New-York tribune., 1909-01-29
PROF. TRENT ON POE
authors Club WdcOmes His Words
of appreciation.

Members OF the Authors Club confessed hst
night that they had been taken by storm by Will
lam Peterhed Trent professor Of English ltera-
ture at Columbia University who addressed them
on the subject Edgar Allan Poe, the Poet and
Man" As token of their unconditional surrender
they forgot to dine until almost midnight
There large attendance of men well known
in the world OF literary achievement, among them
being Henry Holt. General Martin N Gurus
George Wharton Edwards, Arthur Cotton Dufieid
Osborn. Edward II. FePle. Frederick 5 Delen-
baugh Francis w Haisey, James Herbert Morse
Colonel Charles l. Norton. Professor Francis IL
stoddard John Seymour. John S. Wood Stuart
Henry Edwin Asa Dix. Professor Kelvin Thomas
Arthur Barker Maurice. Paul Elmer More stephen
Henry Thayer and DR.. Leander Chamberlain.
Professor Trent told of receiving letters from
PRINCIPALS of high schools in different parts OF the
country. giving their reasons for not wishing 10
place in their school libraries critical estimate OF
Poe: one said that he felt hurt 10 think that Poe
should be treated at all. Another wrote that
the prose of the poet too exciting TO place
within the reach of growing children. teacher
in the South sad Il do not want it at any price
because I do wish TO be compelled TO try ana
make clear to my pupils how badly he wrote.~
"Poes admirers In America have still something
OF task before them commented Professor
Trent. a Frenchman. on the other hand got
satisfaction from praying 10 Poe.
The Raven" and Groy's "Elegy.' he said,
were probably the most popular poems In the
language. The facts pertaining 10 the poets NE
he thought, have not been thoroughly slfted ana
given TO the world. How much do we really kno"
about Poe's Hfe?" he asked
For the sake Of argument, he said. lie would
allow the unfriendly biographers Of Poe 10 nave II
ali thei way. He continued:
Let US not dispute single point. What have we
left? In my judgment. the most interesting, tle
most pathetic and in some ways the most IN
structive of all American biographies
Granted that the side Of moral conduct Poe,s
life IL sadly lacking in inspiration, are we such
children that cannot face the unpleasant the
side of Nfe2 Can We dDOru 10 COIiuI4e
our sympathies TO orthodox and exemplary sub
power In ourselves that we must ever be seek
Ing inspiration from withoqt-esPecaly insPiTa,
ton Of the SNUG. successful. weiL-to-do variety
all means, but let remember that man does not
live by appreciation alone.
New England is. after all. arisocratic country.
Poe was distinguished in his verse but l thihH INK
poet in that section is that he did not show dis
tribute TO Poe:
1t Is no. small achievement to have sung a few
impeTishable songs OF bereayed love ana iluslve
beauty. * is no small achleyeinent 10 nave pro
duced individual and uuexcelled strains Of har-
brother poets that echoes OF them may be detected
even the work of such original and accomplished
achievement to have pursued ones ideal until ones
dying day. conscious the while that great as ones
obstacle has been ones self.
Yes this man was poet and whether tn E,,s great eat
insight into the human heart such as Shakespeare
syes s sy m Milton p9t go can 10 rTg @ s or e maS
go to him for the humanity we nd IN G BarT d '9S S
gIeIIav' or the sweet whoIesomeness we hnd in
I.ongfellow. but who for him do go TO
him ror his own note OF longing and despair, for
his own note indescrbahle poetic ma gic, which,
so far as know, is be found In no other Of our
poets-the note he strikes, for example. in the
stanza:
And a my days
all nightly dreams
thy dark eye glances,
nd where thy footseAp CLEANS
what ethereal dances
BY what eternal streams
The man who wrote these lines is with his
ISRAELI. He Is worthy of
Tyre
BY which he and sings
trembling. living lyre
OF those unusual strings