The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-30
TEE CHINESE RAVEN.
Annual Revival OF the Discussion Of ree's
Literary Originality.


To THE EDITOR or THE SUS-Sir: Edgar
Allan Poe's greatest crime was his poverty
often ahJect, and always extreme. As the
anniversary Of his death comes around, Oct.
7. the perennial literary ghoul makes his
appearance. and this time feasts on the dead
poets reputation with q menu OF Orientel
origin.
Literary connoisseurs have maintained
for years that the refrain OF Poe's Raven
was of Oriental origin. and some have as
serted that he took II almost bodily from
Chinese poem.
In The I.oro Of Cathay." by W. A. P. Mar
tin, for many years president Of the Chinese
Imperial University at Pekin, the poem Is
found 1t was written by CHA J. Tor Kia VII
about two years before the Christian era
CHA was a Minister of State and was exiled
During his exile he wrote tho following poem.
whence Poe. who delved into all literature,
probably obtained his Idea for the refrain.
at least, of The Raven"
In dismal. gloomy. erumbllng halls,
Be!wiI, moss covered. rocking walls
On bis bed q straw reclining.
W fs ds ssR%sras ;h a' minaaa s
In new bird Of omen ILL.,
And seemed inclined TO stay.
To my book Of occult learning
suddenly thought OF turning.
or that Shameless owl or crow,
That would not 20 away.
Whenever such a bird shall enter
It's sure some power above has sent her,
r. 'f ham ,as d Rsis SSah must 20 sn co.
But where. II did no, say.
Then an nlously the bird addressing,
And my ignorance oonfessina.
T Ssn Win S 3 sa,s e % ss Ss.Ea
Where is my future wsyf"
IT raised It's head. ss n twere seeking
To answer me by simple Speaking
Then folded up Its sable wing.
Nor did II utter anything: .,.
But brea,hed "Weu'a-day"
More eloquent than any diction.
That simple sigh produced conS|etlon
OF the awful mystery
That on my spirit lay.
Fortunes wheel Is ever turning.
TO human eye there's no discerning
wisdom Is 20 bids your fate.
BY that simple We'll a-dayi"
A circular has just been printed by gen
tleman Of the name OF w. G. Barnes In which
he says. In relation to his wonderful discovery:
hsp p, wrons 10 directly charge Poe with
PLAGIARISM. He. probably read q translation
s . sse s s!y q saa s sm
he unconsciously copied It In after life. as a
bit Of harmony might greet the oar and be
detained for years and repeated with the
It does not seem possible that Poe could
have read Martins translation, Poe was
born In ses and died in ss Martin
OF age when Poe departed this life Rather
an early age to have mastered Chinese liter
AZURE,
As Appleton Morgan aptly remarks: There
are two ways of treating disputed Qnes;
tion One way Is to regard II as a historical
doubt; to marshal the probabilities pro and
con, and argue the matter as tour dc force,
himself inclines. The other way 10 simply
and everything else. The first method sup
variably establishes what the conductor
desires. The other IL less flexible. but its
results are Of more permanent vnlue.'
touch, IL Bacon created the plays known as
tlces translated Homer. and II Alexander
Dumas's young nnen wrote the great French
Allan Poe turn ont to have been gentleman
and scholar. the most brilliant genius Of
American letters, and total abstainer?
lie failed to make a living at literature.
not because he was an irregular profiigate.
but because he did ten times as much work
at he was paid to do
Edgar Allan Poe was cordially hated and
envied by his contemporaries. OF the editor
OF a rival ma Sazlne Poe once remarked:
Mr. Brown had for IN. motto on his magazine
Men cali me cruel
am not. am just
Here the two mono syilabcs -an ass" should have
through one OF those typographical plumbers which
through life have been nj once the bane and anti
dote Of Mr. Brown.
My compliments to the gentleman Who
WALTER BEVERLEY CRANE.
NEW YORK. Sept. 20.