The　Works　of　Edgar　Allan　Poe
  Volume　5　of　the　Raven　Edition
  IN　FIVE　VOLUMES
  Contents
  Philosophy　of　Furniture
  A　Tale　of　Jerusalem
  The　Sphinx
  Hop　Frog
  The　Man　of　the　Crowd
  Never　Bet　the　Devill　Your　Head
  Thou　Art　the　Man
  Why　the　Little　Frenchman　Wears　his　Hand　in　a　Sling
  Bon…Bon
  Some　words　with　a　Mummy
  The　Poetic　Principle
  Old　English　Poetry
  POEMS
  Dedication
  Preface
  Poems　of　Later　Life
  The　Raven
  The　Bells
  Ulalume
  To　Helen
  Annabel　Lee
  A　Valentine
  An　Enigma
  To　my　Mother
  For　Annie
  To　F
  To　Frances　S。　Osgood
  Eldorado
  Eulalie
  A　Dream　within　a　Dream
  To　Marie　Louise　（Shew）
  To　the　Same
  The　City　in　the　Sea
  The　Sleeper
  Bridal　Ballad
  Notes
  Poems　of　Manhood
  Lenore
  To　One　in　Paradise
  The　Coliseum
  The　Haunted　Palace
  The　Conqueror　Worm
  Silence
  Dreamland
  Hymn
  To　Zante
  Scenes　from　〃Politian〃
  Note
  Poems　of　Youth
  Introduction　（1831）
  SonnetTo　Science
  Al　Aaraaf
  Tamerlane
  To　Helen
  The　Valley　of　Unrest
  Israfel
  To　　（〃The　Bowers　Whereat；　in　Dreams　I　See〃）
  To　　（〃I　Heed　not　That　my　Earthly　Lot〃）
  To　the　River
  Song
  A　Dream
  Romance
  Fairyland
  The　Lake　To
  〃The　Happiest　Day〃
  Imitation
  Hymn。　Translation　from　the　Greek
  〃In　Youth　I　Have　Known　One〃
  A　Paean
  Notes
  Doubtful　Poems
  Alone
  To　Isadore
  The　Village　Street
  The　Forest　Reverie
  Notes
  PHILOSOPHY　OF　FURNITURE。
  In　the　internal　decoration；　if　not　in　the　external　architecture　of
  their　residences；　the　English　are　supreme。　The　Italians　have　but　little
  sentiment　beyond　marbles　and　colours。　In　France；　_meliora　probant；
  deteriora　_sequuntur　…　the　people　are　too　much　a　race　of　gadabouts　to
  maintain　those　household　proprieties　of　which；　indeed；　they　have　a
  delicate　appreciation；　or　at　least　the　elements　of　a　proper　sense。　The
  Chinese　and　most　of　the　eastern　races　have　a　warm　but　inappropriate　fancy。
  The　Scotch　are　_poor　_decorists。　The　Dutch　have；　perhaps；　an　indeterminate
  idea　that　a　curtain　is　not　a　cabbage。　In　Spain　they　are　_all　_curtains　…　a
  nation　of　hangmen。　The　Russians　do　not　furnish。　The　Hottentots　and
  Kickapoos　are　very　well　in　their　way。　The　Yankees　alone　are　preposterous。
  How　this　happens；　it　is　not　difficult　to　see。　We　have　no　aristocracy
  of　blood；　and　having　therefore　as　a　natural；　and　indeed　as　an　inevitable
  thing；　fashioned　for　ourselves　an　aristocracy　of　dollars；　the　_display　of
  wealth　_has　here　to　take　the　place　and　perform　the　office　of　the　heraldic
  display　in　monarchical　countries。　By　a　transition　readily　understood；　and
  which　might　have　been　as　readily　foreseen；　we　have　been　brought　to　merge
  in　simple　_show　_our　notions　of　taste　itself
  To　speak　less　abstractly。　In　England；　for　example；　no　mere　parade　of
  costly　appurtenances　would　be　so　likely　as　with　us；　to　create　an
  impression　of　the　beautiful　in　respect　to　the　appurtenances　themselves　…
  or　of　taste　as　regards　the　proprietor：　…　this　for　the　reason；　first；　that
  wealth　is　not；　in　England；　the　loftiest　object　of　ambition　as　constituting
  a　nobility；　and　secondly；　that　there；　the　true　nobility　of　blood；
