The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-03-06
OUR LITERARY BUDGET.
GENIUS OF poK AND HAWTHORNE.
oriSinaIity Of English Literature Ne Com
Dared with Americao-Characier' OF
Poe's Poetry and Hawihornc's Fiction.

Omit from consideration the great names o.
Poe and Ilawthorne-the only two writers o.
extraordinary original genius whom America
has nroduced-and we lind this remarkable
condition Of things: There has not been
single American writer, numerous as Ainei''
can writers Of merit have been, who can Nc
said TO hay, established distinct schoo' U,
his own in literature. Look at the hS'Oi! "
England since 1860, by which time tue H"s
nsb colonies in America had become h'n'i3
rooted in the SOIL The first 70 be observer -
che snhlime figure OF Milton, which SHINES 50
far in the empyrean that II inspires Vn'. ~
ona ,vonder ike the great name OF ohahe P5aiS 49,
In the axe Of Anne, Addison, VPo 9"y ,bo
were all writers VINO estdDI''neu; nov
snccial idiosyncFaces 81 ihelI sen'11o' ,irad
schools Of literary thought VIII tLi,,s,
,onernefuate their influence. ne sduv 'n'"5
~ le said Of Fielding IN the age llhihcui"toiy
srLseoucnt. johnson, Goldsmith, pVS"eIi
md g. ibl,,n were all essentially oislhai' anu
arc still the uneXhausted springs VI u'9"'O'
influences III Englsn literature, h"On De-
ZONES 10 "A school OF his own WORDSWORTH
shelley. Byron, Keats, each - an V4i6i"ai
'ia,nen,al force. unk nOwD. unimagned before
a., ,,,.orance scott Dickens, indckeray
Tliof 'TennysOn, Browning. each STANDS en-
tirelv apart from all who had gone before MN.
Toe,r individuality j. distinctly dehned.
Their special genius IS as clearly marked as
80 face of he sun i'm the Heavens. They
lion, to no school but their own. Each has
rreafed a new species OF writers; eacn Is
master. a central figure; literary divinity
10 be worshiped and initiated.
How different IL Is when we turn TO cOnlem-
plate American literature. Irving, cooper,
tryaut. I0ngiellow, Holmes, Lowell, Emer-
SON. these, exclusive of Poe and Hawthorne.
are the monumental names in the literature
of the American continent. Not one IS the
founder OF a new school OF literary thought;
not one, in spite OF unqUestiOaable merits,
constitutes a great original force like Addl-
son, or Pope, or Swift, or johnson, or Gold
smith or Btswell, or " OrdswOrtb, or shelley,
or Byron, or Keats, or Scott, or Dickens, or
Thackeray, or Eliot,or rennyson, or Browning.
They are not masters, but pupils; not leaders,
buf followers; not gods, but m0rtals. Ihey
have not created literary epOchs. They are
simply loyal 10 the epOchs thar were created
for them.
I'm Poe and Hawthorne alone d we discover
that flame OF original genius which is neces-
sary for the opening up Of new neld IN
literature There j. more poetic sensibilliy
and insight; more of that nne irenIy IN winch
tue soul as well as the eye OF the true poet IS
always rolling in the classic lines when Zoe
addressed 10 Helen than in the combined
volumes of LOnglei0w AID Lowell.
Five or six poems might be selected from
the pOetical productions Of Zoe I'm which
there is 10 be found more inspiration than
in hall Of the remaining poetry when mas
been written In America, considered as
whole. And yet original as Poe undoubtedly
was it is an originality that - cOnnned 10
very narrow lines. Like the great ylOlnlst,
Paganini, he played upon one string with an
enhancing harmony, but unlike faganini, he
could not strike from that single string a
thousand variations. His genius presented
but one side, which never reflected but one
light. His one literary idiOsyncracy was
always strident and always dominant. In MS
pOetical compositions the most serene SANITY
IN art is associated with an insane m0rbdIty
of spjrit. and the combination raises him into
a separate sphere. Like the great writers Of
England he has his own school OF followers
and imitatOrs, but the limitation OF his great
ness is shown in the fact that his influence
has been unWhOesOme. The increasing at
tention which be has attracted from the year
OF his death is due IN some measure 10 curl.
osity, and also TO the saliency Of the charac-
terstics of his genius, but making all proper
allowance for these commonplace elements OF
his fame, ii remains very clear that he repre-
sents a very distinct and original literary
force, having caught his inspiration at the
shrine OF no predecessor, but receiving Inc
sacred fire from heaven ITSELF
In the province Of fiction, Nathaniel 1aw-
thOrne was as phenomenal as Poe IN the held
Of poetry. Like Poe, he is eminenty original
in a sense which signifies that his works are
the property not Of one age, but OF every age.
lie is the creator OF IA new school, founded
not upon an originality which is mere
passing fashion, but upon tnat elemental
originality which gives all the masters in
English literature their permanent position in
the literary history OF the world. The limlta-
tOn TO the greatness OF Hawthorne is OF the
same character rs that 10 the greatness of
Poe. His genius was not altogether sane.
The supernatural element is present in the
works of both, and TO the extent to which
both depart from nature as ii is, and not as II
is shaped by a morbid imagination, just 10
that extent their weakness is palpable.
Great as both Poe and Hawthorne were,
neither can be regarded as having reached the
highest rank in the walks Of poetry and fiction.
They are masters IN English literature with
out occupying seats upon the highest level OF
the platform upon which are grouped The
dozen greatest men in English literary
history. IHoEBUs.