The Portable Edgar Allan Poe - Edgar Allan Poe [255]
Do you ever see the British papers? Martin F. Tupper, author of “Proverbial Philosophy” has been paying me some high compliments—and indeed I have been treated more than well. There is one “British opinion”, however, which I value highly—Miss Barrett’s. She says:—“This vivid writing!—this power which is felt! The Raven has produced a sensation—‘a fit horror’ here in England. Some of my friends are taken by the fear of it and some by the music. I hear of persons haunted by the ‘Nevermore’, and one acquaintance of mine who has the misfortune of possessing a ‘bust of Pallas’ never can bear to look at it in the twilight. . . . Our great poet Mr Browning, author of Paracelsus etc is enthusiastic in his admiration of the rhythm. Then there is a tale of his which I do not find in this volume, but which is going the rounds of the newspapers, about Mesmerism [The Valdemar Case] throwing us all into most admired disorder or dreadful doubts as to whether it can be true, as the children say of ghost stories. The certain thing in the tale in question is the power of the writer & the faculty he has of making horrible improbabilities seem near and familiar.” Would it be in bad taste to quote these words of Miss B. in your notice?
Forgive these egotisms (which are rendered in some measure necessary by the topic) and believe me that I will let slip no opportunity of reciprocating your kindness.
Griswold’s new edition I have not yet seen (is it out?) but I will manage to find “Rosalie Lee”. Do not forget to send me a few personal details of yourself—such as I give in “The N. Y. Literati”. When your book appears I propose to review it fully in Colton’s “American Review.” If you ever write to him, please suggest to him that I wish to do so. I hope to get your volume before mine goes to press—so that I may speak more fully.
I will forward the papers to which I refer, in a day or two—not by to-day’s mail.
Touching “The Stylus”:—this is the one great purpose of my literary life. Undoubtedly (unless I die) I will accomplish it—but I can afford to lose nothing by precipitancy. I cannot yet say when or how I shall get to work—but when the time comes I will write to you. I wish to establish a journal in which the men of genius may fight their battles; upon some terms of equality, with those dunces the men of talent. But, apart from this, I have magnificent objects in view—may I but live to accomplish them!
Most cordially Your friend
EDGAR A. POE.
Famous for its demystification of the detective story Poe had created a few years earlier, this letter also reflects Poe’s recruitment of Cooke as his biographer. Cooke extended James Russell Lowell’s biographical sketch of Poe (published in Graham’s in February 1845) in a piece published in the Southern Literary Messenger (January 1848), and he obliged Poe by inserting the flattering quote from Miss Barrett. After the Broadway Journal fiasco, Poe here expresses renewed determination to publish The Stylus.
EDGAR ALLAN POE TO N. P. WILLIS
[December 30, 1846.]
My Dear Willis:—
The paragraph which has been put in circulation respecting my wife’s illness, my own, my poverty etc., is now lying before me; together with the beautiful lines by Mrs. Locke and those by Mrs.—, to which the paragraph has given rise, as well as your kind and manly comments in “The Home Journal.”
The motive of the paragraph I leave to the conscience of him or her who wrote it or suggested it. Since the thing is done, however, and since the concerns of my family are thus pitilessly thrust before the