The Banner-Democrat., 1897-04-24
BILL ARp'S WEEKLY LETTER.
BARLOW SAGE AGREES WITH REED
IN DEFENSE OF POE.
A DISCUSSION OF POEMS. And POETS
Dr. Cdyers. According to Best Authority,
Did Not Inspire "The Raven"-Letter
From Mr.. j. p. Graves.

From MIR. j. p. Graves.
II INV good friend Wallace Reed had not
come forward as Poe's defender, L should
have refrained from further mention OF Dr.
Thomas Holley Chivers. 1t seemed TO me
that enough had been written by OUTSIDE
parties to provoke clearer expose from MS
kindred or more intimate friends.
There is still a shadow over his reIatiohs
to Edgar A. Poe. That they were personal
friends is proven but as TO who preceded In
that peculiar style of lyric poetry is not
proven.
have an interesting letter from a cultur-
ed old gentleman of College Park, Mr.. James
p. Graves father of John Temple Graves.
who says that while college boy on his re-
turn home TO Washington, Wilkes county,
he visited DIR. Chivers and had eonversa-
ton with him. He says:
This conversation awakened in me the
liveliest interest. He spoke OF an essay or
criticism he had Just written for the South
ern Literary Messenger, OF Riehmond, lnstl.
tuting a comparison OF the literary meritS Oh
the poets, Byron and Shelley. The impress
sion made on me was that it was maste1-
ful production. He spoke of his Lost
Pleiades' and other poems; said he had just
received q letter from Poe, and think ire
read it to me- and he mentioned correspon-
dence with other distinguished men OF the
north. -.
s.The picture given of him in the Consti-
tuition Is most accurate. His complexion was
dark especially so under the eyes.
s.The idea that DIR. Chivers inspired The
Raven or any way aided in its production
was not in that day entertained by any one
so far as / knew.
"Dr. Chiyer's style Of talking was very
ornate. and he appeared familiar with the
arts and sciences and to be very erudlte
scholar used to wonder why he was nos
more recognized by the learned. OF bota
sexes. but supposed it was because he was
| something of recluse, and preferred 10
| reyel in his own dreamy and poetlcal
| thoughts. There was no show of wealth
! about him. nor did he seem to care for any,
! Long after that he removed to Decatur,
| where he died and was buried. Mrs. Chi
vers was cultured and most estimable
| lady, For further information, refer you
| to DIR. F. 7. Willis. of Richmond, Va, who
| was a half brother to the late Samuel Bar
| nett, of Washington, Ga, and also to Judge
| William Reece and Rev. f. L. Simpson, OF
| Washington"
So it seems that if DIR. Chivers did not
| himself bring charges of plagiarism against
| Poe. but remained his friend and cores
| pondent, the bill should be mol pressed.
| More especially is this so since Mr.. Graves,
| himself then a young man OF classical eul-
| ture and contemporary, never heard ol
such charge, and POe's biographer lu
| Appleton makes mention of life OF Poe
| vet to be published that was written by DR..
| Chivers.
| When last wrote on this snblect it was
my impression that DIR. Chivers was Mr..
! Poe's senoir not only in years, but in poetl-
cal work, and as they were bosom friends III
New York, that Poe drew his inspiration
from the doctor; but more mature reflection
satisfies me thai Wallace Reed is right.
x..;fa hn ic haG hIIf
patience with people who seek to rob the
dead, or who destroy the idols of her youth
Ever since she used to recite william
Tell" the hero of the lakes, as her Friday
evening speech at school she has been mad
with the man who first discovered tha
there was no such hero, or il there was he
| never shot an apple from off his boys head
Poe was certainly gifted genius, for hi!
prose is as marvellous as his poetry. Boil
are artistic, ingenious, dreamy and of thu
| borders of fairy land. But they live in th'
admiration more than in the heart. Fol
| poems that charm our human nature ant
linger In the soul of memory l would rather
read Goldsmith, Gray, Cowper, Coleridge
Burns and Tom Hood than any Others
Byrcn's are grand and stately in thei
beauty, but 10 not melt down within us an,
make us better, kinder and more loving.
The most beautiful lyric poem ever writ
ten is, think, Coleridge's "Genevieve.
When / was a young man | read 1t witt
supreme delight and 1t has not yet lost 1t
charm. My sympathy for love and lovers i
still alive and glowing and my soul is thrill
ed with ecstacy when / read how he won hi
s'bright and beauteous BRIDE" That poen
and Goldsmiths Hermit / committed +
memory more than half a century ago an
l dearly love to recall them.
For solemn, serious meditation on tn
vanity of earthly things there is no poer
equal to Gray's "Elegy."
For home and heart Burns leads all i
tenderness.
For exquisite pathos that appeals to ou
charity and our pity there is nothing in tn
English language so affecting as Hood
.sSopg of the Shirt"
,, On this side OF the water we have som
,, flew poets whose works have stood and wi
continue to stand the test Of time. Marc
Bozzaris Is sublimity itself. In thought an
! execution as single poem it stands alon
! and unrivaled. / would rather have CON
: posed it than to have been Wellington {
, Waterloo.
Somehow / have no taste for poetry tn,
, | has to strain for language or that has
: hunt the dictionary for unusual or uncon
! | mon words, such as alden, cleaning, sheer
etc. Nor for poetry that has to strain fc
, | RHYMES. 1t reminds me of the freshman
, | first effort:
e s'Daddy built well sweep,
| The wind blew it down--sheep."
The rhyme should be as natural as tt
: sentiment.
. All of our best hymns have been hande
: down to us from famous English author
. With but few exceptions there have bee
! none written within the century. Did the!
old authors exhaust the field or has Il
. spirit of sacred poetry departed? WI
: writes a hymn now? But even some ofthe
. . old popular English hymns are quite faul
!, or unfortunate In expression. When l WI
!, boy 1 used to hear "Come thou fount
= every blessing" sung very often in OF
church and got the idea into my head th
angels tongues were made of fire, for Il
hymn says, "Sung by flaming tongu
above" / did not like that nor do like
: yet That kind of music is little too h
for ,nortals to appreciate and adds nothiI
y to the attractiyeness of heaven.
+ reckon / am hypercritical about sue
things, but / can't help it. When t
smiles in verse are unnatural they distre
!; me. As much as / admire Longfellow