EDGAR ALLAN POE ! FROM TH E LAST DAGUERREOTYPE KEN TA ) . ” OLO OH JOY C N EL J N A . CE “ “ uthor of A Checkered Life Peculiar Poem s A . “ ! “ ! “ Z igzag. Jewel s of Memory. Com p lete ! Poems. Oliver G old smith. and Many Popu lar Songs. — Speak nothing of the living or the dead but TRUTH l j oyce. NNYSON NEELY F. TE NEW Y ORK LONDON CONTE S NT . HAP E C T R I . e B i rth an d Li neag . CHAP ER T II . Precocity an d Early School D ay s CHAP TE R III . Col lege Days and Wan deri ngs AP CH TER I V. e t oi n Ex eri ence and B reak h Al l W s P t p , wi t an AP CH TER V. — Driftin g About B al tim or e Li terary S u c cess AP CH TER VI . CHAP TER VI I . “ ”— Writing for Literary Messenger Remor se an d CHAPTER VI II . — — Marriage Magazine Writings M igration to New o n . e e e e e e e e e o o o o Q Q Q O Q Q - q qqi C ontents. I . CHAPTER X m ar: — Life in Phi l adelphi a Cri ti ci sm s of Authors CHAPTER X. — H ome at Spring Garden Family F elicity “ ’ ” Graham s M agazi n e E CHAP T R XI . — Remo val to New York Work on the D ail y Mi r ror —E rrati c N ature AP E CH T R XII . Compositi on of The Raven AP CH TER XIII . — Praise f or The R aven Wom en Adm irers H APT R C E XI V. — E itor B roa w a Jou rn al erson al a ar d d y P V g i es . A P X CH TER V. i r r - — L te a y Scorings Life About N ew York At Fordham AP X CH TER VI . G rievi n f or hi s l ost l a ” g U l um e Eurek a. — “ Prose Poem i s Laun ched Cri ti ci sm s—A Doll ar or Two AP CH TER XVII . i s — F r t Vi sit to New York Ups and Downs With NOWBPGPGI ‘ B Contents. vii CHAPTER XVIII . p ‘ g g ’ “ — e s — Poe Mi serabl e M rs . Sh w Frien dship The B ell s CHAPTER XI X. — — Drifting S earchi ng f or a Wi fe Thom as Dunn Eng l ish CHAP TER XX. ’ Poe s Criticism of A uthors AP E CH T R XXI . ’ — — Poe s Wan der i ngs Wi fe H u n ti ng Pi cture of Poe CHAPTER XXII . — Cl osing D ays D eath and B uri al AP E CH T R XXIII . — Vi sit to the G rave an d H ospital of Poe Mrs Cl emm A P CH TER XXIV. “ ” Penzoni and Poe- The Parrot PROEM . Matchless i n san e vol canic child , , ; A lighthou se in the gl oom ; A en u s l o t weird and wi ld g i , f y, , ’ Tr um han t o er h i p t e tomb. Un born ages yet shall kneel Aroun d th eerl es l i h y p s g t, And other l ofty m in ds shall feel Th in ll e ua y te ct l might. A m eteor flashing through the sky A phan tom shi p at sea ; The sorrow of a l ove- felt sigh F athoml ess an d free ! P EFA E R C . I N boiling down the l ife of Poe into one han dy v l um e I bl ow off the oam an d scum of en com o , f i um s an d en deavor to et to the bed- rock Of a , g character that m ay be misun derstood through the comi n a es— ah errat c chi l d of en u s di sa g g i g i , p pointed an d tortured by earthly environ ments that his proud an d untam ed spirit coul d n ot u nder “ ” “ oor ll ow l i s own stand Or control . P fe H ” w orst enemy l I DU I NTRO CT ON. EDGAR ALLAN POE possessed by n ature the three h n u n o great el ements that con stitute t e ge i e p et. Truth r de an d l un ac were his atten dant com , p i y n Poe had truth en ou h to revent him pan io s. g p rom comm ittin a l ow or m ean act when sober f g , ride en ou h to S u rn the wron an d l un ac p g p g, y en ou h to l t him be on d the w r ters of his a e g if y i g , who could n ot appreciate the cel estial flights of H was a s chi ni im a in ation . c his vol ca c g e p y , phen om en al specimen of hum an ity. The true oet ro oun d or ethereal i s like a p , p f , wan derin s r t shot out of a cel est al orb g pi i , i i nto a stran e l an et where his soarin an d sen g p , g i n ature wears out his wear w n s battl n sit ve y i g , i g against the sordid creatures that stare in am aze ment at the brilliant col ors of hi s pl um age. Some day he i s foun d dead in a littl e corner of the l obe with hi s bri ht win s olded f or g , g g f n r i x I t oduct on. v r his im ul sive warm heart and cl assic ace e e , p , f furrowed wi th the wrinkl es of uncongen ial el e m ents that have l eft hi m a wreck on the shores of v r h ashes of the dead oet the time. O e t e cold p worl d will gather wi th m ourn ful mien an d sigh h r e ni at t e grave of bu i d ge us. Y esterda he suff ered f or s m ath an d bread y y p y , to- da a un eral tra n hon ors his m em or to- m or y f i y, row a monument will poin t posterity to a prodigy of cel estial aspiration s whose songs shall w arm and thrill the heart of mankind adown the crowd i ng ages. When I am dead let n o vain om dis la , p p p y ’ A sur ace sorrow o er m u lsel ess cla f y p y, B u t all the dear old fri en ds I loved in life Ma shed a tear con sol e m chi ld an wi e y , y d f . When I am dead l et stran ers ass m e b , g p y, N or ask a reason or the h ow or wh f y, That brought my wan dering life to praise shame, Or marked m e or the adin o r o am f f g fl we s f f e. When I am dead the vi le assassin ton ue , g Wi ll tr an d banish all the li es i t un y fl g, An d make amen ds for all i ts cruel wrong I n ulsome ros and eul o istic son f p e g g. Intro ucti d on. When I am dea ha tt d, w t ma ers to the crowd ? The world wi ll rattl e on as lon an d l o d g u , An d each on e in the game of life shall plod Th eld to lor an the a t e fi g y d w y o God. When I am dead som e sa e or sel - ren own , g , f f , Ma urn m ashes i n som e ark or town y y p , An d give when I am cold an d lost an d dead A mar ble shaft where on ce I n eeded br ead ! The gl ory of the orator i s con soling and im m ediate ; but whil e his el oquent peri ods an d m ag netic mien thr ll the heart m ank n d his sen i Of i , tenti ous sentences are often forgotten before the a l aus the el cit has ceased to ho hi pp e y i ec s praise. The fam e of the warrior i s as bright an d flash in as hi s sword et the vi ctor es he m a have g , y i y achieved in a l ifetim e are varn ished over by n eg l an d or otten in the a l u res an d de eats of ect, f g f i f a day.