Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-27
POE AS A CRITIC.
HIS LITERARY INSTINCT THAT
MADE MS PATH A TH0RNY ONE.
A study Of the Poets Methods Of
Dealing with Authors-Iiis Connec-
ton with the Southern Literary
Messenger-The Raven.
written for the Dispatch.)

In q discussion OF the fame Oh Edgar
Allan Poe as O literary man average
opinions would probably be divided be-
tween the wonderful Imagination and the
| analytical power displayed In his fiction.
and the rich imagery and the wealth OF
originality Of his poems, Hinged with his
.ifo's melancholy.
But in estimates Of his standing one
| phase Of his career Is seldom given the
weight that It deserves. Carefully STU
died, 1t will give the clue to muclt OF his
| tribulatlon and explain some later judy
ments of his ability. To his connection
with the Southern Literary Messenger
Of Richmond, may be traced not only
much Of the success Of that famous old
magazine, but also the twist given to
| his fortunes or mlsfortunes.
| The first editorial mention OF him In
| the publication was made in March, 1885,
His tale, "Berenice." was published in
| that month, and the editor, who was
| under an impression that Poe was ma
| tive Of Richmond, wrote: whilst we con-
| fess that we think there IL too much OF
German horror in his subject. there can
be but one opinion as to the force and
elegance Of his style. He discovers
superior capacity and highly cultivated
taste In composition" "Morella," publish
ed in the following month, was considered
unquestionably proof that "Mr. Poe has
great powers OF imagination, and COM
mand of language seldom surpassed. Yet
we cannot but lament" continued the
editor. that he has drank SO deep at
some enchanted fountain, which seems
to blend in his fancy the shadows of
the tomb with the clouds and sunshine
Of life. We doubt however. II anything
In the same style can be cited. which con-
tains more terrific beauty than this tale"
Subsequently the story OF his success
as a prize-writer for the Saturday Visitor
of Baltimore was told, and In the begin
ming Of the second volume Of the maya
zine the publisher excused his allusion
to Poe by stating that journals on every
side were ringing with 1.-THE praises or
his uniquely original vein of imagination
and of humorous. delicate satire" Poe
had by that time become editor. His
work in that capacity was varied. but
his poems. his imaginative prose. his
minute solution Of the mystery OF Mael-
zePs Chess Player excited less attention
than his critical notices that occupied
'arge portion OF each number. In one
way and another his responsibility for
| these became known to the reading
world, and they aroused interest in the
magazine from New York to Natchez, and
| from Charleston to Cincinnati. Poe was
| praised by some persons and censured by
| others. All recognized a new factor in
| literature. The New York Courier and
| Enquirer held that his criticisms were
1.-The boldest, the most Independent, and
unfiinching Of all that appear in the lite
rary world" This view was shared by
others. The Richmond Wing regarded
them as correct in judgment and lashing
dulness, as il always deserves to be
lashed with a cato nine-tails," the Gin
cinnati Mirror alluded to 1.-The luckless
| wights who feel the savage skill with
which the editor uses his tomahawk and
scalping-knife." while the Natchez Her.
| aid said that american prose writers
and novelists are led under the keen
critics knife as sheep to the slaughter"
| Other publications talked of Poes caustic
style. his acumen and judgment, his
sledge-hammer and scimtar, his faying,
blistering, scalping. and dIssecting me-
| thods, his use of "a club of iron to
smash fly" or of his being In q contest
like that Of an eagle with a tomtit.
OF ANOTHER CHARACTER.
Comment of another character was
|
| Firginian thought several of his reviews
were too dogmatic and fiippant. and the
New Yorker contended that the southern
editor had quite too savage a way
Of bouncing upon unlucky wights WHIT
happened TO have severally perpetrateC
anything below par in the literary line
like the Indian who cannot realize tina
an enemy is conquered until he 4
scalped." The Spirit Of the Times dis
covered a slight faint Of pedantry and
in one instance, undue severity toward
clever young author.
The young author was Theodore S
Fay, whose Norman Leslie had bee
made the butt Of unrestrained ridcule
Fay was connected with the New Yor
Mirror, which accused the Messenger O
trying to gain notoriety by the loud
ness Of its abuse. and insinuated that tn
critics acidity was due to an experienc
in writing a successless novel. To thi
!, Poe retorted In a statement that he ha
| never written a novel, anu the Bosto
Galaxy, taking a hand In the fray, Ia
mented that Fay had allowed the stin
Of criticism to rankle.
, Poe did not permit unfavorable notice
: of his work to pass unnoticed, nor di
he fail upon occasion to impute motives
, When the New Berne On. CO Spectacle
, stated that the prospects for the success
, ! of the Messenger were slight, he wrot
that he was at a loss TO know who wa
the editor Of the Spectator, but that h
had shrewd suspicion that he wa
1.-The identical gentleman, who once ser
r us an unfortunate copy of verses" an
he added: IF the editor Of the litt
: paper does not behave himself we wi
positively publish his verses" 1t wa
natural, he wrote, for the Mirror an
= the Knickerbocker to feel aggrieved
the Messengers success, but he could NJ
understand why the Southern Literar
Journal. Of Charleston. should be d
posed to unite with them in covert an
therefore. unmanly attacks
, His attitude toward the ambitions {
writers at that time was neither maliciol
I nor mpulsive. This seems to be prove
by his Introductory note to his review
In the fifth No. Of the second yo
h ume OF the Messenger Before enterr
upon the detailed notice which we DR.
e pose of, the volumes before u.s." he wrot
I'VE wish to speak few words in regaI
, to the present state Of American crit
cism We are becoming boiste
4 Gus and arrogant in the pride of a Il
speedily assumed literary freedom. "
= throw or with the most presumptio,
and unmeaning hauteur all deferen
whatever TO foreign opinion-we forg
II In the puerile imitation Of vanity that Il
: world IL the true theatre Of the biblica
% histrio-we get up hue and cry abo
r the necessity Of encouraging natl
8 writer's Of mer.t-we blindly believe tn
: we can accomplish this by indiscrimina
putting Of good, bad, and ind!ffere
;, without taking the trouble to consid
o that what we choose to denominate e
= enlargement Is thus. by the general a