  confining　itself　within　the　strict　limits　of　legitimate　taste；　rather
  avoids　than　affects　that　mere　costliness　in　which　a　_parvenu　_rivalry　may
  at　any　time　be　successfully　attempted。
  The　people　_will　_imitate　the　nobles；　and　the　result　is　a　thorough
  diffusion　of　the　proper　feeling。　But　in　America；　the　coins　current　being
  the　sole　arms　of　the　aristocracy；　their　display　may　be　said；　in　general；
  to　be　the　sole　means　of　the　aristocratic　distinction；　and　the　populace；
  looking　always　upward　for　models；；are　insensibly　led　to　confound　the　two
  entirely　separate　ideas　of　magnificence　and　beauty。　In　short；　the　cost　of
  an　article　of　furniture　has　at　length　come　to　be；　with　us；　nearly　the　sole
  test　of　its　merit　in　a　decorative　point　of　view　…　and　this　test；　once
  established；　has　led　the　way　to　many　analogous　errors；　readily　traceable
  to　the　one　primitive　folly。
  There　could　be　nothing　more　directly　offensive　to　the　eye　of　an　artist
  than　the　interior　of　what　is　termed　in　the　United　States　…　that　is　to　say；
  in　Appallachia　…　a　well…furnished　apartment。　Its　most　usual　defect　is　a
  want　of　keeping。　We　speak　of　the　keeping　of　a　room　as　we　would　of　the
  keeping　of　a　picture　…　for　both　the　picture　and　the　room　are　amenable　to
  those　undeviating　principles　which　regulate　all　varieties　of　art；　and　very
  nearly　the　same　laws　by　which　we　decide　on　the　higher　merits　of　a
  painting；　suffice　for　decision　on　the　adjustment　of　a　chamber。
  A　want　of　keeping　is　observable　sometimes　in　the　character　of　the
  several　pieces　of　furniture；　but　generally　in　their　colours　or　modes　of
  adaptation　to　use　_Very　_often　the　eye　is　offended　by　their　inartistic
  arrangement。　Straight　lines　are　too　prevalent　…　too　uninterruptedly
  continued　…　or　clumsily　interrupted　at　right　angles。　If　curved　lines
  occur；　they　are　repeated　into　unpleasant　uniformity。　By　undue　precision；
  the　appearance　of　many　a　fine　apartment　is　utterly　spoiled。
  Curtains　are　rarely　well　disposed；　or　well　chosen　in　respect　to　other
  decorations。　With　formal　furniture；　curtains　are　out　of　place；　and　an
  extensive　volume　of　drapery　of　any　kind　is；　under　any　circumstance；
  irreconcilable　with　good　taste　…　the　proper　quantum；　as　well　as　the　proper
  adjustment；　depending　upon　the　character　of　the　general　effect。
  Carpets　are　better　understood　of　late　than　of　ancient　days；　but　we
  still　very　frequently　err　in　their　patterns　and　colours。　The　soul　of　the
  apartment　is　the　carpet。　From　it　are　deduced　not　only　the　hues　but　the
  forms　of　all　objects　incumbent。　A　judge　at　common　law　may　be　an　ordinary
  man；　a　good　judge　of　a　carpet　_must　be　_a　genius。　Yet　we　have　heard
  discoursing　of　carpets；　with　the　air　〃_d'un　mouton　qui　reve；〃　_fellows　who
  should　not　and　who　could　not　be　entrusted　with　the　management　of　their　own
  _moustaches。　_Every　one　knows　that　a　large　floor　_may　_have　a　covering　of
  large　figures；　and　that　a　small　one　must　have　a　covering　of　small　…　yet
  this　is　not　all　the　knowledge　in　the　world。　As　regards　texture；　the　Saxony
  is　alone　admissible。　Brussels　is　the　preterpluperfect　tense　of　fashion；
