International Miscellany of Literature, Art and Science, Vol. 1,: No. 3, Oct. 1, 1850Various
Science
International Miscellany of Literature, Art and Science, Vol. 1,: No. 3, Oct. 1, 1850
Various
Art -- Periodicals; Literature -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals
Ce romancier s'appelle Poë;
je ne dis pas contraire. Voilà done un écrivain qui use du droit légitime
d'arranger les nouvelles d'un romancier Américan qu'il a inventé, et on
l'accuse de plagiat, de vol au feuilleton; on alarme ses amis en leu
faisant croire que set ecrivain est possédé de la monomaine des
orangs-outangs. Par la Courchamps! voilà qui me parait léger. M. Old Nick
a écrit au journal en question une réponse pour rétablir sa moralité,
attaquée à l'endroit des orangs-outangs. Cet orang-outang a mis, ces
jours derniers, toute la littérature en émoi; personne n'a cru un seul
instant à l'accusation qu'on a essayé, de faire peser sur M. Old Nick,
d'autant plus qu'il avait pris soin d'indiquer luiméme la cage ou il
avait pris son orang-outang. Ceci va fournir de nouvelles armes à la
secte qui ereit aux romanciers Américans. Le préjugé de l'existence de
Cooper en prendra des nouvelles forces. En attendant que la vérité se
decouvre, nous sommes forcés de convenir que ce Poë est un gaillard bien
fin, bien spirituel, quand il est arré par M. Old-Nick."]
In New York Poe entered upon a new sort of life. Heretofore, from the
Commencement of his literary career, he had resided in provincial
towns. Now he was in a metropolis, and with a reputation which might have
served as a passport to any society he might desire. For the first time
he was received into circles capable of both the appreciation and the
production of literature. He added to his fame soon after he came to the
city by the publication of that remarkable composition "The Raven," of
which Mr. Willis has observed that in his opinion "it is the most
effective single example of fugitive poetry ever published in this
country, and is unsurpassed in English poetry for subtle conception,
masterly ingenuity of versification, and consistent sustaining of
imaginative lift;" and by that of one of the most extraordinary
instances of the naturalness of detail---the verisimilitude of minute
narrative--for which lie was preeminently distinguished, his "Mesmeric
Revelation," purporting to be the last conversation of a somnambule, held
with his magnetizer just before his death, which was followed by the yet
more striking exhibition of abilities in the same way, entitled "The
Facts in the case of M. Vaklemar," in which the subject is represented as
having been mesmerized in _articulo mortis_. These pieces were reprinted
throughout the literary and philosophical world, in nearly all languages,
everywhere causing sharp and curious speculation, and where readers could
be persuaded that they were fables, challenging a reluctant but genuine
admiration.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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