The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-07-14

beauty for it's own sake, anu that "'
his best he had access to the region
of pure ideality.
In all of Poe's writings his revere
ence for noble womanhood is touch-
ing Woman was to him the imper-
sonation of celestial beauty, her IN
fuence soothed and elevated him, ana
in her presence he was gentle, WIN
ming and subdued. There is not an
unchaste suggestion in any OF MS
writings-a remarkable fact, in view
OF his acquaintance with the various
schools of French literature. On the
other hand, his works are almost TOO
spiritual. His verse expresses deVo-
ton to beauty in her most ethereal
guise, and he justly might cry out
with Shelly
Il vowed that | would dedicate my
powers
To thee and thine; have l not kept
the vows?"
Poe is known as the poet Of the
wierd He is at his best when WIT
ing Of the dismal, fantastic, Wierd'
His use of certain sounds in carrying
out there melancholy effect is marvel
Gus. This is seen in The Raven':-
"Once upon a midnight dreary,
While l pondered, weak and weary
Over many a quaint and curious
volume of forgotten lore
While | nodded, nearly mapping,
Suddenly there came tapping,
AS of someone gently rapping, rap
ping at my chamber door.
"Tis some visitor l muttered, tap
ping at my chamber door
Only this and nothing more"
A distinctive melody, almost ike
music, combined with rare sublety
of thought not found in the work or
other poets, marks his verse. Con-
sistent with his theory, he never at
tempted to compose unless he was
possessed by some vein in that mys-
terious way known only to true poets.
And so, though the amount he pro-
duced was small, though it's range
was limited, though his world was
located out of space, out of time"
his poetry, taken all in all, possesses
quality entirely unique, qualities
IN
nitely.
In his Poetic Principle, Poe gives
his ideas of what constitutes true
poetry, and may we not safely say
that he indeed lived up to his own
teachings? He says, "The true poet
recognizes the ambrosia which nour-
ishes his soul in the bright orbs that
shine in Heaven-in the volutes of
the fower-in the waving of the
grain-fields- in the slanting of tall
Eastern trees in the blue distance
of mountains-in the grouping of
clouds-in the twinkling of half-hid-
den brooks-in the cleaning of silver
rivers. He perceives it in the songs
of birds-in the harp of Aeolus-in
the signing of the night wind-in the
repining voice of the forest-in the
surf that complains to the shore-in
the fresh breath of the woods-in
the scent of the violet-in the per-
fume OF the hyacinth. He owns it in
all noble thoughts-in all unworldly
motives-in all holy impulses-in all
chivalrous, generous, and self-sacri-
flcing deeds. He feels it in the
beauty of woman-in the grace of her
step-in the lustre of her eye-in the
melody of her voice-in her soft
laughter-in her sighs-in the har-
mony OF the rustling of her robes.
He deeply feels it in her winning en-
dearments-in her burning enthus-
iasms-in her gentle charities-in her
meek and devotional endurances-
but above allah, far above all-he
kneels to it-he worships it in the
faith, in the purity, in the strength. in
the altogether divine majesty of her
love-"
If this, then, is poetry, it is safe to
say that no poet has more beautifully
expressed his ideas of poetry than
this wonderful genius of the south
Edgar Allen Poe.-Ethel burst in
Lakeland News.