Image by Square Frog from Pixabay

Valentine’s Day is traditionally associated with love and romance, but there is a darker side to this holiday. Throughout history, there have been manytales of ghosts. demons, and other supernatural beings  that are said to haunt lovers to this day.

There are several reasons why so many tragic love stories lead to ghostly legends and active haunts. One of the most significant factors is the intense emotions associated with love and heartbreak. When someone dies suddenly or unexpectedly, the sense of loss and grief can be overwhelming, and the desire to be reunited with the departed loved one can be intense. This can lead to the creation of ghosts as a way to cope with the loss and keep the memory of the deceased alive. It can lead to people practicing dark arts or seances to raise the dead. It can lead a person down some sketchy paths. Another reason is the cultural and historical belief in the afterlife and the idea that spirits can linger on earth after death. In many cultures, it was believed that if someone died before their time or in a particularly tragic or heart-wrenching way, their spirit would be unable to find peace and would be doomed to haunt the earth forever.

Finally,ghost stories about tragic love often  serve as cautionary tales about the dangers of passions gone awry and the consequences of unrequited or forbidden love.These tales can be seen as a warning about the power of love, and the need to be cautious in our romantic pursuits.

What better example than the tragic love story of two literary geniuses Edgar Allan Poe, the master of horror and his love Sarah helen Whitman and the haunting of Providence Athenaeum.

By Kenneth C. Zirkel - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32690570

The Providence Athenaeumis a historic library located in Providence, Rhode Island, and is considered one of the oldest and most prestigious libraries in the country. Founded in 1753, the library has a rich history and is known for its collection of rare books, manuscripts, and works of art. It’s also where Poe and Whitman first met. They were both prominent literary figures of the 19th century. Poe was a famous poet and writer of short stories, known for his dark and macabre tales such as “The Raven” and “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Sarah Helen Whitman was a poet, writer, and critic who was active in the literary and spiritualist circles of her time – the occult was tres chic during that era. The two met in 1848 and quickly became friends, drawn together by their mutual interest in literature and the supernatural. They had a deep respect for each other’s work, and Poe was said to have been greatly impressed by Whitman’s intelligence and wit.

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    1848 daguerreotype by William Hartshorn  AND  1856(?) daguerreotype attributed to J. White

Although their relationship was primarily a friendship, there has been speculation that their conversations turned romantic in nature. Poe was known for his unconventional views on love and relationships, and Whitman was a strong-willed and independent woman who was known for her unconventional views. Some have suggested that their relationship was a secret, intense romance, while others believe that their connection was purely platonic. Rumors abound and one of them was this:

Poe chased and hassled and made a nuisance of himself with Whitman — until late into their burgeoning romance, she finally accepted to wed the scalawag. But, there was one condition — He had to remain sober until their wedding on Christmas Day. Which was, in Poe’s case, near impossible. It would have been easier to ask him to stop breathing or grow antlers than drop the gin and cheap whisky. Poe didn't keep his promise and a heartbroken Helen refused to speak to Poe after that. Poe, ever the pragmatist and a man of convictions, decided to double down on his liquid passions and drank himself to death. The man was no quitter. When he died eight months later, Helen was so distraught that she came to the Athenaeum to try to summon the spirit of her lost love. It apparently worked because his spirit has been spotted in the library ever since. And if that wasn’t scary enough cosmic horror father H.P. Lovecraft also frequented and wrote some of his tales in that library.

Poe's home in New York is also haunted.Although Poe was born in Boston he spent most of his life in Richmond, Virginia, where he lived with his wife Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe.

Virginia, when she met and decided to tie the knot was not only Edgar's cousin whom he called "Sissy" but was also a child bride.  Virginia was only 13 years old when she and Poe married, and she suffered from poor health throughout her life. And during their relationship, Edgar liked to sample the wares at the local watering hole. In other words, the man had a secret Tinder account – and Virginia was well aware of it. Despite her fragile health, Virginia was a source of inspiration and support for Poe, and he dedicated many of his works to her. Tragically, Virginia died of tuberculosis in 1847 at the young age of 24. Poe was devastated by herd eath and is said to have never fully recovered from the loss. Some believe that her death was the main inspiration for many of his dark and melancholic works, including the poems “Annabel Lee” and “The Raven.”

And where did she bite the bullet? Right at the Edgar Allen Poe. House. She along with Poe – who likes to stroll with ectoplasmic glee all over New York, he’s been spotted in all his famous haunts – loves to mope around the place and scare the bejesus out of tourists. 

By Zoirusha at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2746354

https://usghostadventures.com/americas-most-haunted-trending/valentines-day-not-everything-is-rosy/