Text: Frederick Clarke Prescott, “Preface,” Selections from the Critical Writings of Edgar Allan Poe, New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1909, pp. ix-li

[page iii:]

THE principle of selection in the present volume is to include such reviews and passages as may have interest, first, because they have general critical value; or, secondly, because they throw light on Poe's own poetry or fiction; or, thirdly, because they give interesting estimates of contemporary writers who are still read. Not all that is worth reading for these purposes can be included in one volume. The essays in the text, however, are supplemented by many passages quoted in the Introduction and Notes. In particular Sections IV and V of the Introduction aim to summarize Poe's theories of poetry and fiction mainly by means of quotation.

Whatever, in general, may be the advisability of selection, no apologies need be made in the present case. Poe's critical writings are extensive, those only which have been collected filling several volumes in the standard editions. Of this large mass of material — written by a professional reviewer for periodical publication — much is still interesting, — while perhaps more is ephemeral, trifling, and valueless. The ordinary reader, therefore, will judge Poe's critical faculty less justly in the collected editions than in a selection of the best reviews and passages. Moreover, Poe himself constantly practiced a [page iv:] sort of selection; he tacitly divided his work into two classes, discarding what was ephemeral after one publication, detaching and using again what was of lasting interest. In general material thus used more than once forms the best part of Poe's criticism.

Except in two cases — the reviews of Drake's Culprit Fay and of Bryant's Poems — the articles are given without omission. From the scraps of the Marginalia, however, only those having special critical value are selected. The Appendix includes detached passages which are interesting in themselves or for comparison.

The text, in the case of articles from Burton's Gentleman's Magazine, from Graham's Magazine, from the American Review, and from Sartain's Union Magazine —— the larger part of the whole — is that of the original periodicals; in the others it is that of the Virginia edition of Poe's Works, — for the use of which grateful acknowledgment is made to the publishers of this edition, Messrs. T. Y. Crowell and Company. Unless otherwise indicated the notes refer to this edition throughout. Since this edition closely follows the originals, the pieces are all here reprinted practically as they were published, obvious misprints alone being corrected. It has been thought best carefully to preserve capitals, italics, and punctuation. In a conventionalized dress Poe loses much of his individuality. He employed capitals and italics freely for emphasis, and punctuated with care. He had his “ philosophy of point “ and believed that “a sentence may be deprived of half its force — its spirit — by improper punctuation.” The punctuation in particular, therefore, is Poe's own. [page v:]

My thanks are due to Professor G. E. Woodberry for valued information; and to Professor J. M. Hart for access to Sartain's Magazine.

F. C. PRESCOTT.

ITHACA, NEW YORK