Edgar Allan Poe

The essay was published first in Scribners MolzfhEy for Nay, 1880. It ww imued in small octavo form that same yesbp by Houghton, Mifflin Com pany, though the tit. le page bears the date 1881. The ewers of the little volume were of genuine vellum, and the book was the first one so brought out in America. The format was in imitation of a series started in London by Kegan Paul with The Vicar of Wakefield at the suggestion of Mr. Sted man. The essay was revised and extended 6 FORE WORD by the author in 1886 and made the Poe chapter in his book of criticism, Poets of America. It is felt no apology is needed for this reprint of that appreciative essay. It is a model of its kind, and is fitly represcnta tive of the genid, sympathetic nature of its author. Mr. Stedman . was a friendly man. In his critical work he aimed to buiId, not to dest. roy. Lovers of that er ratic genius, Edgw Allan Pm, feel grate ful . to our author for the kindly and the sympathetic touch every portion of the es say cvidenees. A few brief words as to Mr. Stedman are not inappropriate lwre. He was born in, Hartford, Connecticut, October 8, 1833. M en still a child he Imt his father, and his mother soon afterwards married and went to Italy to live. The future poet and critic placed in charge of an uncle in Nonrich, where he lived from the age of five to sixteen, and where he fitted himself for coIlege. He orztered Yde in 1849 as FORE WORD 7 a member of the class of 1853. He did not complete the coulse, a student prank hav ing brought his college career Co m abrupt close. Long years afterwards his alma mater repented of her previons action and made up for the degree then withheld by bestowing upon him hcr highest academicdistinctions. For the ncxt four years he was a country journalist. He then joined the staff of the New York Tribune, and did some magazine work. During the Civil War he wrved for two years as special corm pondent of the Nerv York World. He next udied law, and in X864 becrme connected wit11 the work of the Union Pacific Rail road. In 1869 he becamc a member of the New York Stock Exchange, and for morc than thirty years his activities were devoted to banking. Throughout all these busy years he kept up his literary activities, doing editorial, critical, and original work. With Profewr Woodberry he edited an edition of Poe, and in collaboration with 8 PORE WORD Mia Hutchison the Library of America- Lifer ture. His most serious work was in the field of criticism. His Vicforkn Poets, Pmts of Amsmca, Vicio iua Anthology, Ameldcan Anf hlogy, and hrature and Ele meats of Poetry are performancm that cm not be bettered, As a poet Mr. Skdman takes high rank. A sudden failure of the heart on Jan nary 18, 1908, and Dead be lay among his bh. LUTHER A . BREWER Cedar Rapids, Iowa July l, 1909 EDCAR U N POE EDGAR ATATJAN POE U POhT the roll of American authors n Distzirc f e re-few names are written apart from hlions. thc many. With each of these is associated some accident of condition, some memory of original or eeccntric genius, through which it arresls nitentio i and claims our special wonder. The light of none among these few has been more fervid and recur rent than that of Edgar dllan Poe...