caused Ingram to be moody, unappreciative, and just plain crass. However, Whitman never wavered. She handled him with the utmost eloquence while outwitting and outdoing him. She never made it obvious, allowing Ingram to realize for himself that she was socially superior.

Despite Ingram’s capricious nature, Whitman continued to write to him, sending him a plethora of information and materials regarding Poe. But she was not the only one sending Ingram pieces of Poe’s life. Marie Louise Shew and Nancy “Annie” Richmond also aided Ingram in his quest after he had reached out to them. These women were involved with Poe in varying degrees of romantic intensity, albeit, mostly one-sided. They were the subject of an article published by Ingram in Appleton’s Journal in May, 1878, titled “Unpublished Correspondence of Edgar Allan Poe.” This article was the final straw in the five year relationship between Whitman and Ingram. 

In a hurry to get this previously unpublished material to press, Ingram made public some of the letters provided by these ladies that were written to them by Poe. It was the letters from Poe to Annie (a married woman in Lowell, Massachusetts) that served as the fatal jab on the seventy five-year-old Whitman’s ailing heart. A letter from Poe to Annie dated November 16, 1848 opens: “Ah, Annie, Annie! What cruel thoughts must have been torturing your heart during the last terrible fortnight in which you heard nothing from me—not even one little word to say that I lived…But, Annie, I know that you felt too deeply the nature of my love for you to doubt that, even for one moment, and this thought has comforted me in my bitter sorrow.”

The letter continues on with more professions of love and even a request for Annie to visit him to comfort him, calling her his “pure beautiful angel.” This letter is by no means unusual for Poe in his attempts to swoon a woman; however, it is the date of the letter that devastated Whitman. For the first time in her life, Whitman found out that Poe was writing impassioned letters to other women in November, 1848, the exact time he was pursuing Whitman in Providence. Ingram knew the implications of publishing this letter, but he did it anyway. 

But it does not stop there. Ingram included even more letters from Poe to Annie that were written after Poe’s relationship with Whitman ended. In one of these letters, Poe writes: “Indeed, indeed, Annie, there is nothing in this world worth living for except love—love not such as I once thought I felt for Mrs. —, but such as burns in my very soul for you[…].”

It is bold to think that Ingram was doing some kind of justice to Whitman by dashing out her name in the transcription of Poe’s letter, but she was not a fool. The publication of these letters absolutely crushed her. Whitman truly believed that she was one of the only true loves of Poe after the death of his wife. Not only was this a posthumous betrayal from a man she came so close to marrying three decades prior, but a betrayal from the friend she had invested so much of her time in over the last five years. Ingram omitted other pieces entirely from the letters that would have certainly been even more damaging to Whitman, including a line where Poe calls her mother the devil. Still, Ingram’s thoughtlessness cost him everything. Not only did it tarnish his relationship with Whitman, but it inadvertently worked against what they were both working so hard to achieve: defending Poe’s name. The article made Whitman look bad, and made Poe look even worse. In a final act of courage and redemption, Whitman published her first and only attack on Ingram in The Providence Journal, discrediting his article and questioning his discretion. A month later she was in her grave, undoubtedly put there after the realization that she could no longer linger in her efforts on this cold earth. She could only hope that her work was enough to accomplish the mission she set forth despite so much adversity. Centuries later, her efforts proved not in vain.        

Since the beginning stages of my research into Sarah Helen Whitman’s Providence, I have identified the site of her death as the attractive, off-white house with black shutters overlooking Prospect Terrace at 97 Bowen Street. It is embarrassing to admit, but it must be formally addressed (no pun intended) that I was incorrect in identifying that location as the Dailey home where Whitman took her last breath.

When Whitman moved into the Dailey’s home in January, 1878, it was located at 97 Bowen Street. She spent no more than five months there before she passed away in June of that same year. Her well-attended wake was held in the house, too.

Recently, my friend, Donovan Loucks (webmaster of The H. P. Lovecraft Archive, and, by my proclamation, master of geography) brought to my attention that Whitman’s description of her view from the second story of the Dailey home did not quite make sense for the location I had pinned. So, Loucks did what he does best, and quickly found that in 1878, the Dailey home was perpendicular to Brown Street with the side of the house facing Bowen. Sometime between 1882 and 1899, Brown Street was extended to the front of the Dailey house and it was readdressed entirely to 133 Brown Street. This, of course, changed the numbering on Bowen Street, making today’s 97 Bowen Street completely irrelevant to Whitman and the Dailey family. The correct address of the house is 133 Brown Street, and it is there that you will find the very site where Sarah Helen Whitman passed away in the care of her friends. 

Research is ever-developing, leaving the researcher ever-learning. I am chalking this one up as a learning experience and a reminder to double, triple—hell, quadruple check locations that I am investigating.

Below is a photo taken today during my first visit to the true site of Sarah Helen Whitman’s death. The Dailey family home at 133 Brown Street:

Sarah Helen Whitman is among the North Burial Ground’s favorite “residents.” Her courtship with Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most talked about aspects of her life.

Poe and Whitman shared a birthday, so we are throwing them a birthday poetry salon! We like to think it is how they would have celebrated their joint-birthday while they were together. Join the North Burial Ground and independent Poe scholar, creator of edgarallanpoeri.com, A Walking Tour of Poe’s Providence, and North Burial Ground Docent, Levi L. Leland for an evening of poetry and history!

We will have a short presentation, a Q&A with Levi, and then we will share some poetry together. Bring your favorite poem or an excerpt to share with us! The evening starts at 6pm.

This is a virtual event and will be hosted on Microsoft Teams. Just follow the link here on the scheduled date and time: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MDA4NWUwODItMDE2Zi00ZWFiLWFlZWQtYmM1YTUxOTM2OThj%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22561baac9-45d8-4ace-90d5-f642ceb985af%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2259af55d4-6428-4597-91cf-e22176f00a6e%22%7d

The Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia is home to the rarest, most extensive collection of Poe artifacts in the world. Their latest acquisition will undoubtedly excite Poe fans, but especially those who are interested in Poe’s courtship with Providence poetess, Sarah Helen Whitman. Here is what The Poe Museum had to say about an ambrotype of Poe they recently acquired:

“You may not recognize its name, most of you are familiar with the popular ‘Ultima Thule’ daguerreotype taken of Poe in Providence in 1848. It appears on T-shirts, internet memes, and even socks. The Poe Museum is fortunate enough to own one of the few original copies made before the plate disappeared around 1860. Fewer of you may know the daguerreotype taken four days later and which Poe himself deemed the best picture ever taken of him. He presented it to his fiancée Sarah Helen Whitman. The Poe Museum has recently acquired an early ambrotype copy dating to the 1860s. The museum’s copy was made while Whitman still owned the original but we do not know who she made it for. This is just one of the puzzles to solve as we study this fascinating image.”

Sarah Helen Whitman worked tenaciously to preserve Poe’s legacy, even after their turbulent courtship ended abruptly here in Providence. This ambrotype is a solidifying example of that effort, as Whitman was having her materials copied and published in numerous articles, books, and biographies on Poe in the subsequent years after his death. She even gifted some of her priceless pieces to early Poe biographers and fans around the world. The original daguerreotype that this ambrotype was copied from is in the collection of Brown University at the John Hay Library in Providence. You can read more about that daguerreotype here.

This ambrotype will be on display for the very first time at The Poe Museum’s “UnHappy Hour” this month before it goes under professional restoration work to exhume a clearer image of the poet.