Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1875-10-09
Edgar Allen Poe.
HOW THE RAVEN wAA WRITTEN.


HOW THE RAVEN WAS WRITTEN.
In a discussion Of the mental
condition of Edgar Allen zoe, IN
iScrf6ner for October, under the
lljtl3 Of "A Mad Man CT Letters, =
Mr.. 4. G.. Fairfield gives the fol-
lowing conflicting accounts Of the
compositions of The Raven"
Another fact that seems to wit
ness to his epileptic condition is
constituted by The habitual lying
that marked the latter and best
known part of his career. One
instance must illustrate the many.
shall take it for grantee that the
general reader Is familiar with
that remarkable analytic paper In
which he describes the compost
ton Of The Raven,u and the
plan upon which it was construct
ed American literature contains
nothing cleverer in its way, and
its cleverness is manifold enhanc-
ed when it is understood that it is
simply and unequivocally fiction,
as the actual circumstances under
which the poem was written con-
clusively show.
Poe then occupied cottage at
Fordham-a kind of poets nook,
just out of hearing of the busy hum
of the city. He had walked all
the way from New York that af-
ternoon, and, having taken cup
Of tea, went out in the evening
and wandered about for an hour
or more. His beloved Virginia
was sick almost unto death; he
was without money to procure the
necessasy medicines. He was out
until about ten o'clock. When he
went in he sat down at his writing
table and dashed off "The Raven"
He submitted 1t to Mrs. GLENN
for her consideration TIL same
night, and it was printed suhs.an-
TALLY as it was written.
This account of the origin of the
poem was communicated 10 me in
the Fall OF 1866 by gentleman
who professed to be indebted to
Mrs. GLENN for the facts as he sta
ted them; and in the course Of
saunter in the South, in the Sum-
mer OF 1867, took occasion to ve-
rify his story by an interview with
that aged lady. Let me now drop
Mrs. Ciemm's version for a para
graph to- consider, resting upon
the testimony of Colonel du
Sole, who was intimate with
Poe at this period, and concurred
in by other literary ,ontem orar-
les who used 10 meet him of
midday for budget of gossip and
a glass of ale at Sandy Walsh's cell
lar in Ann street.
Du Sole says that the poem was
produced stanza by stanza at small
intervals, and submitted by Poe
piecemeal to the criticism and en-
endation of his intimates. who sug-
gested various alterations and SUBJ
stitutious. Poe adopted many of
them Du Sole quotes particular
instances of phrases that were in
corporated 1T his suggestion, and
thus 1.-THE Raven was kind of
joint stock affair, in which many
minds held small shares OF intel
lectual capital. AT length, when
the last stone had been placed in
position and passed upon, the
structure was voted complete.
The reconciliation of these con-
aicting versions lies, possibly. in
the hypothesis That he wrete the
poem substantially. as stated by
Mrs. GLENN, and afterwards. with
the shrewd idea of stimulating ex-
pectation a little.or by way ofsub-
tie and delicate fiattery, submitted
it to his friends, stanza by stanza,
adopting such cancellations and
substitutions of phrase as tickled
his ear or suited his fancy. Such
alteration, would scarcely affect
the tenor of the text, as Mrs.
GLENN first heard it, and, consid-
ering the length of the poem, APP
pear to have been very few and Of
small importance, granting all that
Col. du Sole claims.- Besides, it
was like him to amuse himself in
this way hoaxing his friends, and
then laughing in his sleeve at