who　for　some　time　employed　Poe　as　critic　and　sub…editor　on　the
  〃Evening　Mirror；〃　wrote　thus：
  〃With　the　highest　admiration　for　Poe's　genius；　and　a　willingness　to
  let　it　alone　for　more　than　ordinary　irregularity；　we　were　led　by
  common　report　to　expect　a　very　capricious　attention　to　his　duties；
  and　occasionally　a　scene　of　violence　and　difficulty。　Time　went　on；
  however；　and　he　was　invariably　punctual　and　industrious。　We　saw　but
  one　presentiment　of　the　man…a　quiet；　patient；　industrious　and　most
  gentlemanly　person；
  〃We　heard；　from　one　who　knew　him　well　（what　should　be　stated　in　all
  mention　of　his　lamentable　irregularities）；　that　with　a　single　glass
  of　wine　his　whole　nature　was　reversed；　the　demon　became　uppermost；
  and；　though　none　of　the　usual　signs　of　intoxication　were　visible；　his
  will　was　palpably　insane。　In　this　reversed　character；　we　repeat；　it
  was　never　our　chance　to　meet　him。〃
  On　September　22；　1835；　Poe　married　his　cousin；　Virginia　Clemm；　in
  Baltimore。　She　had　barely　turned　thirteen　years；　Poe　himself　was　but
  twentysix。　He　then　was　a　resident　of　Richmond　and　a　regular
  contributor　to　the　〃Southern　Literary　Messenger。〃　It　was　not　until　a
  year　later　that　the　bride　and　her　widowed　mother　followed　him　thither。
  Poe's　devotion　to　his　child…wife　was　one　of　the　most　beautiful
  features　of　his　life。　Many　of　his　famous　poetic　productions　were
  inspired　by　her　beauty　and　charm。　Consumption　had　marked　her　for　its
  victim；　and　the　constant　efforts　of　husband　and　mother　were　to　secure
  for　her　all　the　comfort　and　happiness　their　slender　means　permitted。
  Virginia　died　January　30；　1847；　when　but　twenty…five　years　of　age。　A
  friend　of　the　family　pictures　the　death…bed　scene…mother　and　husband
  trying　to　impart　warmth　to　her　by　chafing　her　hands　and　her　feet；
  while　her　pet　cat　was　suffered　to　nestle　upon　her　bosom　for　the　sake
  of　added　warmth。
  These　verses　from　〃Annabel　Lee；〃　written　by　Poe　in　1849；　the　last
  year　of　his　life；　tell　of　his　sorrow　at　the　loss　of　his　child…wife：
  I　was　a　child　and　_she_　was　a　child；
  In　a　kingdom　by　the　sea；
  But　we　loved　with　_a　_love　that　was　more　than　love…
  I　and　my　Annabel　Lee；
  With　a　love　that　the　winged　seraphs　of　heaven
  Coveted　her　and　me。
  And　this　was　the　reason　that；　long　ago；
  In　this　kingdom　by　the　sea。
  A　wind　blew　out　of　a　cloud；　chilling
  My　beautiful　Annabel　Lee；
  So　that　her　high…born　kinsmen　came
  And　bore　her　away　from　me；
  To　shut　her　up　in　a　sepulchre
  In　this　kingdom　by　the　sea；
  Poe　was　connected　at　various　times　and　in　various　capacities　with　the
  〃Southern　Literary　Messenger〃　in　Richmond；　Va。；　〃Graham's　Magazine〃
  and　the　〃Gentleman's　Magazine〃　in　Philadelphia。；　the　〃Evening
  Mirror；〃　the　〃Broadway　journal；〃　and　〃Godey's　Lady's　Book〃　in　New
  York。　Everywhere　Poe's　life　was　one　of　unremitting　toil。　No　tales　and
  poems　were　ever　produced　at　a　greater　cost　of　brain　and　spirit。
  Poe's　initial　salary　with　the　〃Southern　Literary　Messenger；〃　to　which
  he　contributed　the　first　drafts　of　a　number　of　his　best…known　tales；
