The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-11-26
saltwater, Mimi, Thursday, Nov. 26, 1891.

Dl0 COnOuCG anu luIculpoTdlc0 Gno c'OuiuS
before they were to have been married.
Many chivalrOus pens nOw-alas! too late
-essayed his defense; but his true history
has not yet been written. and it probably
never will be. DR.. JohnsOn's summary of
Buffers life almost literally applies to
POe's: 1.-THE date of his birth is doubtful,
the mode and place of his education un.
known. the events of his life are variOusly
related, and all that can be told with GER
tainty is that he was poor"
1t is hard enough lot, under the best
circumstances and in the best times, to live
by the pen. The characteristics as well as
POe's genius as of his times made that lot a
doom for him. The rewards of authorship
were on an eleemOSYnary scale (POe re-
ceived only $40 for THE Raven" and $40
week as editor in chief OF magaZine);
literary taste was uniformed and, worst of
alL he best public appreciation perverted
by silly school of writers. Poe possessed
in high degree the musical sense of lam
guage, 'and marvellous analytical powers. !"
The most obvious quality of his poetic style
is it's rhythm. The musical ear led him to
adopt refrains and euphOniOus sylIables,
like Never more" "LenOre." "''bells. and
to dwell on their cadence" For him di-
vine harmOnies lay in the relation of words
to each other. as if they had been notes.
He possessed almost superhuman power
of dissecting thOught-extremelv uncOm
Portable to others, even to the best of writ.
ers. The possession of the power of an
eager and nipping sarcasm and an Internal
courage, fortified with extensive reading
and retentive memory. Poe became a
scOurge to mediOcrity, imitation, sham and
pretense. HE elected himself chief Justice
nj ho nf criticism on6 no of
ounces" says Stoddard. He hated bad
book as misdemeanor." A gentleman re-
mOnstrated with Poe against the severity
of some of his book reviews. You say"
said he to Poe. THAT the people love havoc;
l think they love justice" To the cause of
pure literature he thus devoted his life with
example. with precept and with destructive
force. He was the Wendell Phillips of
American literature.
1t became Poe against the whole literary
world of America in very short time-for
he had unstinted praise for no one. One
of his most bitter enemies put in success
full circulation the theory that Poe, by cru
city, deliberately caused the death of his
wife in order to get the inspiration for 1.-The
Raven" and the story may still be met on
it's rounds notwithstanding the fact that
the poem was written two years before she
died.
Poe died in Baltimore October Z. 1S49.
The event was announced by GriswOld in
the Tribune with this brutal bluntneSs:
Edgar Allan Poe is dead. This announce
ment will startle many. but few will be
grieved by it. He had few or no friends. !"
But the Southern Messenger said: Nov
that he is gone. the vast multitude of block
heads may breathe again." GriswOld sim
ply elected himself mouthpiece of that host.
The critical instinct. coupled with an i'm
pulsive temperament. high ideals of perfect
performance and a powerful pen, is fatal
gift to any man. The path of such one
will be strewn with the tombs of friend
ships which he has stabbed. many and
many time uncOnsciOusly; his life will be
haunted with vain regrets for words gone
past recall, carrying with them cOnse
quences he did not reckon upon. hurting
those he loves, missing those he aimed at.
His way leads steadily to bitter animosites.
bltteler remOfse and, bittereSt of all, isOla-
ton from his fellows. who shall clothe him
with character foreign. antagonistic and
repulSive to his better nature. If he be not
possessed of ''an O'ermastering wll." a
thick skin and healthy. cheerful temper it
leads to mOrbidness. gloom and despair
Poe was not of that will and temper. He
was affectionate. sociable and supersensi.
tive to GOODNESS in others. A rebuff was
stab to him, hatred a calamity.
RAMEoUs.