Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
ANAPPRECIATION
CaughtfromsomeunhappymasterwhomunmercifulDisaster
Followedfastandfollowedfastertillhissongsoneburdenbore—
TillthedirgesofhisHopethatmelancholyburdenbore
Of“never—nevermore!”
Thisstanzafrom“TheRaven”wasrecommendedbyJamesRussell
LowellasaninscriptionupontheBaltimoremonumentwhichmarks
therestingplaceofEdgarAllanPoe,themostinterestingandoriginal
figureinAmericanletters.And,tosignifythatpeculiarmusicalquality
ofPoe’sgeniuswhichinthrallseveryreader,Mr.Lowellsuggestedthis
additionalverse,fromthe“HauntedPalace”:
Andallwithpearlandrubyglowing
Wasthefairpalacedoor,
Throughwhichcameflowing,flowing,flowing,
Andsparklingevermore,
AtroopofEchoes,whosesweetduty
Wasbuttosing,
Invoicesofsurpassingbeauty,
Thewitandwisdomoftheirking.
BorninpovertyatBoston,January19,1809,dyingunderpainful
circumstancesatBaltimore,October7,1849,hiswholeliterarycareer
ofscarcelyfifteenyearsapitifulstruggleformeresubsistence,his
memorymalignantlymisrepresentedbyhisearliestbiographer,
Griswold,howcompletelyhastruthatlastroutedfalsehoodandhow
magnificentlyhasPoecomeintohisown.For“TheRaven,”first
publishedin1845,and,withinafewmonths,read,recitedand
parodiedwherevertheEnglishlanguagewasspoken,thehalf-starved
poetreceived$10!Lessthanayearlaterhisbrotherpoet,N.P.Willis,
issuedthistouchingappealtotheadmirersofgeniusonbehalfofthe
neglectedauthor,hisdyingwifeandherdevotedmother,thenliving
underverystraitenedcircumstancesinalittlecottageatFordham,
N.Y.:
“Hereisoneofthefinestscholars,oneofthemostoriginalmen
ofgenius,andoneofthemostindustriousoftheliteraryprofession
ofourcountry,whosetemporarysuspensionoflabor,frombodily
illness,dropshimimmediatelytoalevelwiththecommonobjects
ofpubliccharity.Thereisnointermediatestopping-place,norespectful
shelter,where,withthedelicacyduetogeniusandculture,hemight
secureaid,till,withreturninghealth,hewouldresumehislabors,and
