The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-06

cept Scott. has held his own so well for
half century after his death
In the career of Natty Bumpo. or
Misunderstanding, through five novels.
Cooper has dramatized the westward
movement of American civilization. He
called his Misunderstanding stories "a
drama in five acts" These five acts
are in the order of their history. THE
Deerslayer," The Last of the Mo-
hicans, 'The Pathfinder" "The Pio-
neers,' and The Prairie" They SUP
tend space of about sixty-five wears
OF American history and conduct their
nero to period just after the LOUIS
Jana Purchase of 1902
he justly and discerningly praises
think, his chief characters. the IA.
Vorites of all sympathetic readers. He
says that the character of Natty Bum
pc, the evanished type viii live as long
as our literature endures. Leather
stocking Uncas Hardheart, Tom
Coffin are quite the equal of Scott's
men, says Thackeray. "perhaps
Misunderstanding is better than anyone
in Scots lot La Tongue ~arabine"
is one of the great prize men of fiction
he ranks with your Uncle Toby, Sir
Roger de Coverly, Falstaff-heroic hg-
ures, all-American or British and
the artist has deserved we'll of his
country who devised Them
OF Poe he writes with interest. but
says he did not create" the FIRST De-
tectiYe story" for William Goodwin s
great novel Caleb Williams" To-
which [ referred recently, was pub
Ilshed in 1894. He says that Poe gave
the 'Whole weight of his influence into
the scale of form, of expression. of
adaptation of means to end. And 4
was just this influence that was need
ed to counteract the loose iointednes.
or construction then in VOGUE But
apart from his mastery of the me-
chanics of STORYTELLING. Poe had style
that indetinable distinction of utter
ance which stamps the personality of
the writer upon every product of his
pen, which confers immortaliNk upon
craftsman and craftsmanship alike,
and without which fertility of inyen
ton creeps on broken wing"
l have purposed for year or more
to undertake a discussion of Poe at
some length, but l cannot say that !
snail ever carry out the intention
While in Euro~e-especiaIly in France
and England,-Writers of ability and
reputation have put Poe in a higher
niche than is given to any other
American author whatsoever it has
been the mood and prejudice of the
North to greatly under-Write him. and
him, | saw as late as 1885. a short
article by Northern writer. an LII. d.
and ex-PrOfeSSor of English Literal
ture in Vassar College. New York
State, that belittled Poe. said that he
was "a gambler, a drunkard." killed
himself and wasted his genius" that
his poems had "an intricate machinery
of words, without much thought to
justify 1t, surfeit of sweet sound"
and this Scribbles said in disappoint-
nlent of the poet who outrivalled all
E1nkeedoodledOm in pure genius, in the
superb art style and perfection of
form lin melody. in ingenuity. in weird
power, in absolute grace. in lyrical
possession that expresses itself in verse
OF marvellous felicity and capability.
There are lines in Poe that will live
that ought to live even down to 1.-The
last SYLLABLE of recorded time" and
yet the New Yorker could only find
words and sweet sounds. When one
reads such stuff as is said often of
Poe by Northern writer's, it is enough
to make him agree with that very
sane and competent Scotch critic. An
drew Lang. that Poe is the o~'y ex-
ample of an American prophet almoSs
without honor in his own country"
Poe angered al New England by the
freedom, ability, incisiveness and
acuteness of his criticism of authors
in that vain and bOaStful section. Mr.
Lang understands this well. and
knows of the fruit produced. He says
Poe was a Reviewer and what he
wrote provokes retaliation. Lang is
happy in writing as to this point in
How unhappy the necessities.
how deplorable the fate, that COM
PEELED or seduced a, man of your emf
nence into the dusty and strong ways
of contemporary criticism. About the
writer's of his own generation a leader
of that generation should hold bis
peace he should not strike one
blow at the buZZing ephemerae of let
ters. 1t is because of Poe'S criticism of
} ongfellow ard others. that war a.
been waged against his character and
genius ever since he died in 1849, fifty
FIVE years ago. Lang says to Poe: 1T
was not individual vanity clone but
the whole literary class that YOU as
sailed. AS a literary people you
wrote, we are one vast perambulating
After that declaration OF
war lou died and left your reputation
TO the vanities yet whitening beneath
your scorn. They are writing ana
still" See Woodberrv's lire
and criticism of Poe. Lang tells him
that had he lived "a generation later.
honor, wealth ~~Dlause. success in
Europe and at home. would all have
been yours.i Lang is not extremely
euiogistic of Poe'S critical gifts. He
RECOGNIZES the rare music. the exdul-
site rhythmic creation of the beauti-
full to quote Poe's own words. but he
limits too much his gifts. but thinks
he must live because of his stories and
some of his poems. He fails to do JUS
tice to the very unique and sombre
Raven but gives him credit for fol-
lowing in his poetic practice the poetic
principles he expounded. He says
Hawthorne was a great Writer-the
greatest writer in prose fiction whom
America has produced . and L believe
that sound, and have held that view
for thirty wears. but ] think more
highly of Poe than the Britisher be-
lieves. He thinks there is but little
resemblance between the two. I'D
that Poe has IL certain "delirium of
STYLE but has 'ingenuity. complete
ness, occasional luXuriance of fancy
and wealth of jewel-like words" This.
has reference to the stories. | believe
that Hawthorne learned no little from
Poe's art in the story line Lang s
parting words to Poe are:
Farewell, farewell. thou sombre
and solitery spirit, a genius tethered
to the patchwork of the press. a gem
tleman among canaille a poet among
poetasters lowered with a scholars
taste without scholars training. en-