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EDGARALLANPOE
ByJamesRussellLowell
ThesituationofAmericanliteratureisanomalous.Ithasnocentre,
or,ifithave,itislikethatofthesphereofHermes.Itisdividedinto
manysystems,eachrevolvingrounditsseveralsuns,andoften
presentingtotherestonlythefaintglimmerofamilk-and-waterway.
Ourcapitalcity,unlikeLondonorParis,isnotagreatcentralheart
fromwhichlifeandvigorradiatetotheextremities,butresembles
moreanisolatedumbilicusstuckdownasnearasmaybetothecentre
oftheland,andseemingrathertotellalegendofformerusefulness
thantoserveanypresentneed.Boston,NewYork,Philadelphia,each
hasitsliteraturealmostmoredistinctthanthoseofthedifferentdialects
ofGermany;andtheYoungQueenoftheWesthasalsooneofher
own,ofwhichsomearticulaterumorbarelyhasreachedusdwellers
bytheAtlantic.
Perhapsthereisnotaskmoredifficultthanthejustcriticism
ofcontemporaryliterature.Itisevenmoregratefultogivepraisewhere
itisneededthanwhereitisdeserved,andfriendshipsooftenseduces
theironstylusofjusticeintoavagueflourish,thatshewriteswhat
seemsratherlikeanepitaphthanacriticism.Yetifpraisebegiven
asanalms,wecouldnotdropsopoisonousaoneintoanyman’shat.
Thecritic’sinkmaysufferequallyfromtoolargeaninfusion
ofnutgallsorofsugar.Butitiseasiertobegenerousthantobejust,
andwemightreadilyputfaithinthatfabulousdirectiontothehiding
placeoftruth,didwejudgefromtheamountofwaterwhich
weusuallyfindmixedwithit.
Remarkableexperiencesareusuallyconfinedtotheinnerlife
ofimaginativemen,butMr.Poe’sbiographydisplaysavicissitudeand
peculiarityofinterestsuchasisrarelymetwith.Theoffspring
ofaromanticmarriage,andleftanorphanatanearlyage,hewas
adoptedbyMr.Allan,awealthyVirginian,whosebarrenmarriage-bed
seemedthewarrantyofalargeestatetotheyoungpoet.
HavingreceivedaclassicaleducationinEngland,hereturnedhome
andenteredtheUniversityofVirginia,where,afteranextravagant
course,followedbyreformationatthelastextremity,hewasgraduated
withthehighesthonorsofhisclass.Thencameaboyishattempt
tojointhefortunesoftheinsurgentGreeks,whichendedatSt.
