Poe was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. As one of the earliest short story writers, he is considered the father of the detective story genre and a contributor to the early days of the science fiction genre. Poe’s personal life was marked with frequent tragedy. By the time he was three years old, his father had abandoned the family, his mother had died, and he and his siblings had separated. Poe was then taken in by John and Frances Allan. Though he and Frances adored one another, Poe and John’s relationship was always volatile. Poe attended the University of Virginia for a short time but was forced to leave when John stopped paying his tuition because of Poe’s gambling debts. Poe then entered the army under a false name. After two years and achieving the rank of sergeant major for artillery, he went to his commanding officer and confessed his true name in an attempt to leave his commitment early. The commanding officer told Poe that he would help him leave if he would reconcile with John. Poe visited the Allans in February 1829 after the death of Frances.