Poe had been admitted to the hospital on Wednesday the 3rd suffering from delirium tremens (acute alcohol poisoning) and was raving at imaginary objects. These symptoms continued through Thursday the 4th. On Friday the 5th he calmed down and regained consciousness, but remained depressed and suicidal. A short while later, he fell back into a violent delirium and had to be restrained by two nurses. Dr. J.J. Moran remembered that on Saturday evening, October 6, 1849, Poe started calling for "Reynolds" throughout the night until 3 a.m. Sunday morning. Who is this REYNOLDS? The identity of "Reynolds" has been a source of discussion among Poe theorists and no one has found the definitive answer. Some think Reynolds was the author of a work Poe read about the South Seas and a Hollow Earth theory. Others say Reynolds was a crooked election judge, a drinking buddy, an assassin, or a curious Baltimore visitor to his bedside. Of course, Moran may have misunderstood the word. Although supposedly Poe repeated the word over and over, perhaps Poe, a gifted language scholar, was speaking in a language the Doctor did not understand. But more probably, Moran's recollections were apocryphal. Reportedly, he enjoyed and exploited his celebrity. However, his recorded recollections have some inconsistencies.
While many have accepted the "Reynolds" myth and used it as a platform to speculate on Poe's final thoughts, the better question may be: What does "Reynolds" mean to Moran? Had Moran read Poe's ARTHUR GORDON PYM and then read Jeremiah Reynolds' ADDRESS ON THE SOUTH SEA EXPEDITION? Had he listened to Poe's ravings and compared them to Pym's apocalyptic visions and Reynolds' wacky travel guide? Or did he just make it all up? "Dr. Moran and the Poe-Reynolds Myth" - eap.org Jeremiah N. Reynolds - wiki Hollow Earth Theory - wiki
Jeremiah N. Reynold's MOCA DICK - wiki
Moby Dick - Moca Dick - Erik Tierney
Nennt mich nochmal Ismael - Moby Dick
Poe Forward's POE FUNERAL Events Page
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