The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-07
Books and Authors
A WORLD-AUTHOR.

ana tnat, possibly by JAM 19, 1903 the cen !
tenary Of Poes birth, truer understanding
Of his genius and fuller appreciation of his
worth will have taken root deeply in the
critical consciousness of the American peo-
pie.
It is to be hoped so. The multiplying of
editions OF Poe's works, however, has not
had the effect Of harmonizng varying views. |
There have already been issued over twenty
different editions of $Poe's works, and the
critical articles upon his writings occupy
many volumes There has probably been as
much controversy over his personal charac-
ter and morals as over the question of his
genius. 1t is the unworthiest< and 'meanest
criticism to attempt to disparage mans
literary genius because he has been mas
tered occasionally by liquor. ~ W"
Mr.. Mathews plainly says that Poe's chief
claim to Immortality Is not in his poetry, Of
which he wrote scarcely a hundred pages, al
though Edmund Gosse thinks it Influenced all
the English poets of that period, but Poe
himself based his future distinction upon
his" prose. Into that he certainly injected
much OF his deep poetic nature. .' .'
The question may we'll be asked: Why
has Poe been so much in demand during
the last twenty years, if the public is at
sea as to his position in literature?
In the Critic for August there is most
interesting critique on Poe as -'the7 Ameri-
can World-Author,' by Professor Richardson,
from his introduction to the Forthcoming
Arnheim edition Of Poe's works. He makes
good his claim that Poe stands supreme in
the absolute chastity of every word. 1.-The
ideal vision Of pure beauty, now incarnate
and now but mist figure, palid or rosy,
ever Hoated before the poets eyes, It hyp-
Noticed him like a crystal ball" Tennyson
said that, taking Poe's poetry and prose to-
gether, he was the most original American
genius Victor Hugo called him ''the prince
n of1,ro - o}ti
Blessed Damozel,' grew out of the inspira-
tion of 1.-The Raven read when q boy.3 That
poem has been pronounced by leading Eng
lish critics as the most, popular lyrical poem
in the, world. Poe's name appears in the
lists of. the five representative libraries Of
world literature,e and in small bookshops IN
Europe his are the only, American books
found in many Of them. Professor Richard
son truly says that "the primacy of the
American short story has certainly been due,
In large part, to Poe's insistence that It be
a unit and leave on the mind definite re-
suit His stories are certainly models of
good short story writing. They are master
pieces. - .-,1. = .
BY the time the Poe centenary arrives those
who disparage him and would thrust, him out
of the American pantheon of literature, will
find that Americans will honor Poe's genius
with a deeper enthusiasm than that with
which the French people have l1onored Bal
zac, Hugo or Alexander Dumas, the elder:
-. - ...' >.,. ..- .. NEW BOOKS 5& ., -" -
Everyday English. Language Lessons
for intermediate Grades. BY Jean Sherwood
| Rankin. Introduction by Richard Burton
| Professor Of the English Language and Lit
erature, University Of Minnesota. Chicago:
Educational Publishing company. Price, so
| cents 10y - : "7@<.Es* 5F'-,& :
| Mrs. Rankin has made most practical
| and intelligent effort to provide pupils of
| intermediate school grades with a system of
instruction in our noble English tongue,
which, Will impress them with its power sof
| expression, it's adaptibility to varying condi-
tons of intellectual receptivity and instil in
| their minds a desire to acquaint themselves
| with its splendid literature. The author is
not a stickler for technical grammar study.
| There is no doubt that much time is wasted
| in teaching the technicalities Of English
| grammar, when the young can be taught all
necessary rules in reading exercises as is
1 done in the German schools, in the yernacular
as well as in Greek, Latin and other Ian
guages. The relation of words to each other
| is obviously better learned from story book
or a history than from the most elaborate
grammar. The author insists, rightly, upon
! the value of instruction through the placing
! Of the thoughts in the pupils own Language
4 on paper. She acquaints them with the ver-
bal richness of the language by making them
| intimate with the authors who have made
| the best use of the treasures Of the Ian
| guage. She acquaints them with epistelary
models embodying the purest English and
the most finished diction, points out what she
considers the misuse and the proper use. OF
words and figures of speech, and lays down
rules for capitalization and punctuation. Her
aim is to impress upon the young the i'm
portance. of good speech, (which Should be
used outside the schoolhouse as well as in
it and under the ears Of the teacher. Pro
fessor Burton says in his preface that etc
| make good speech sort of social obliga-
4 tion will impress child infinitely more than
all the distractions known as. rules OF gram
mar" And it is true. Under such impress
sion, there will be marked tdirninution OF
slang in everyday speech. The author is an
enthusiast on spelling reform and probably
obtrudes her convictions a little too persis-
tently in this book In her observations
upon improprieties Of speech, she gives hel
approval to "he DON'T" on quite insufficient
proof that 1t is correct Thackerays use o
the expression is no commendation of it
Thackeray is not always a safe guide to the
use of the language The book, however, as
painstaking treatise on the 4betterment o.
everyday speech is to, be commended mos
heartily. .@' -, ( - - .c-r...
Ranson's Folly. BY Richard Harding Da.
Wis. Illustrated by Remington. ". "A; Clark
Howard Chandler Christy, E., N. Ashe, ane
! F.. D. Steele. New YORK: [Cnarles" ocTlp'
ner's Sons, Nos 1857 Fifth avenue.
This volume contains five OF Davis bes
-''Ranson's Folly The Bar Sin
lister, - IA Derelict,' "La Lettre dAmour,
and .'In the Fog There is nothing fnc1
in the short-story line than the pathos O.
IA Derelict,'' wherein is described the ex
tinction Of heroic Claiming. In la d4ettr'
d'Amour'' we have the sense and soul o
music exquistely articulate with loves. plead
ings in the hot atmosphere OF a crowded res
| she ato arfi