The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-04
From the Kansas City Star.

From the Kansas City Star.
 "A TIER 70 years of controversy A\ over the character and works of e = Edgar Allan Poe the end is not yet. How far away the end may be is indicated by critical discussions Of Poe in three recent books on American literature. Two of these are desig- mated for use as texts in schools and colleges and the other is intended for dents. Incidentally, Poe has been made the subject of 279 separate studies, to say nothing of treatments accorded him by writers dealing in a general way with the literature of this coun- try.
 These three particular discussions agree in referring to Poe as solitary figure, strange man, much talked about, greatly befogged and hence hard to understand. They remind the reader of Poe's prominence in Euro pean and American literary criticism.
 But agreement does not go far. One of the writers declares that the diff culty in nderstanding Poe is largely due to the fact that several short pe- riods of his life are unaccounted for by any of the records. Until these gaps are bridged over by the continuous in- formation as to Poe's whereabouts, this writer feels we shall not be able to interpret his character. But on the basis of facts available, the writer pro- ceeds to estimate Poe's character and works in a fairly sane and moderate manner, but with an inclination to- ward mild severity in dealing with the poets habits"
 Another of these critics is equally positive that the difficulty with Poe is not any scarcity of facts about him, but the practical impossibility of in- terpreting the facts at hand. This critic is therefore inclined to be rather lenient toward the "weaknesses' or the poet, and to place high value upon all of Poe's works, criticisms. poems and prose tales.
 But the pitfalls of one type of Poe critics are especially illustrated in the glaring inconsistencies of the third discussion. which is found in book widely used as a text in schools and colleges throughout the country. Early in his account of Poe the author seeks to avoid trouble by declaring that discussion of Poes character is no part of our literary business state- ment directly refuted in another of the accounts. Yet in this authors next paragraph we read: By inheritance and early training Poe had an appetite for strong drink, and when the ineyi- table struggle came his will was like broken reed"
 Further on in this same para graph ia this: That Poe created any enduring works while he fought losing battle with himself or the world or the wolf at his door seems to us little short of marvellous. It is a glorious thing to strive, to run, when victory fits just ahead in plain sight; but it requires a grimmer courage to strug- gle on Poe did, with no companion but failure"
 Yet on the opposite page there is this startling declaration: The trag- edy of his life consists not in poverty and suffering <" but in the fact that having two natures, he allowed the weaker to triumph"
 And finally, this enlightening rec ord proceeds: "The tragedy of Poe's life was set in motion, its catastrophs made inevitable. long before Poe wal old enough to know anything about such matters.1
 Truly, all this is rare information. to say nothing of interpretation. to be consumed by the youth of tho land Just how a man can be admired fol grimly struggling on, fighting los. ing battle with himself against inner. ited traits for which he is not respon- l sible, but which he allows to prevai
 while he grimly fights. is riddle wor'
 thy of another Sphinx.
 Fortunately, only a small part 0! | present day criticism of Poe is of thi; sorry character. Most of it is intel; hgent, at least, and doctors often dis 1 agree. Certainly, John Mackinnol
 Robertson in 1885. with the first reall,
 dependable study of Poe. put to fligh much gossip and many illusions abou
 this "Ishmael of American letters"
 Yet some of the gossip and part O the illusions still remain. The declara tion of the ignorant that Poe was ; drunkard who allowed his wife to di' of starvation and cold.' is fair ex
 ample of the survivals. The fact tha Poe's mother-in-law remained faith full to him to death, and after, ough within itself to refute such a statL ment, though there are many othe refutations.
 | Another and more interesting sur vival is the unfounded but oft repeat cd saying that Poe wrote many Q