Famous Last Words of Famous Authors

They certainly had their way with words, even when they were their last. We’re seldom capable of choosing how and when we die, and more often than not our final words are a matter of happenstance. Sometimes, however, it just seems to fit, as is the case with these three authors.

François-Marie Arouet, better known by his pen name Voltaire, was deeply critical of Christianity and the Roman Catholic Church and openly advocated for the separation of church and state. Although unconfirmed, as legend has it Voltaire was visited by a priest at his death bed and was asked to renounce Satan, to which he replied, "This is no time to be making new enemies."

Edgar Allan Poe managed to establish a career in writing and live off his writing alone at a time where it was nearly impossible to do so in America. Particularly known for his short stories and poetry, Poe often focused on tales of mystery and the macabre. It is perhaps appropriate, then, that circumstances surrounding Poe’s death remain mysterious and uncertain to this very day. Reportedly, Poe uttered the words "Lord help my poor soul." before his passing in 1849.

Although Jane Austen is widely recognized as an essential English novelist, her works were largely ignored during her own lifetime. She wrote anonymously, and was largely disregarded to the point of living in poverty. Her final words to her sister before her passing were a tragic "I want nothing but death."

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