Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-02-23
A Literary Runco Game.

Augusta, Maine.
A Literary Buneo Game.
Again has a critic, a magazine and 4
circle of readers been fooled by little
poem which that Indiana genius, James
Whitcomb Riley. wrote, quarter OF 4
century ago in imitation of the poems
of Edgar Allen Poe. In the current
number of the Fortnightly Review, AL
fred Russell Wallace tells how he ''un-
earthed this new poem by Poe" which
sis in some respects superior to most
and perhaps all Of his similar produce
tiOng," and which was never included
in any collected works of Poe. The
story OF how he came by 1t Is interest
ing. He tells us his brother, who died
in California III 1895, sent to him be-
fore his death his own manuscript copy
of the poem In question. The initials
"E. a. F." suggested it was written by
Poe, and the internal evidence and style
seemed conclusive to Wallacc's mind.
Here is the poem to speak for itself:
LEONAINIE.
LeOnainie-ancels named her;
And they took the light
OF the laughing stars and framed her
In a smile of white,
And they made her hair of gloomy
Midnight and her eyes of bloomy
Moonshnc. and they brought her to
In a solemn night
In a solemn night of summer.
When my heart of gloom
Blossomcd up 10 greet The conner
Like rose In bloom,
All forcbodings that distressed me
! forgot as Joy carcSsed me
dying JOY. that caught and pressed
In the arms of doomo
Only spakc the little lisper.
Yet I. listening. heard her whisper
Songs are only sung
Here below that they may Gricvc YOU
Tales but told you to deceive YOU
So mus; Ic"nainc leave you
While her love Is young.
Then Cod smiled ana 1t was morning.
Matchlcss and supreme.
Heavens glory seemed adjoining
Earth with its esteem;
Every heart but mine seemed gifted
with tn" voice of prayer and lifted
Where my Lcon,inie driftcd
From me like Il dream
T. y. =.
Sounds like Poe doesn't it? Small
wonder that Mr.. Wallace and the edi-
tor of the Fortnightly Review were
fooled by it, as critics, editors and
readers Ind been fooled many years
earlier. Here is the plain. truthful tai"
of the origin of this poem, as it has
tnlI in n
the year 1876, living in the state of In
diana. was AN ambitious young man
named James Whitcomb Riley. His
ambition ran to poetry. He could not.
however, get the great magazines of
the country to further it, and his con-
tribuions to the local papers died with
their birth. To friend he once laugh
ingly complained if he could sign his
poems with Il big name they might not
only be accepted by the magazines, but
win him fame. Then the friend de-
INJURED. Thcrcupon young Riley wa
gcrcd he could write Il poem. sign ii
with Il big mann" and it would be cop
itI lar ana Nlit AS Il result III tiliS
wager there appeared in the kok"no
Und) Sentinel Il copy of verses EMIT
led "Lconanic." with the following ex-
planatory introduction:- In the house
of Il gentleman of this city we saw Il
poem written ON a ny-lcif of an old
book. Noticing the initials. Il. A. P ut
the bottom. it struck us possibly We
had run across Il bonanza. The owner
of the book sail he did not know who
the author of the poem was. His grand |
father. who gave him the book, kept
an inn in th"strrticld, near Richmond. |
Va. one night a young man. who
showed plainly the marks of dissipa-
ton, raped at the door and asked if
he could stay all night. and was shown
"A room. When they went the next mora
ing to call him tn breakfast he had
gone, but ha left II book. and on the
fly leaf he had written these verses"
Riley won his wager Tho poem was
widely copied throughout the newspa-
pcrs. 1t WIS eagerly commented upOn
and accepted by some as Il genuine Poe
treasure t.ovc, and IT was scornfully
rejected by others. But among those
whom il imposed upon was so good Il
poet, SO keen Il critic as William Cullen
Bryant. Mr.. Wallace has the consola-
ton of knowing that Mr. Riley has
'buncocd other good men before him
with the counterfeit Foe pocm. Eut
how about the literary ethics of the
case
1t is officially denied that the Cor
man presidential boom persisted in the