The Life of Edgar Allan Poe (1877), title page and table of contents

CONTENTS.

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[PREFACE   ·     ·     ·     ·     ·     ·     ·     ·     ·     ·     ·     ·     ·     ·     ·     ·     ·     ·     ·     ·     ·     ·

3]

 

CHAPTER I.

ANCESTRY.

The Origin of the Family Name, Italian — Founding of the Race in Ireland — Family Feud with the Desmonds — Dispersion of the Families by Cromwell — Heroic Defence of Don Isle — The Powers and Lady Blessington — General David Poe — The Poet Counsellor — The Ballad of “Gramachree” — David Poe, Jr., and his Runaway Match — Poe’s Actress Mother — Convivial Southern Customs and their Consequences — Place of Poe’s Birth — Death of Poe’s Parents.

9-20

 

CHAPTER II.

CHILDHOOD. 1809-1826.

Birth of the Poet — Early Beauty and Fascination — Poe’s Foster Father — Precocious Predilection for the Muses — At School in England — Stoke Newington and Rev. Dr. Bransby — At School in Richmond — First Ideal Love — Death of Helen Stannard — First Volume of Juvenile Poems — At the University of Virginia — Testimony of the Faculty of the University — Morbid and Sensitive Temperament — Athletic Achievements.

21-39

 

CHAPTER III.

EARLY HARDSHIPS. 1826-1834.

Home from School — First Quarrel with Mr. Allan — First Meeting with Virginia Clemm — A Second Edition of Juvenile Poems — A Griswold Fabrication disproved — William Henry Leonard Poe — Poe and the Milford Bard — An Amusing Poetic Duel — Poe at West Point — A Third Edition of Poems — The True Story of Poe’s Dismissal from West Point — Another Quarrel with Mr. Allan — Second Marriage of Mr. Allan — Poe at Mrs. Clemm’s — A Lie refuted — The Baltimore Prizes — Mr. J. H. B. Latrobe’s Account — Poe and Hewitt — Pen Photograph of the Poet at 24 Years — “Adventures of Hans Pfaal” — The Heir Expectant left Penniless.

40-70

 

CHAPTER IV.

BEGINNING A LITERARY CAREER. 1834-1838.

First Contributions to Periodicals — Engagement with the “Southern Literary Messenger” — Griswold’s Pettiness — Critical Reviews — J. K. Paulding’s Encomiums — Marriage with his Cousin, Virginia Clemm — Melancholy in Solitude — Susceptibility to Drink — Innocence of Motive — Withdrawal from the “Messenger” — Engagement on the “New York Quarterly Review” — Mr. William Gowans’ Reviews — A Notable Review — First Prose Book, “Arthur Gordon Pym” — Its Success in England.

71-87

 

CHAPTER V.

VARIED EXPERIENCES IN PHILADELPHIA. 1838-1844.

Removal to Philadelphia — Engagement as Editor of the “Gentleman’s Magazine” — “Ligeia” — Inspiration of Visions — The Fall of the House of Usher — The Haunted Palace — Griswold’s Charges of Plagiarism — The Manual of Conchology — Professor Wyatt’s Refutation — First Collection of Tales — An Audacious Griswold Invention — C. Alexander’s Letter — The “Gentleman’s” merged in “Graham’s” — Brighter Days — Pen Pictures of the Poet’s Home — Virginia’s Simplicity — A Pleasing Incident — The Murders in the Rue Morgue — First Introduction to the French Public — An Absurd Controversy — Baudelaire on Griswold — The Barnaby Rudge Analysis — The Mystery of Marie Roget — The Purloined Letter — Notable Papers on Autography and Cryptology — Withdrawal from “Graham’s” — Griswold’s Confusion of Facts, and its Cause — George R. Graham’s Statement — A Pertinent Anecdote — The Dream of Poe’s-Life — The “Stylus” — First Appearance on the Rostrum at Baltimore — First Lecture in Philadelphia.

88-127

 

CHAPTER VI.

CAREER IN NEW YORK. 1844-1846.

On “The Northern Monthly” [[“The Saturday Museum”]] — Engagement on the “Mirror” — Testimony of the Poet Willis — First Anonymous Publication of “The Raven” — The Authorship revealed by Poe’s Recitation at a Soireé — Mrs. Browning’s Commendation — Conflicting Opinions as to its Origin — Gilfillan’s Malevolent Recklessness — The Americans of a Quarter of a Century Ago — Poe’s Intentional Concealment of Motive — Personal Romances — Testimony of Intimate Personal Friends — Discrepancy of the Poet’s Reading of “The Raven” with his Printed Analysis of it — Origin of Imaginative Compositions — Anecdote of Beethoven — The Clue to “The Raven” — Analysis of “The Raven” — Where “The Raven” was written — Mrs. Brennan’s Reminiscences — The “Raven” Room — Insufficient Revenue of the Poet — Price paid for “The Raven” — J. R. Lowell’s Criticism — Lecture in Boston — The Poet’s Mischievous Propensity — Griswold’s Ridiculous Charges — Reply to Boston Criticisms — E. P. Whipple’s Testimony — The Poet’s Social Life — Character of Intellect — Conversational Powers — Mrs. Osgood’s Impressions — Failure with “The Broadway Journal — “Literati” Papers — The Dunn-English Quarrel — The Garbling of Poe’s Work by Griswold.

128-179

 

CHAPTER VII.

LAST YEARS. 1846-1849.

Removal to Fordham — Reminiscences of Fordham and its Inmates, by a Contemiwrary of the Poet — Sickness and Poverty — A Public Appeal — Griswold’s Malevolent Animus — Sympathy of Willis — Reply of the Poet Death of Virginia — Fordham in 1847 — “Ulalume” — The Poet’s Psychal Atmosphere — Lecture on “The Universe” — Letter to Willis — “Eureka” — Theory of Deity — Visit to Lowell — “The Bells” — Alteration from the Original MSS. — Some Suggestive Recollections — First Meeting with Mrs. Whitman — An Important Letter — An Ideal Home — Breaking of the Engagement — Griswold’s Gross Misrepresentation — Reply of W. J. Pabodie — Letter from Mrs. Whitman — The Poet leaves Fordham — A Last Effort to establish “The Stylus” — At Richmond again — Return to the “Literary Messenger” — Anecdote of Annabel Lee, by J. P. [[R.]] Thompson — Last Visit to Philadelphia — Engagement with Mrs, Shelton — The Unfortunate Trip North — The Misfortunes in Baltimore — Death at Baltimore — A Retrospective Glance.

180-244

 

APPENDIX.

How Griswold secured Poe’s Papers — Ephemeral Vindications of the Poet — George R. Graham’s Noble Tribute — Mrs. Whitman’s Memoir — Some Unpublished Collections — J. H. Ingram’s Memoir — Fairfield’s Absurd Article in “Scribner” — Memoirs of Stoddard, Didier, and Memorial by Miss Rice — Extraordinary Catastrophe to the Original Monument to Poe — The Monument erected November 17, 1875, in Baltimore — The Dedicatory Exercises — Addresses — Letters from Distinguished People.

245-315