Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Poe's college career didn't go according to plan. In fact, he was forced to drop out of the University of Virginia because of gambling debts, and he eventually joined the army instead (source).
Poe published his first book of poems at age 18 (source).
Poe was orphaned before he was three (source). That might help explain the spookiness.
Poe was popular in his lifetime, but he only made a few dollars selling his greatest poems. For example, he was paid about $15 for "The Raven" (source).