Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 July 1883 — THE INFLUENCE OF POE. [ARTICLE]

THE INFLUENCE OF POE.

Poe, like Pope, threw himself into a war with dunces. He hit and thrust at them vigorously, he exposed a score of cheap popularities, he was merciless to the inexpensive reputation then readily acquired by every tootler on the whistle of Miss Eliza Cook. Since the time of Poe, American literature has wonderfully advanced in the acquisition of force and polish. American novelists, for example, almost give us lessons in careful elaboration of style, in reticence and in well-calculated effects. American poets are, perhaps, too numerous. That they get a hearing as they do, and appeal to a really large public, say much for the interest of the people in contemporary verses. In form, in the mere art of versifying, even the minor American poets of to-day show wonderful versatility and deftness. Commonplace is much less successful than it was of* old. We cannot but think that this rapid ripening of the American Muse (who was a raw, uniformed school-girl in the life-time of Poe) is due in part to the influence of that critic. His method is as unlike the method of Mr. Matthew Arnold as possible. But he exercised the same kind of influence. .Like Mr. Arnold he introduced some tinge of French thought and of French literature into the workmanship of his countrymen. Perhaps he was not a wide reader, and the element of affectation in his nature may be detected in his quotations of obscure Latin authors and in his Oriental allusions. It is hard to say how much knowledge was implied in these illusions—how rich the mine was from which Poe dug these sparkling fragments. Q till, he judged the writers of this country with some knowledge of other literatures. As he was quite ruth.less in his criticism he did good, but at his own cost.— Exchange.