Critical Companion to Edgar Allan Poe: A Literary Reference to His Life and Work (Critical Companion to ...)

467 Pages·2007·5.77 MB·English

by  Dawn B. Sova

CRITICAL COMPANION TO
Edgar Allan Poe
A Literary Reference to His Life and Work
DAWN B. SOVA
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Critical Companion to Edgar Allan Poe
Copyright © 2001, 2007 Dawn B. Sova
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in
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sion in writing from the publisher. For information contact:
Facts On File, Inc.
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New York NY 10001
ISBN-10: 0-8160-6408-3
ISBN-13: 978-0-8160-6408-3
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sova, Dawn B.
Critical companion to Edgar Allan Poe: a literary reference to his
life and work / Dawn B. Sova.
p. cm.
Rev. ed. of: Edgar Allan Poe, A to Z. c2001.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 0-8160-6408-3 (acid-free paper)
1. Poe, Edgar Allan, 1809–1849—Encyclopedias. 2. Authors, American—
19th century—Biography—Encyclopedias. I. Sova, Dawn B. Edgar Allan Poe,
A to Z. II. Title.
PS2630.S68 2007
818′.309—dc22 2006029466
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This book is printed on acid-free paper.
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C
ONTENTS
Acknowledgments v
Introduction vii
Part I: Biography 1
Part II: Works A to Z 13
Part III: Related Entries 285
Part IV: Appendices 405
Edgar Allan Poe: A Time Line 407
Chronology of Poe’s Works 410
Poe Research Collections 428
Selected Bibliography 430
Index 443
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A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS
To examine comprehensively the life and works charged with bringing it to fruition in its new incar-
of an author such as Edgar Allan Poe requires nation, has shown admirable grace and tenacity
tenacity on the part of the writer and tolerance in assisting me to produce a comprehensive and
on the part of her friends, family, and colleagues. valuable work of which we can both feel proud. I
In revising Edgar Allan Poe, A to Z, I have tried very much appreciate his professional insight, his
to exhibit the necessary tenacity as one source willingness to work with me, and his insight-filled
after another led to a dead end, while other unex- suggestions as the work progressed. Having worked
pected sources emerged unannounced. I gratefully with Jeff on previous books, I expected no less than
acknowledge that those personally closest to me, as the best editorial direction, which I received on
well as professional contacts whose names appear this work as well.
here or whose names are omitted by their choice, I. Macarthur Nickles, director of the Garfield
have shown a remarkable tolerance over the years [New Jersey] Public Library, has made me view
during which this guide acquired form and moved every new book project as a cause for celebration
toward completion. Unlike my subject, who sur- because each brings a renewed opportunity to enjoy
vived many of his 40 years with feelings of loss, the continuing innovation he has brought to my
abandonment, and personal as well as professional hometown library. His professional expertise, his
frustration generated by others, I have enjoyed knowledge of people and resources, his understand-
willing assistance and personal support, for which ing of the multitude of possibilities in research, and
I am grateful. his graciousness in sharing that knowledge have
Bert Holtje of James Peter Associates, Inc., is been invaluable in this and other projects. Kath-
a remarkable individual who was both my literary leen Zalenski, reference librarian, provided me with
agent and the caring voice of reason upon whom I a steady stream of materials for the project, some of
relied. I appreciated his confidence in my dedica- which I thought might be impossible to obtain, and
tion to the initial project and his support, despite I thank her for her efforts.
difficulties that threatened to derail my progress. Robert Gregor, whose professional world is one
Although he is now retired, he inspired me in of Web-based researching and information tech-
making the necessary changes that have made an nology, provided valuable technical and resources
already great book better. I am also heartily grate- management assistance that enabled me to harness
ful for his extensive knowledge of many subjects, the power of my computer and my time. For his
which made his problem-solving efforts that much patience and expertise I am grateful.
more meaningful. My appreciation also goes to the University of
Jeff Soloway, my editor at Facts On File, Inc., Virginia libraries and special collections; the Edgar
who inherited this project already formed and was Allan Poe Society of Baltimore, Maryland; the
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vi Critical Companion to Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe Library of Richmond, Virginia; Last and most important are the debts that
the library of Montclair State University, New Jer- I owe to my family, especially my parents: my
sey; and the people who have dedicated them- mother, Violet Sova, and my late father, Emil J.
selves to maintaining sites both large and small Sova, who instilled in me a love of learning and
dedicated to Poe. the desire to know.
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I
NTRODUCTION
The contemporary popularity of Edgar Allan never met him but admired his work. He had the
Poe relies on only a few of his works. The boldness, critical status, and credibility to attack in
larger part of his extensive writings are unknown print the works of other writers who enjoyed strong
to all but a small number of readers and schol- reputations. Such critical assessments appeared in
