The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1916-03-30

AT this point in his life he disappeared.
He was gone for two years. No one knew
where. There are evidences, however,
that he went abroad to join the Greeks In
their struggle for independence, but whether
he ever beheld, as Ingram puts it, Save in
his mind 's-eye,' the remains of
The glory that was Greece
And the grandeur that was Rome
is still uncertain
Mr. Allan did not manifest any great
pleasure at the prodigal's return, but when
Poe, who was 81, expressed willingness to
enter upon a military career, Mr.. Allan
used his influence at Washington, and the
young man was admitted to West Point
After seven months of desultory life at this
institution he became dissatisfied, was tried
by court martial and dismissed "for various
neglects of duty and disobedience of or
ders.''
Bankrupt in everything, forsaken by his
er-father, this Son of Genius-this
dreamer who dwealt in ideal realms, now
turned to literature as means of subsst-
ence, 1t is alleged by many that some of
his finest stories were written during this
epoch. These stories are eminently dis
tinguished by wild, vigorous and poeti-
cal imagination, rich style, fertile in
vention, and varied and curious learning
During the seventeen years of his literary
life Poe was connected with various news
papers and magazines in Richmond, Balti-
more, New York and Philadelphia He
wrote first for the Southern Literary Mes
| senger in Richmond, and later on was its
editor. This magazine was the Atlantic
Monthly of its day. He did work for the
New York Quarterly Review and the Harp
ers, and for while was editor OF the Phila-
delphia Saturday Evening Post, now the
popular Saturday Evening Post. His lit
erary work was poorly paid for, and in his
most powerful tales such as, 1.-The Murd-
ers in the Rue Morgu,," "The Man of the
Crowd" " The Black Cat The Tell
Tale Heart civilian Wilson, "The
Haunted Palace "The Gold Bug"
etc., which appeared in the above men,
| toned magazines, he received only few
dollars.
He was nevertheless, far more distingui-
ihed in this country as a critic, than a poet
or novelist. Emerson and Longfellow, and
alter on Lowell, with whom at first he was
on most intimate terms, he treated con-
temptuously, and his trenchant pen cut
sharper than a serpent tooth. OF Long
fellow he said, che will steal, but, per-
haps, he cannot help it (for we have head
of such things.C' He declared Longfel-
lows "The Midnight Mass for the Dying
Year direct steal of Tennysons "The
Death of the Old Year. This he declar-
ed as belonging 'to the most barbarous
class of literary robbery Still he places
Longfelow as the premier poet of America.
In January 1S45 when Poe WINS IS years
of age, there appeared in the pages of the
New York Evening Mirror, "The Raven"
1t has been conclusively established that
this immortal poem was written in 1912 and
'43 when Poe was % years old, and was
written at the time of his direst poverty in
the city of "brotherly love-"
Throughout the four corners of the earth
it was copied and reprinted. and was the
center of literary interest thru the length
and breadth of the land. No great poem
ever established itself SO spontaneously, SO
universally and so mperishably in the
minds of men. The Raven in point of
fact became the national bird, and Poe the
most worshipped and distinguished man of
the hour. AS an English exponent of liter
allure at the time said "the most brilliant
genius of his country And be it known
these were the days of the ''big SIX in the
literary lme-light, -Longfelow Lowell.
Bryant, Hawthorne, Emerson and Whit
tier. Notwithstanding his marvellous in
telect he has been more shamefully malign-
ever known, with the possible exception of
" the Bard of Avon In fact his life
may be compared to the late Morgan
Robertson. The Raven, this unique and
most original of poems has been accredited
the most single example of fugitive poetry
ever published in America, and for subtle
conception and mastery ingenuity of
versifcation has no equal.
Elizabeth Browning, in a private letter
after the publication of the poem, says:
'This vivid writing-this power which is
felt-has prod uced sensation here in Eng
land. Some of my friends are taken by
the fear of it, and some by the music. l
hear of persons who are haunted. by the
'Nevermore' and an acquaintance of mine
- 0f