The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-03-06

great poet when men were still worship
cling at the shrine Of Wordsw orth: In
sisting from the FIRST hat the obscure
Hawthorne was a genius Of a far higher
order than Longfellow: welcoming Dick
ems as a great artist In the humors OF
character. but warning him that he had
no gift OF construction; always quick V
give honor where honor was due. and 70
protest against critical injustice; never
once pandering to commercialism or tolcs
rating the pufrery or the understanding;
never weighing his scales for the benefA
OF any save. perhaps. when his idiosyn-
Grassy made him exaggerate the merits OF
some women poets"
Naturally in referring to Poe's estimate
of Dickens, NJ. Robertson speaks of
poe's wonderfus reasoning out OF the
plot OF Barnaby Rudge after he had
read the first lnstalment OF that novel.
Mr.. Robertson justly considers this to
have been a remarkable feat OF analysis.
The decomposition OF that story, the
revelation OF the writer's mental pro-
cesses. and the deduction OF the plot
from the opening chapters. rawin as
as the did from Dickens an inquiry
whether mis- critic had dealings with
devil. are things TO be remembered In
the history OF literature"
Mr. Robertson holds that Poe's' crlti-
cal judgment was generally unerring. and
that he Invariably knew and told how
and why he reached his verdict. The
very strength OF his critical faculty
tended to make him pronounce rigorous
~ technical and unadorned decisions
where other men would turn out polished
and charming essays, but In the terms
of the case his work Is more truly criti-
cal than theirs"
Poe's judg ment was often most severe.
But II Is Mr.. Robertson's opinion that
the ruthlessenss OF much Of Poe's crti-
cal writing Is the outcome OF tho two
facts that he had an extremely keen
critical sense and that. In applying II.
save when mis- emotional side was stimu-
lated. as n generally was when ne was
criticising women. he vas sheer. implacs-
Bile intellect. To him the discrimination
of good and bad literature was a matter
OF intense seriousness: Of the faculty FOR
doing mere notices" Of the mechani-
cally inept and insinccre sort turned
out by so many OF the crlticasters who
moralize about his lack OF the moral
snese OF that convenient aptitude he was
quite destitute. What may fairly be
said against Poe's criticisms Is that they
have not the absolute artistic balance
and completeness. the perfection OF
form which belongs TO his tales and
best poems.
Criticism was not with him as II has
been said to be with Mr.. Lowell and Mr..
Arnold. a fine art" II was rather a
science. and his c%ritiques accordingly are
processes OF scientific analysis and sum-
ming up. almost always restricted In a
businesslike manner 70 the subject In
hand
what he might have done II he had
had the opportunities OF the two writ
ers named. II nc had had academic leis-
ure and the good media. IS a matter for
speculation. But what we do know Is
that he has left a body OF widely various
criticism which as such will better stand
critical examination to-day than any sim
liar work produced In England or Amer
lea In his time
In view OF Mr.. Robertson's tribute 70
Poe, iC is interesting 10 note that Tenny-
son ranked Poe as the first among
American authors.