  was　10　a　week！　Two　years　later　his　salary　was　but　600　a　year。　Even
  in　1844；　when　his　literary　reputation　was　established　securely；　he
  wrote　to　a　friend　expressing　his　pleasure　because　a　magazine　to　which
  he　was　to　contribute　had　agreed　to　pay　him　20　monthly　for　two　pages
  of　criticism。
  Those　were　discouraging　times　in　American　literature；　but　Poe　never
  lost　faith。　He　was　finally　to　triumph　wherever　pre…eminent　talents
  win　admirers。　His　genius　has　had　no　better　description　than　in　this
  stanza　from　William　Winter's　poem；　read　at　the　dedication　exercises
  of　the　Actors'　Monument　to　Poe；　May　4；　1885；　in　New　York：
  He　was　the　voice　of　beauty　and　of　woe；
  Passion　and　mystery　and　the　dread　unknown；
  Pure　as　the　mountains　of　perpetual　snow；
  Cold　as　the　icy　winds　that　round　them　moan；
  Dark　as　the　eaves　wherein　earth's　thunders　groan；
  Wild　as　the　tempests　of　the　upper　sky；
  Sweet　as　the　faint；　far…off　celestial　tone　of　angel
  whispers；　fluttering　from　on　high；
  And　tender　as　love's　tear　when　youth　and　beauty　die。
  In　the　two　and　a　half　score　years　that　have　elapsed　since　Poe's　death
  he　has　come　fully　into　his　own。　For　a　while　Griswold's　malignant
  misrepresentations　colored　the　public　estimate　of　Poe　as　man　and　as
  writer。　But；　thanks　to　J。　H。　Ingram；　W。　F。　Gill；　Eugene　Didier；　Sarah
  Helen　Whitman　and　others　these　scandals　have　been　dispelled　and　Poe
  is　seen　as　he　actually　was…not　as　a　man　without　failings；　it　is　true；
  but　as　the　finest　and　most　original　genius　in　American　letters。　As
  the　years　go　on　his　fame　increases。　His　works　have　been　translated
  into　many　foreign　languages。　His　is　a　household　name　in　France　and
  England…in　fact；　the　latter　nation　has　often　uttered　the　reproach
  that　Poe's　own　country　has　been　slow　to　appreciate　him。　But　that
  reproach；　if　it　ever　was　warranted；　certainly　is　untrue。
  W。　H。　R。
  ~~~~~~　End　of　Text　~~~~~~
  EDGAR　ALLAN　POE｛*1｝
  BY　JAMES　RUSSELL　LOWELL
  THE　situation　of　American　literature　is　anomalous。　It　has　no　centre；
  or；　if　it　have；　it　is　like　that　of　the　sphere　of　Hermes。　It　is；
  divided　into　many　systems；　each　revolving　round　its　several　suns；　and
  often　presenting　to　the　rest　only　the　faint　glimmer　of　a
  milk…and…water　way。　Our　capital　city；　unlike　London　or　Paris；　is　not
  a　great　central　heart　from　which　life　and　vigor　radiate　to　the
  extremities；　but　resembles　more　an　isolated　umbilicus　stuck　down　as
  near　as　may　be　to　the　centre　of　the　land；　and　seeming　rather　to　tell
  a　legend　of　former　usefulness　than　to　serve　any　present　need。　Boston；
  New　York；　Philadelphia；　each　has　its　literature　almost　more　distinct
  than　those　of　the　different　dialects　of　Germany；　and　the　Young　Queen
  of　the　West　has　also　one　of　her　own；　of　which　some　articulate　rumor
  barely　has　reached　us　dwellers　by　the　Atlantic。
  Perhaps　there　is　no　task　more　difficult　than　the　just　criticism　of
  contemporary　literature。　It　is　even　more　grateful　to　give　praise
  where　it　is　needed　than　where　it　is　deserved；　and　friendship　so　often