  and　Turkey　is　taste　in　its　dying　agonies。　Touching　pattern　…　a　carpet
  should　_not　_be　bedizzened　out　like　a　Riccaree　Indian　…　all　red　chalk；
  yellow　ochre；　and　cock's　feathers。　In　brief　…　distinct　grounds；　and　vivid
  circular　or　cycloid　figures；　_of　no　meaning；　_are　here　Median　laws。　The
  abomination　of　flowers；　or　representations　of　well…known　objects　of　any
  kind；　should　not　be　endured　within　the　limits　of　Christendom。　Indeed；
  whether　on　carpets；　or　curtains；　or　tapestry；　or　ottoman　coverings；　all
  upholstery　of　this　nature　should　be　rigidly　Arabesque。　As　for　those
  antique　floor…cloth　&　still　occasionally　seen　in　the　dwellings　of　the
  rabble　…　cloths　of　huge；　sprawling；　and　radiating　devises；
  stripe…interspersed；　and　glorious　with　all　hues；　among　which　no　ground　is
  intelligible…these　are　but　the　wicked　invention　of　a　race　of　time…servers
  and　money…lovers　…　children　of　Baal　and　worshippers　of　Mammon　…　Benthams；
  who；　to　spare　thought　and　economize　fancy；　first　cruelly　invented　the
  Kaleidoscope；　and　then　established　joint…stock　companies　to　twirl　it　by
  steam。
  _　　　Glare　is　_a　leading　error　in　the　philosophy　of　American　household
  decoration　…　an　error　easily　recognised　as　deduced　from　the　perversion　of
  taste　just　specified。；　We　are　violently　enamoured　of　gas　and　of　glass。　The
  former　is　totally　inadmissible　within　doors。　Its　harsh　and　unsteady　light
  offends。　No　one　having　both　brains　and　eyes　will　use　it。　A　mild；　or　what
  artists　term　a　cool　light；　with　its　consequent　warm　shadows；　will　do
  wonders　for　even　an　ill…furnished　apartment。　Never　was　a　more　lovely
  thought　than　that　of　the　astral　lamp。　We　mean；　of　course；　the　astral　lamp
  proper　…　the　lamp　of　Argand；　with　its　original　plain　ground…glass　shade；
  and　its　tempered　and　uniform　moonlight　rays。　The　cut…glass　shade　is　a　weak
  invention　of　the　enemy。　The　eagerness　with　which　we　have　adopted　it；
  partly　on　account　of　its　_flashiness；　_but　principally　on　account　of　its
  _greater　rest；　is　_a　good　commentary　on　the　proposition　with　which　we
  began。　It　is　not　too　much　to　say；　that　the　deliberate　employer　of　a
  cut…glass　shade；　is　either　radically　deficient　in　taste；　or　blindly
  subservient　to　the　caprices　of　fashion。　The　light　proceeding　from　one　of
  these　gaudy　abominations　is　unequal　broken；　and　painful。　It　alone　is
  sufficient　to　mar　a　world　of　good　effect　in　the　furniture　subjected　to　its
  influence。　Female　loveliness；　in　especial；　is　more　than　one…half
  disenchanted　beneath　its　evil　eye。
  In　the　matter　of　glass；　generally；　we　proceed　upon　false　principles。
  Its　leading　feature　is　_glitter　…　_and　in　that　one　word　how　much　of　all
  that　is　detestable　do　we　express　！　Flickering；　unquiet　lights；　are
  _sometimes　_pleasing　…　to　children　and　idiots　always　so　…　but　in　the
  embellishment　of　a　room　they　should　be　scrupulously　avoided。　In　truth；
  even　strong　_steady　_lights　are　inadmissible。　The　huge　and　unmeaning　glass
  chandeliers；　prism…cut；　gas…lighted；　and　without　shade；　which　dangle　in
  our　most　fashionable　drawing…rooms；　may　be　cited　as　the　quintessence　of
  all　that　is　false