The Washington weekly post., 1899-10-10

!
Dead sfty years? Not So
| Nay. fifty years ago.
| Death. obloquy, and Spite.
| To curse his ashes came;
But, l0l the living light
| Beneath the breath o, shame.
| Indignant. spurned the night.
And withered them in fame.
Special 10 The Post
| University Of Virginia, Va, Oct. T.
| Under the auspices of the Poe NJ .moriai
Association of the University of Virginia,
| Zoinays bronze bust OF the author of
| Inc Raven was unveiled to-day with
| exercises worthy of the occasion The
| Dust was presented TO the university by
Mr. Sidney Ernest Bradshaw, of Arkan-
sas, and was received by DR.. Paul B.
| Barrin6er. chairman of the faculty. The
/ chief address was by the welI-known
/ critic, Hamilton w Mabie, of New York.
scholarly discussion of the relation of
Poe's writings to American literature.
The poem was by Robert Burns Wilson,
of Frankfort, KY. and there was a po-
etical contribution by Father Tabb. of
Frederick, Md. The exercises took place
| in the morning
| Tonight there was a Poe symposium.
| William Fearing Gill, now of Paris
I
| well as one Of the best informed Poe stu
| dents, delivered an interesting address on
the rationale OF The Raven" and there
was recitation from Poes writings by
Mr.. Willoughby A. Reade, of Alexandria.
| DR.. Charles W. Kent read a large number
| OF letters commencing the memorial as
ISOLATION and the University of Virginia
! for this sUbSta ntial recognition of the
| services of this great writer to American
| letters.
| Started the Movement,
| DR.. Kent, professor OF literature in the
| university, aroused the deep interest which
has been shown in Poe. As president of
| the memorial association, he spread the
| enthusiasm which led to a bust to the
| American writer. George Julian Zolnay
| of New York, native of Hungary, and
| student of the best schools Of Vienna and
| Paris, was selected as the sculptor. His
| work Is of the bold and individual charac-
ter which shows him to be no copyist,
| and which in his busts of Beethoven and
| other musicians won distinction at the
| Worlds Fair.
In the image Of Poe was to be caught
man of sorrow; of striking and impress
| siVe features, and a poet whose soul and
| mind were even farther from being the
| commonplace. The attitude selected is
| one of deep and evidently bitter reflection
| which, to an extent transfgures the face
| The nervous effect is achieved by the del
| icate hand grasping the lapel of his coat,
while the yielding side of his character
| and a mute appeal for support seem to be
| shadOwed forth by the detected way in
which his right hand is placed to sus-
tain the bending head. The man of suffer
fnU nn nf Q -
| drOus visions, are pictured in a way that
| in one bust embodies all that posterity
| will gather of Poe, the man and the poet
Honor to Illustrious Dead.
| In his address Dr. Kent spoke of the
recognized aims of a university to collect
and disseminate human knowledge, both
in the halls and 10 the outside world, and
Of the duty 10 preserve the historic past
| of the land or section in which 1t is sts-
uated, and of the higher. nObler and more
| practical purpose belonging TO university
to apply knowledge to life, and thus cuI-
tivate wisdom and make men. The two
| last purposes are at once subserved by
| due honor paid to the illustriOus dead for
| the record OF their achievements, the re-
Vival of interest in their lives and work
and at the same time to elicit the ad-
miration of young men for the great and
| to incite them to the emulation of the
deeds of their fathers.
THE University of Virginia has not been
| remiss beyond other institutions in hon
Oring her sons" he said, but she has
| been blessed with many whose substan-
| tial attainments. exemplary citizenship,
and laudable contributions to letters and
arts deserve full recognition at her hands
She knows her duty and as fast as oppor-
tunity offers she is meeting her obliga-
ton Thompson, her poet laureate, has
but recently received the recognition due
| him, but Burwell, the semi-prophetic ed
| itor of De Bows Review. has never been
duly appreciated.
Modern Parthenon.
But the interest in these matters Is
growing daily and will doubtless grow
even more rapidly when the cherished
dream of some of our most loyal friends
shall have been fully realized and the
Alumni Memorial Hall-our modern Par
| thenon-has taken substantial form.
'Poe's connection with the university is
more close and essential than many have |
supposed. 1t is difficult in determining
when Poe served his prentice years, but |
il is known that in his own room on the |
Range, in Rowdy Row. as it was then Sig
nifcantly called, as well az In the rooms |
of his fellow-students, he often fascinated |
walks around these hills furnished him |
with both mood and material and there
are echoes of his life here in the Tale of |
the Ragged Mountains" and in other
stories Presumably, too, poetic exer-
cises were usual with him. else how would |
he have merited that famous eommenda-
ton for his metrical translation of a pas
sage from Tasso. His reading here, too,
might be taken as a slight indication
both of his taste and his mental traits. |
1t was here no doubt that he laid the
foundation for his mental achievements, |
and we can claim 10 have Influenced him !
IN his development as much as any other 1
Institution or as any experience of his /
early life We do ourselves honor in hon
oring him, and in this day which reminds |
Us of his life and death We can lay aside |
for the moment all censure OF his life all |
scOrn for his weaknesses, all pity for his /
fate, and rejoice In the unique produc- |
tions OF his solitary genius and the world |
wide recognition Of his literary great |
ness"
Poe Stood Alone.
In his tribute 10 the writer, Mr.. Mabie |
said: Poe stood alone among his con-
tempOraries by reason Of the fact that |
while his imagination was fertillzed by !
the movement OF the .ime his work was /
not. save in its originality and beauty, |
representative of the forces behind H. |
The group OF gifted men with whom he /