  seduces　the　iron　stylus　of　justice　into　a　vague　flourish；　that　she
  writes　what　seems　rather　like　an　epitaph　than　a　criticism。　Yet　if
  praise　be　given　as　an　alms；　we　could　not　drop　so　poisonous　a　one　into
  any　man's　hat。　The　critic's　ink　may　suffer　equally　from　too　large　an
  infusion　of　nutgalls　or　of　sugar。　But　it　is　easier　to　be　generous
  than　to　be　just；　and　we　might　readily　put　faith　in　that　fabulous
  direction　to　the　hiding　place　of　truth；　did　we　judge　from　the　amount
  of　water　which　we　usually　find　mixed　with　it。
  Remarkable　experiences　are　usually　confined　to　the　inner　life　of
  imaginative　men；　but　Mr。　Poe's　biography　displays　a　vicissitude　and
  peculiarity　of　interest　such　as　is　rarely　met　with。　The　offspring　of
  a　romantic　marriage；　and　left　an　orphan　at　an　early　age；　he　was
  adopted　by　Mr。　Allan；　a　wealthy　Virginian；　whose　barren　marriage…bed
  seemed　the　warranty　of　a　large　estate　to　the　young　poet。
  Having　received　a　classical　education　in　England；　he　returned　home
  and　entered　the　University　of　Virginia；　where；　after　an　extravagant
  course；　followed　by　reformation　at　the　last　extremity；　he　was
  graduated　with　the　highest　honors　of　his　class。　Then　came　a　boyish
  attempt　to　join　the　fortunes　of　the　insurgent　Greeks；　which　ended　at
  St。　Petersburg；　where　he　got　into　difficulties　through　want　of　a
  passport；　from　which　he　was　rescued　by　the　American　consul　and　sent
  home。　He　now　entered　the　military　academy　at　West　Point；　from　which
  he　obtained　a　dismissal　on　hearing　of　the　birth　of　a　son　to　his
  adopted　father；　by　a　second　marriage；　an　event　which　cut　off　his
  expectations　as　an　heir。　The　death　of　Mr。　Allan；　in　whose　will　his
  name　was　not　mentioned；　soon　after　relieved　him　of　all　doubt　in　this
  regard；　and　he　committed　himself　at　once　to　authorship　for　a　support。
  Previously　to　this；　however；　he　had　published　（in　1827）　a　small
  volume　of　poems；　which　soon　ran　through　three　editions；　and　excited
  high　expectations　of　its　author's　future　distinction　in　the　minds　of
  many　competent　judges。
  That　no　certain　augury　can　be　drawn　from　a　poet's　earliest　lispings
  there　are　instances　enough　to　prove。　Shakespeare's　first　poems；
  though　brimful　of　vigor　and　youth　and　picturesqueness；　give　but　a
  very　faint　promise　of　the　directness；　condensation　and　overflowing
  moral　of　his　maturer　works。　Perhaps；　however；　Shakespeare　is　hardly　a
  case　in　point；　his　〃Venus　and　Adonis〃　having　been　published；　we
  believe；　in　his　twenty…sixth　year。　Milton's　Latin　verses　show
  tenderness；　a　fine　eye　for　nature；　and　a　delicate　appreciation　of
  classic　models；　but　give　no　hint　of　the　author　of　a　new　style　in
  poetry。　Pope's　youthful　pieces　have　all　the　sing…song；　wholly
  unrelieved　by　the　glittering　malignity　and　eloquent　irreligion　of　his
  later　productions。　Collins'　callow　namby…pamby　died　and　gave　no　sign
  of　the　vigorous　and　original　genius　which　he　afterward　displayed。　We
  have　never　thought　that　the　world　lost　more　in　the　〃marvellous　boy；〃
  Chatterton；　than　a　very　ingenious　imitator　of