The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-02
THE FIELD OF LITERATURE.


Men of Letters series (Houghton. Mifflin 81 Co.
Boston) is Of Edgar Allan Poe. Dying thirty-six
years ago, generation Of readers has been born
into the world and grown to manhood. They
read of Poe as one of another age almost for
getting that he was contemporary with such
men as Lowell Whittier, Willis, Longfellow,
and others living or comparatively recently de-
ceased. The very diosyncrasies Of the author
of 1.-The Raven" have ever made study OF
his brief life one of fascinating interest, the
desire being to know somewhat of the inner life
OF the author of weird literary and speculative
conceptions, such as other man has success
FULLY attempted The author of this biography
lGeorge A. Woodberry) confesses the confusing
contradictions that have obtained in estimates
and sketches of this remarkable man, and has,
IN every instance, cited his authority for what
ever statement he has made, thus giving his
work an air OF authority that carries conviction
with 1t, and the result is a slife7
that will meet with general favor.
For in any instance where the reader NAV
take issue with the author, it is agreeable to
know upon what authority he based his state
ments. The object of the author seems to have
been to picture the man as he appeared to be
rather than to speculate on his nature or char
acter. The figure is drawn in all its details and
the surroundings are carefully reproduced The
reader has a full view of the man, and is put in
possession ofvery many facts not hitherto given,
to the public in such accessible form
Edgar Allan Poe must ever remain an enigma
to many, and to many even of those who ad-
mire his genius. He was strange contradiction
in manv respects. Proud, sensitive and egotis-
teal in his overwhelming conviction of his capa-
bilities, he was at the same time insincere and
selfish, as evinced in his lack of truthfulness in
many instances and his wavering conduct toward
the several women upon whom his uncertain
affections were placed during the later years of
his life and after the death Of his
wife. But whatever may be said of his
erratic genius as author and critic, it remains
to his lasting credit that he was always loyal to
his child-wife Virginia Clemm, whom he mar
ried when she was but thirteen years of aga
Friends had regarded the match with astonish-
ment and predicted disaster, and relatives had
interposed objections, urging that the marriage
be deferred until Miss GLENN should be of moro
suitable age to take on the duties of wifehood
But the impusive wooer would brook no delay,
no interference, and they were married
There is pretty parallel between
their experience and that of David
Copperfield" and his chd-wife Dora Spenlow,"
while Mrs GLENN played we'll the part Of
Aunt Betsy Trotwood." Pretty, slight. and
dying as Dora" did, while yet young and child
like, the analogy seems almost complete; while,
if we could think of Miss Register, afterward
Mrs. Shelton, as agnes" the reading Of Cop
perfeld's" domestic life is nearly reproduction
of that of Poe, though in this instance the rag
mes" was not the noble, selfsacrifcing
agnes" of Dickens's fancy nor did he
marry her, though he contemplated it
But as between Poe and the amiabe and simple
minded "Copperfeld" there is nothing but con-
trast "Copperheld" drank intoxicants it is
true, as did Poe, when young. But the former
drank from inability to refuse. while the latter,
even rs student, seemed to toss off his peach
and honey" or the brandy neat. with somewhat
of the bravado that was no less weak, while In
calculably more disastrous in the end.
Poe was essentially selfish, originating from
overweening self-appreciation. Never under
stood, because never caring to be understood,
his very weaknesses were for time
successfully masked especially so as to his habit
measurably abandoned during his marriage,
only to be resumed when his wife died. A tinge
of acerbity was noticeable in all his criticisms,
which, as might have been expected brought
against him the hostility, at least i'll will, of
nearly all the literary men of his time Essen
TALLY dreamer, and improvident even with the
means of indulgence at his command after he
quilted the house of his benefactor, Mr.. Allan no
never succeeded in accumulating any money,
and probably never had thousand dollars at
any one time in his life. AS to his own literary
work, that is in the hands of the reading world.
and it's merits have been variousy estimated. In
this connection, however. the man more than
his labors are under consideration.
The natural trend of his mind or, rather, the
the natural Inconsistency of his nature was dem
onstrated after the death of his wife, when he
took up his odtime habits that char
acterized him before his marriage. He
drank again, and now to excess, and formed
fanatic attachment for Mrs. Whitman, of Prov
idence r. l., even before he had seen her,
finally proposing to her after forming her ac-
quantance. and then playing fast and loose in
very mean way, tho lady at last summoning
enough resolution TO break off with him, pro-
ducing on his part drunken carouse But of
the very time of his conditional betrothal
to Mrs. Whitman he was dallying
with certain widow Mrs. Shell
ton of Richmond, who, as Miss Register,
had been his sweetheart when college boy;
and he also made advances to q certain Annie
of Boston, and during all these wooings he was
meanly false in turn to each. Attor the break
with Mrs Whitman, who, by the way, was an
cstimablc lady. and writer of note at the time.
he went to Richmond and there proposed to and
was accepted by Mrs Shelton Blu. i'm end was
soon put to it ALL for while on his way to New
York he stopped to see friends at Baltimore got
on drunken carouse from which he
never recovered, it being told, though without
clear support that he was used by corrur,t ward.