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(Born: November 23, 1816 - Died:
August 13, 1878)
Duyckinck was an editor of Wiley and Putnam's "Library of American
Books,"
which included Poe's Tales (1845). He had been an editor of the
Arcturus, along with Cornelius Mathews, from December 1840 until June
1842,
when it merged with the Boston Miscellany. In 1847, he and his
younger
brother, George Long Duyckinck, founded the magazine Literary World,
which continued until 1853. In 1855, the brothers compiled and
published
the 2-volume Cyclopedia of American Literature.
In reviewing the frist two volumes of Griswold's posthumous edition
of Poe's works (Literary World, January 26, 1850), Duyckinck
commented,
"The method and management of many of Mr. Poe's tales and poems are
admirable,
exhibiting a wonderful ingenuity, and completely proving him master of
the weapon he had chosen for his use." On the other hand, he also seems
somewhat dismissive of Poe as "a Campanologian, a Swiss
bell-ringer,
who from little contrivances of his own, with an ingeniously devised
hammer,
strikes a sharp melody, which has all that is delightul and affecting,
that is attainable without a soul."
Duyckinck reviewed with much harsher words the third volume of
Griswold's
edition of Poe's works, which included Poe's "Literati" and much of his
literary criticisms (Literary World, September 21, 1850). As
part
of this review, Duyckick dismises the book as having "not the slightest
earthly value." He also notes his own opinion that "Poe was, in the
very
centre of his soul, a literary attorney, and pleaded according to his
fee."
In the end, his complaints seem aimed primarily at Griswold: "Was this
book left by its author, Poe, to be published in its present form? or
is
it a compilation made by Griswold, from uneditied material left by Poe?
If made by Griswold, on what principle has he selected hostile
criticisms,
where there were later favorable criticisms written by Poe on the same
parties?"
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