The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-10-24
EDGAR ALLAN POE
A LETTER FROM FRANCIS GERRY FAlhFlEAD'
THE ORDER OF HIS wRTrINGs-A CHANGE OF
VIEW.

To the Editor of the Tribune:
Sir-While no man can more thoroughly
appreciate the deli ,acy with which contro-
versv with a lady should be conducted, l
must. nevertheless, solicit the opportunity OF
a brief re binder to the communication from
IS. Fl. w." printed in to-day's Tribune, con-
corning the article on Poe. Passing personal
matters it seems clear to me, from my own
memoranda, that your correspondent Is IN
error as to the order of Poe's poems and other
literary products. Lst ma give synopsis
Bal imore, 1922" "MS found in Bottle
took premium in 1888; connected with South
ern Literary Messenger from 1885 to 1887;
Narrative OF Arthur Gordon Pym OF Nan.
tucket," I'll .rper 4 Brothers, 1888; "Tales OF
the Grotesque and Arabesque," collection OF
scattered magazine STORIES Philadelphia,
1910: became editor of Grdhd,n'S Magazine,
and wrote the "Gold Bug" the Murders OF
the Rue Morgue," and other singular analytic
tales. besides completing Development OF
the plot of Dickens :" barnaby nudge lor
that periodical; removed to New York IN 1874;
and was employed by Morris Willis on
The Mirror; "R,ver," published in Cohons
Whiq Reuie,e in February, 1915.
'Annabel Lee and '' The Bells appear to
have been written previous to 1917 The
"Fall of the House Of Usher had appeared
already, and IL; gisa," " Morella, and other
psychological tiles had been printed. HIS
ssEureka" was delivered as lecture in 104S.
1t is words, words, words. Any person who
will compare it with the various mesmeric
specuations of that day, the prototypes OF
the literature of modern Splrltuallsm, Will
ind that it contained scarcely an original
thought, although abundant In original ex-
presslons The habit of repetition is one OF
It's peculiar features. The first vestige OF
Poe's "Ulalume" am able to find occurs in
| The Home Journal Saturday, January !, lS4o-
| the wear before his tragic death-under the
Williseque caption of "Epicureanism of Lam
| guage."
A brief paragraph in the manner of Willis
prefaces the ballad, states that it is copied
| from The american Reuiet1, describes it as a
poem full of beauty and oddity in sentiment
| and versifcation, and inquiries, "Who is the
author ?" The final stanzA, elided in the Girls
void edition Of his poems, is unchanged, and
| illustrates the vague and empty nature of the
poem, and my view of the case more felici-
| tously than all the rest. L. ruLs as follows:
Said we then-the two, then" Alb, can it
Have been tn at the woOdlandi1h ghouis-
| The pitiful, the merciful ghoul5-
| To bar up our way and to ban 1T
| From the secret that lies in these wolds-
| From the thing that hes hidden in these wolds-
| has drawn up the sptCuST VI plducO
| From the limbo of lunary souls
| This sinfuily scintilant planet
From the He'll of the planetary souls 2"
1t would require all the poetic insight of
confirmed Spiritualist to find any real mean
| ing in this absurd synthesis of sonorous syl-
tables. IT your correspondent has such an
insight, there is ample verge for exercising it
here. As to my own inconsistencies, | shall
frankly confess them. Those who know me
are well aware that there was date when my
admiration of Poe was rather excessive. But
one outgrows some things, and l fad myself
at thirty five denying the jurisdiction OF my
former gods. The. conductor of Scribner's
Monthly, years since, when connected with
the Springfield Republican, once returned GER
tain crudities of mine with the remark that
"only one man ever wrote in tina. way, and
he was mad" And having had my attack o.
Poe fever-and long one it was-I hope
nay be permitted to say that [ have recov.
ered without leaving the deirious rawlings o
the attack quoted as against my mature an(
sober opinions
Very respectfully yours,
FRANCIS GERRY FAIRFIELD.
New Yark, Oct. IL, 1875