Edgar Allan Poe and Virginia Clemm
They married when she was 13 and he was 27, though the marriage certificate listed her age as 21. It’s been speculated that since Virginia was destitute for much of her childhood, her cousin married her to keep her and her remaining relatives from poverty. Her family did live with her and Edgar at different points during their marriage. Whatever their reasons for marrying her, they eventually became utterly devoted to one another. When Virginia became ill with tuberculosis, she told Edgar not to fret because she’d become his guardian angel in the afterlife. Her death is the inspiration for much of his writing, including Annabel Lee and Lenore.
