Text: Edgar Allan Poe and Thomas Ollive Mabbott, “Poe's Reply to Fuller” The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe — Vol. IV: The Literati of New York City (2026), pp. ?-? (This material is protected by copyright)

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EDGAR A. POE. — Certainly one of the most original geniuses of the country is Edgar A. Poe, and the only fault we have to find with him is, that he is wasting his time at present in giving his “honest opinions” touching his contemporaries — the maddest kind of honesty, in our opinion. Poe's papers upon the “New York Literati,” published in Godey's Magazine, have stirred up, as might have been expected, any amount of ill temper. The Evening Mirror takes the lead in the attack upon the author, who is very sick, by-the-bye, and unable to make battle, as is his wont. The Mirror, among other things, seeks to make Poe ridiculous by a false description of his personal appearance. We won’t stand this. Instead of being “five foot one,” &c, the poet is a figure to compare with any in manliness, while his features are not only intellectual, but handsome. As to his mental “presentment,” the British journals are admitting his merits in the most unequivocal manner. A long and highly laudatory review of his “Tales,” written by Martin Farquhar Tupper, author of “Proverbial Philosophy,” “The Crock of Gold,” &c., appeared in a late number of “The London Literary Gazette.” “The Athenaeum,” “The British Critic,” “The Spectator,” “The Popular Record,” “Churton's Literary Register,” and various other journals, scientific as well as literary, have united in approbation of “Tales and Poems.” “The Raven” is copied, in full, in the “British Critic” and “The Athenaeum.” “The Times” — the matter of fact Times! — copies the “Valdemar Case.” The world's greatest poetess, Elizabeth Barrett, says of Mr. Poe: “This vivid writing! — this power which is felt! ‘The Raven’ has produced a sensation — a ‘fit horror’ — here in England. All are taken. I hear of persons absolutely 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, the author of ‘Paracelsus,’ ‘The Pomegranates,’ &c, is enthusiastic in his admiration of the rhythm.”

After all this, Mr. Poe may possibly make up his mind to endure the disapprobation of the editor of the Mirror.

Miss Barrett continues: “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.’ * * * The certain thing in the tale in question is the power of the writer, and the faculty he has of making horrible improbabilities seem near and familiar.”

We heartily wish Mr. Poe a speedy restoration to health and “honestly” regarding his literary combats as only tending to harass and weaken energies which were given for nobler struggles, we exclaim with the dramatist:

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