Despite the overwhelming tragedies in Edgar Allen Poe’s life, he valued love and the many women he felt it for. With Poe’s sensitive nature, it is no surprise that he considered them angels. Ironically, that great love caused him immense pain. Probably his greatest love lost was his cousin/wife Virginia.

We loved with a love that was more than love.
-Edgar Allan Poe

Knowing that Edgar Allen Poe’s work was inspired by personal experiences, this quote probably reflects the relationship he had with Virginia or another woman he cared for. Here’s the thing, I feel compelled to question whether he truly loved those women; I mean he had so many. Maybe that “love that was more than love” in Poe’s mind, was in actuality mere infatuation or loneliness. Answer.com only drove me to doubt even more after reading an article about widowhood.

Men are affected more by widowhood than women. Widowhood is less likely to be anticipated by men, and men are generally more dependent on their spouse for social and emotional support.
- YVONNE D. WELLS; COLETTE J. BROWNING

Edgar Allen Poe needed emotional support and he received that from his women. I think it’s safe to say that the “love” he felt for them was just dependence. In the case of Virginia, I do believe that it was real love. After all, Poe could do more for Virginia (like teach her Algebra and entertain her with the flute) than she could do for him.