One of the more romantic and enduring legacies of Edgar Allan Poe was the Poe Toaster , a secretive and stealthy figure who visited the writer’s grave each year on Poe’s birthday, leaving three roses and a half bottle of cognac.
The tradition persisted for sixty years, before the man failed to appear in 2010 after faithfully observing the tradition from 1949 onward. A following had developed, but no one had ever unmasked or identified the party or parties responsible. Cryptic notes left by the Toaster indicated first that the “torch” would be “passed,” and later confirmed that a “son” had taken over the tradition. However, attendees usually did not attempt to determine the man’s identity, save for a small group in 2006 who had taken issues with the contents of recent notes left by the Poe Toaster.
This year, the figure failed to show for the second year running. (Several impostors, none of whom displayed a secret signal, mimicked the Toaster.) Jeff Jerome, curator of the Poe House and Museum, has watched the Poe Toaster from inside the adjacent church fo 32 years. Jerome acknowledged that the tradition had likely ceased, and said he doesn’t consider tributes to the tribute authentic:
“It’s sort of like a marriage that ends,” Jerome said. “Part of you still wants the warmth that was part of it, and you go looking for the same woman. No, it’s over with. And if it’s over with, it’s over with. If people want to continue the tradition, it’s going to be without me.”
While the Poe Toaster is likely retired or interred in a sepulcher by the sea, the tradition of graveside gatherings on Poe’s birthday will probably continue indefinitely.
