Poe Toaster facts for kids
The Poe Toaster was a mysterious person who visited the grave of American writer Edgar Allan Poe every year. This person, or perhaps a series of people, paid tribute to Poe for many decades. The visits happened in the early morning hours of January 19, which is Poe's birthday. Poe's grave is located in Baltimore, Maryland.
The Poe Toaster always dressed in black, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a white scarf. They would pour a glass of a special drink, like cognac, and raise it in a toast to Poe. Then, they would disappear into the night. They always left behind three red roses arranged in a special way. They also left the unfinished bottle of the drink. People would gather each year, hoping to catch a glimpse of this secretive figure. The Toaster did not want to be seen or photographed.
Reports say the first Toaster made these visits from the 1930s until 1998. After that, the tradition was passed down to "a son." In 2010, the Toaster did not appear. Absences in 2011 and 2012 suggested the 75-year tradition had ended. However, in 2016, the Maryland Historical Society chose a new "Toaster" to bring the tradition back.
Contents
History of the Poe Toaster
How the Tradition Began
Edgar Allan Poe, a famous American writer, died in Baltimore, Maryland, on October 7, 1849. His death happened under mysterious circumstances. The Poe Toaster tradition might have started as early as the 1930s. It continued every year until 2009.
Each year, very early on January 19, a person dressed in black would enter the Westminster Hall and Burying Ground in Baltimore. This person carried a silver-tipped cane. Their face was hidden by a scarf or hood. At Poe's original grave, marked by a special stone, they would pour a glass of Martell cognac. They would then raise a toast to Poe. After that, they would place three red roses on the monument in a unique pattern. Finally, they would leave the unfinished bottle of cognac and depart.
Many believe the three roses represented Poe himself, his wife Virginia Eliza Poe, and his mother-in-law Maria Clemm. All three were buried at that location. The meaning of the cognac is not fully known. It is not a drink often mentioned in Poe's stories. However, a note left in 2004 suggested the cognac was part of the Toaster's family tradition. Several of the bottles left by the Toaster are now kept at the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum.
A group of reporters and Poe fans would gather each year to watch the event. A photo, believed to be of the Toaster, was published in Life Magazine in 1990.
Messages Left by the Toaster
Sometimes, the Toaster left a note with the roses and cognac. Some notes were simple, showing their dedication, like "Edgar, I haven't forgotten you." In 1993, a mysterious message said, "The torch will be passed." This hinted that someone new would take over the tradition.
In 1999, a note announced that the first Toaster had died the year before. It said the tradition was passed to "a son." People who watched the visits after 1998 noticed the new Toaster seemed younger.
A note left in 2001 caused some discussion in Baltimore. It mentioned the Super Bowl XXXV game between the Baltimore Ravens and the New York Giants. The note said: "The New York Giants. Darkness and decay and the big blue hold dominion over all. The Baltimore Ravens. A thousand injuries they will suffer. Edgar Allan Poe evermore." This was unusual because the Toaster had never commented on sports or current events before. No one understood why the note was negative about the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens' team name was inspired by Poe's poem "The Raven". The note's prediction was wrong, as Baltimore won the game 34–7.
The Toaster's 2004 note seemed to criticize France's stance on the Iraq War. It read: "The sacred memory of Poe and his final resting place is no place for French cognac. With great reluctance but for [sic] respect for family tradition the cognac is placed. The memory of Poe shall live evermore!"
Jeff Jerome, who used to be the curator of the Poe House and Museum, thought these notes might mean the son was not as serious about the tradition as his father. Jerome said a final note, left between 2005 and 2008, was so upsetting that he decided not to reveal its contents. He only said it hinted that the tradition would soon end.
Claims and the End of the Original Tradition
In 2006, some onlookers tried to figure out how the Poe Toaster got into the Burial Ground. Other than that, people never bothered the Toaster during the tribute. No one made a serious effort to find out who the person was.
In 2007, a 92-year-old man named Sam Porpora claimed he started the Poe Toaster tradition. Porpora was a former historian for Baltimore's Westminster Church. He said he invented the Toaster in the 1960s as a "publicity stunt." He wanted to bring more attention to the church. However, reports of the Toaster's visits appeared in newspapers before the 1960s. For example, a 1950 article mentioned "an anonymous citizen who creeps in annually."
Jeff Jerome said there were many inconsistencies in Porpora's story. Jeff Savoye of the Edgar Allan Poe Society also doubted Porpora's claims. Porpora later admitted he was not the one making the annual visits. He said someone else had taken over the tradition.
In 2008, about 150 people gathered to see the Toaster. In 2009, which was Poe's 200th birthday, fewer people came. The Toaster did not leave a note that year.
In 2010, the Poe Toaster did not appear at all. Jeff Jerome, who had seen every visit since 1976, had no explanation. He thought that if the Toaster wanted to end the tradition, Poe's 200th birthday in 2009 would have been a good time to stop.
In 2011, four people appeared who were called "faux Toasters" (fake Toasters). They were identified as fake because they walked openly, unlike the real Toaster. They also did not give a secret signal that only Jerome knew. And they did not arrange the roses in the Toaster's unique pattern. Some people wanted the tradition to end gracefully. Others wanted it to continue, even with imitators.
In 2012, the "original" Toaster did not appear again. Jerome announced that the tradition was "over with." He said he wished they had left a note to say it was ending.
The Tradition Returns
In 2015, the Maryland Historical Society held a contest. They wanted to choose a new person to bring back the annual tribute. This new tradition would be more open to tourists. The new Toaster, who also remains anonymous, made their first appearance on January 16, 2016. This was a Saturday, three days before Poe's birthday.
The new Toaster wore the traditional black clothing. They played Saint-Saëns' Danse macabre on a violin. After raising the traditional cognac toast and placing the roses, they said, "Cineri gloria sera venit". This Latin phrase means "Glory paid to one's ashes comes too late." Then, the new Toaster left.
See also
