University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1909-01-19

Nv hundred years az" ''''. We"
born in Boston Edgar (Allanl
j ~ Poe. probably the only Bostonian
vh, ever said that he was ashamed OF
being il native al the Hub.
To understand the life of Poe, one
must know something of its setting. lie
WAS the full flower of his family. From
i, he inherited hi- weakness as well as
his "rniu>. and both i'll excessive degree
I'm southern Europe, in Ireland, and Ill
OF wild adventure and Il queer turn OF
mind: while in the ideas of sociabllit!
prevalent in Virginia Immediately fol-
lowin. the Revolution j, To be- found
the substance of the shadow which was
east 80 darklv over Poc- mature lIfe
When David Poe. Jr., father OF the
away with youn" English actress,
Elizabeth Arnold. to whom he was mar
ricl and OF whose troupe he became
member When Edgar, the second OF
their three children. was two years
old both of the parents died within
a few weeks, time at Richmond, where
they had been playing. and Edgar was
adopted by rich Virginia gentleman
named Allan. He was 81 prccocIou>
that he was shown or Il great deal
bv his foster father and somewhat
spoiled At the age of i"ht he was
placed in London boarding school
where he remained several wears. In
1926 he attended one session of the
University of Virginia. He stood well
with the faculty Of the school. bur
made few friends anon" the students.
He did not drink at that time. but
he "amblcd Il great deal and it was
probably on account OF his gamblin"
debts that he was not sent back.
soon after lcavin" school, he quarrel
cd with his foster father and went To
live with his aunt. Mrs. Glenn, and
her daughter. Virginia. the latter ot
whom he helped to educate He was al
tcrwardS married to her. OF the sev-
cral wears nf Poe'> life uSt after he
lett his adopted home very little l.
known. II" was for short time at
West Point but crew tired Of the rou-
= line and his resignation not being ac-
} ccpted deliberately caused his own dis
mi>>al.
BY 1884 Poe had passed through the
tryin" stage of gaining a literary rcpu-
tation. With good prospects OF Sue
cr>>ful career before him. i'll that year
he waS married to hi, cousin. Virginia.
During the next thirteen years he
worked first i'm Richmond then in Phil
adrphia and finally in New York City:
sonnet lines Is Il magazine writer. some
: times is an editor. and again as the
literary critic of Il newspaper or an in
dependent author. Almost every change
of work wa> marked by an unsuccessful
attempt t" found magazine of his
. own. He was frequently embarrassed
bv the effect of the Use intoNicant> :
: had upon him. but he usually lived in
quiet seclu>ion. Sometimes he was
in poverty and even dire want. This
WAS the result of his many changes OF
: work and unsuccessful ventures rather
than of carcle>>ne>> and dissipation as
ha> often been supposed. Poe was not
drunkard. He was not even an hab-
itual drinkcr. His trouble was that
his constitution was such that a singh
glass of wine went To his head" To
say that his Weaknesses We're all his
own fault is a. bad a. it would be Ia
SAY that. they We're not at all his
fault.
I'm lSI1. Virginia Poe died. She had
always been Il childlikc and fairylik,
person fairly suited to play effectively
on such strong imagination as wa-
Poc'>. Her death robbed his wild
i wicrd fancy of it~ only anchor. Fol
Il time ne was frequently subject to
l We're. however. the insanity OF @cnu,
and not ordinary dcmrntia. 1t wa-
durin" this time that he wrote thu
poem. Clalume.
Two wears later when he had got
A himself well in hand. and was planning
X To marry again. his own death rut
= short a life whic: probably had not yet
| reached its fullest development.
Il Whatever We may think OF him as a
q poet or critic. al Il man not all of hi,
= shortcomings We're to be- laid at hi
:. door I'm his ritici-mS he was Just il
n severe and 81 should We De with him
ID. Il. :.