ars. Poems such as “The Raven,” “The Bells,” and leading literary and popular periodicals of the time,
“Annabel Lee,” and short stories such as “The as did his stories and poems.
Black Cat,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” “The Pit A large body of Poe’s work is no longer in print,
and the Pendulum,” and “The Tell-Tale Heart” leaving only the well-known and frequently cre-
remain extremely influential today and have even atively recycled stories and poems to perpetuate his
provided source material for television dramas and fame. Most libraries long ago cleared their shelves
comedies—some with a nod to the author, but more of his literary criticism and decimated sets of his
often not. Everyone recognizes the plot or certain collected works, retaining the best-known tales and
famous lines, but few know the full range and the poems and winnowing out the rest. The reasons
innovations of Poe’s work in science fiction, liter- for such decisions are varied, but most have to do
ary criticism and theory, and philosophy. Even the with the low regard in which Poe was held during
most familiar works are often insufficiently under- the first half of the 20th century. As biographers
stood. Critical Companion to Edgar Allan Poe seeks who have taken the time to consult the correspon-
to fill that void by providing comprehensive entries dence, journals, and criticism of Poe’s day have
on Poe’s life and writings. found, his loss of status was largely undeserved
Readers whose knowledge of Poe is limited to and easily traced to the successful efforts of Rufus
short stories and poems included in high school Wilmot Griswold at defaming Poe’s character. Gris-
anthologies or college textbooks might be amazed wold, nominally a friend, claimed after Poe’s death
to learn that Poe published more than 350 stories, that he had been designated the author’s literary
poems, essays, and critical articles under his own executor. He manipulated Poe’s mother-in-law,
name and is the likely author of many additional Maria Clemm, into supporting his handling of Poe’s
anonymous works. He popularized the American writings and went on to destroy Poe’s character. On
short story, and he is credited with inventing the October 9, 1849, Griswold avenged an old grudge
modern detective story, featuring an investigator against Poe by publishing a defamatory obituary—
who uses reasoning instead of legwork to solve to which Griswold signed the name “Ludwig”—that
crimes. Poe also served as editor of several peri- cast aspersions on Poe’s moral character. Griswold
odicals. His correspondence with the other lead- suggested that the excesses of Poe’s fiction were
ing writers of his day was extensive, and he was renderings of Poe’s own experiences and life. While
praised in print by many other literary figures who many of Poe’s contemporaries tried to correct this
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viii Critical Companion to Edgar Allan Poe
image by publishing defenses of Poe in the decades betical listing of Poe’s works, fictional characters,
that followed, Griswold’s charges remained in the relevant people, places, and topics, this volume is
public mind for many years. divided into four parts.
Critical Companion to Edgar Allan Poe is a com- Part I contains a biography of Poe. Part II is
prehensive examination of Poe’s writings that divided into two sections: The first provides entries
presents a complete portrait of a complicated and for each of Poe’s published poems and works of fic-
brilliant thinker and writer. Other studies have tion, in alphabetical order; the second provides
examined all of the known stories or some of the entries for each of his published essays and reviews.
best-known poems, and a few have identified and Every one of Poe’s more than 350 publications is
discussed several of the essays that gained promi- covered. Entries on fictional works contain sub-
nence, such as “A Rationale of Verse,” “Eureka,” entries on major characters in the work. Entries
or “The Poetic Principle.” No single work, how- on major fictional works and poems contain sec-
ever, has covered all of these works in critical detail tions providing expanded critical commentary on
along with Poe’s extensive literary criticism. the works. Part III of the book contains entries on
important people in Poe’s life (such as his cousin
About This Book and wife, Virginia), influences on his writing (such
Critical Companion to Edgar Allan Poe is a compre- as Charles Dickens), publications he wrote for (such
hensive guide to Poe’s life and work. It is designed as Graham’s Magazine), places (such as Baltimore,
to be useful both for those readers who know Poe Maryland), topics (such as “detective story” and
well and for those coming to Poe for the first time. “mesmerism”), and more. Part IV contains the fol-
Readers of Edgar Allan Poe A to Z, upon which lowing appendices: a time line of Poe’s life, a list
this critical companion is based, will find this vol- of his works in chronological order, a list of major
ume different in important ways. The first differ- research collections, and a bibliography of second-
ence is that this volume contains new commentary ary sources.
sections analyzing Poe’s major tales and poems and Any reference to a person, place, thing, or topic
expanded sections on important characters in the that is the subject of an entry in Part II or Part
tales. It also contains more than 20 additional new III is printed in SMALL CAPITAL LETTERS the first
illustrations. The second and most obvious differ- time it appears in an entry, in order to indicate a
ence is that rather than featuring a single, alpha- cross-reference.
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P I
ART
Biography
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