The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-01
Edgar Allen Poe

In January. 1S45, The Raven" was
published in the New York Evening
Mirror Poe was just thirty-six
years Of age The wuchery and the
melody of it instantly wakened won
der and praise in America and Eu-
rope. From youth to age the charm
of the poem fails not, and by its al
lurement one Is led on into the trea-
sure house of his genius. From BOY
hood l have been interested IN the
strangeness of his picturesque ana
tragic career. His life was a htIui
fever. brilliant with achievement and
darkened by calamity. Born In Bos-
ton January 10, 1909, he died In
Baltimore October 7. 1s49; and
though passing so young, he wears
a crown of literary Immortality. In
1886 Tennyson said: He is the inter-
airy glory of America. More than
thirty-fve years have elapsed since
his death. and his fame is constant
" increasing. That is the true test
of genius" Dickens. Browning
and Swinburne gave him unstinted
admiration. Only recently distin-
guished Frenchman had this to say;
Poe was the greatest intellectual
force of the nineteenth century. his
influence as a poet Is world wide. lie
invented and perfected the snort
story, and his tales rank along with
Robinson Crusoe and half dozen
other world classics that are found
wherever men read. He was marvel
of reasoning capacity, and in the
border land between literature ana
science he is the worlds accepted
monarch. What other man of the
century belongs to all time ana every
Language? Tennyson? He is hardly
known on the continent, Browning
He Is unknown even in ltaly, inc
land he interpreted 20 the English
people.
Russian Testimony.
Now hear the testimony OF rus
sian scholar, fresh from the press TO-
day: Enthusiasm for Foe mas peen
increasing in Russia for fifty years
He is the sweetest sound of the lutte
and the most passionate sob OF the
violin. He lives among us IN our
most delicate sensations, in the mao
outcries OF our sorrows, and in the
isonorous rhythms of our songs.
insist that it is not little DIS
creditab BILE and humiliatlng that roe
place In American literature has been
SO tardilv won In gauging his genius,
Europe has been far in advance OF
his native land. For eighteen years
he famed among his American con-
temporaries as a star, exciting won
der and disrnay. and some were pima
enough to predict his early conslen-
ment to oblivion. His honor sun
grows among his countrymen. ana
his pre-emiDence is cheerruliy con-
coded.
His Outstanding Qualities.
How shall we characterize thls re
markable man, the most magnetic,
romantic and pathetic figure IN
American letters? His outstanding
qualities are commanding intetIec'.
| an imperial imagination, ana most
disastrousiv feeble will. reeeding
chin and an irresolute mouth We're
1.-THE marks of unsteady, NacNtatul
purpose He Was proud and am olll-
Gus. but there was no nance IN ms
heart. He was nervously high STRUNG
morbfdly sensitive. and impractical
He was passionate, gloamy and intein .
nerata AT times on the other mana,
he was intensely studious and laoorl-
Gus, courteous and courageous VIII
ming aud affectionate. His powers OF
logic and analysis were astonishing
Reading the first chapters OF DICK
ems "Barnaby Ridge" he unraNellea
| the whole plot of the story. nD'l
the novelist read it, he exclaimed: is
this man Poe the devil?" He was
orator and thinker. an eminent critic
land master OF style. His prevai
ing themes >ere mystery, horror ana
ruin, while sadness was his haoltuai
Aone How do you account Tor inns
bias of genius 10 the melanchoiN, the
weird the hideous? The question IL
admittedly vain, and Yet we all feel
the lure of il. Did heredity from uno
happy parents set It's seal on his soul
Did environment drop shadow, bitter
{ness5 and terror into MS spirit? HIS
Young life. rike the dyer's hand, must
have been subdued 10 what il worked
in. Negro stores Of COLLINS. hogies
and ghosts toTmented his childish
Itmagination. He suffered at the
hands OF his foster-father, Mr.. Allen.
who was harsh and eXacting in ms
discipline. and who never permitted
the growing lad TO forget that he was
| a dependent. Mrs. Allen was an
angel. but her husband was anything
else.
! Snobbcry Embittered Him
Then. again, snohberv STRUCK him.
This was another CALLING element IN
I his environment In the Richmond
schools he was snubbed as charity
boy and the son of an actress. rms
toutrage came from few If the un-
Intelligent. brutal representatives OF
Iaristocratic families. He met II at the
university of Virginia, and a West
| Point as a cadet Such were some or
the distressful strokes his exquisitely
sensitive nature suffered, and | feel
THAT they insensibly affected the choice
| of his themes and the hues OF his
haunting pictures.
| poe's ardent admirers have 70 admit
land lament his designations in liquors,
| opium and morphine. He deplored
his weakness fought the temper, ana
in the last year of his life joined a
Temperance society In Richmond
There were long periods of abstin-
ence. and In them his voluminous
work was done. One light drink dis
! qualified his brain, and ii was under
! the rnalign spell that he conceived
other authors to be Jealous OF his
| fame, and organized int conspiracy
/ to helittle him.
| The dangerous time was in the hour
of success or contact with convivial
! friends. To those who charged him
with insanity, wrought by excess, he
made this touching reply: They have
the case reversed. 1t Is my insanity
that leads to Indulgence" He seems
to hint at consciousness of some vague
abnormality of mind or temperament.
Poe was finely bred. socially and in
! tellectually. AS a lad he spent five
wears in school in London, four years