I've read several works of poe and study his life. He is intriguing and from his words i find my own to surface upon my mind. I've read hat his last words were of "Reynolds, Reynolds!" I know he was found on the streets of Baltimore, wearing clothes that were not his own and he became delirious. i would like to clinch the reasoning of this unusual name last called out. I would like to know more about the death of such an amazing author who will always strike the world with a force a incomprehendable to the people.

-- Anonymous, November 25, 2002

Answers

Dear Joe, There is indeed a solid tradition about some of Poe's last words uttered like "Reynolds! Reynolds!" Poe knew well J. N. Reynolds, the South Seas - explorer (1808 - 1858) and author of various writings and reports of naval expeditions. You may find on line, at www.eapoe.org, among Poe's critical works, three reviews of books by this Reynolds (two for the Southern Literary Messenger, in 1836-37, and one for the Graham's Magazine in 1843), as well as a short commentary on his "autography". Some of Reynolds's ideas about concentric spheres into our earth-globe (from the 1820s famous "Symmes's theory") probably gave Poe some hints for "MS found in a Bottle", and perhaps for "Pym" too. B. R. Pollin, in his excellent work "Discoveries in Poe" (1971?), will furnish you more hypothesis and informations about the mysterious "Reynolds" Poe had maybe in mind when dying. Good luck with your research. Yours sincerely, Raven's Shade (Belgium).

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2002

Of course, even whether he said this or not is somewhat uncertain and there are other Reynolds less important such as a politician in the elctions that day in which Poe may been forced to voting. I certainly like the Jeremiah Reynolds one, the subject of two separate disappointments(one the novel Poe wrote, the other Reynold's loss of control over the scientific expedition to the South Seas to the navy), Reynolds became a banker in Texas. I think the woidow acknowledged Poe's support for her husband. Poe's essays on Reynolds and the South Seas expeditions can be found online at www.eapoe.org as well as stories centering on the "Polar Hole-Hollow Earth Theory", pretty much disproven in Poe's time.

-- Anonymous, November 26, 2002

Many efforts had been made to identify who "Reynolds" may have been. At least one scholar felt that Poe may have instead been calling the name "Herring" (Poe's uncle was Henry Herring). SEE: {W.T. Bandy, "Dr. Moran and the Poe-Reynolds Myth, "Myths and Realities: The Mysterious Mr. Poe."}

-- Anonymous, December 01, 2002

Reynolds is not that uncommon a name. Maybe Reynolds was one of the thugs who shanghaied him to stuff the ballot box.

-- Anonymous, October 05, 2003

Possibly Reynolds was a brother of his soon to be wife. All the brothers had despisised their sister marrying Poe so when he left for his trip, they kidnapped him and beat him up.

-- Anonymous, November 28, 2003

I hate to bitch about this like half a moth after you asked the question, but the whole "Renolds" thing wasn't his last words, He said that durring the fourth night of his stay in the hospital, then, the next morning, he said "Lord, help my poor soul." Then he died. Get it straight people! no, seriously, I don't care, i just had to say something. It might not even be right, it's just what I read.

-- Anonymous, November 09, 2004