North View High School - Southside Echoes Yearbook (North View, VA)

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42 SOUTH SIDE ECHOES Poe as a boy was remarkably pretty and very precocious, and his foster parents would never allow an opportunity to pass without “showing him off.” After dinner, in his elegant home, he was placed upon the table to deliver short declama- tions and make toasts to the guests. In 1815, Mr. Allan went away to England with his family, and there he placed Edgar in an old and historic town, which has since been swallowed up by the ever-growing city. The appearance of the city made a strong impression on the boy, as in his autobiographic “William Wilson,” he tells of the appearances and associations of the people. After five years spent in this school, where he learned to speak Latin and French, he was brought home and placed in the Richmond Academy. He was not very studious, but with his brilliancy he took first rank among his classmates. His skill at verse making and debate made him prominent in the school. He was not popular among his fellow students, on account of his superior intellectual powers, which, however, were not as great as he imagined. He was disposed to live apart and to indulge in moody reveries. According to the testimony of one that knew him well, he was capricious, self-willed, inclined to be imperious, and though of generous impulses, not steadily kind or even amiable. In 1826 he entered the University of Virginia. His conduct at school led Mr. Allan, his foster parent, to visit the school and find out the life his son was leading. His visit was not satisfactory, and although his son won high honors in Latin and French, he refused to allow him to re- turn after the first session, but put him in his own counting room. Many a genius has found such work as this intolerably irksome — with high notions as to his own ability. Poe soon broke away from his duties, and went away to seek his fortune. He went to Boston in search of fame and money. He resorted to the unpromising expedient of publishing, in 1827, a small

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Cigar SUett $oe Genius wherever found always attracts the human mind. It is this attraction which impels us to consider and discuss the life of Edgar Allen Poe, mystic and genius that he was. Much has been said about the estimate of Edgar Allen Poe. His genius is unquestionable, but it had a limited range and lacked a substantial moral basis. Like Pope he did not hesitate to mystify and mislead his readers. Poe occupies a singular place in American literature. He was once called our most interesting writer. He ranks first for intellectual brilliancy, and stands alone in his great failure to use it wisely. No person can read his works without being deeply im- pressed with his extraordinary ability. But the moral element in life is the most important, and Poe was lacking in this. He never cared anything about the truth and -would not mind using an untruth where he knew it would add to the weirdness of his story. Edgar Allen Poe sprang from an honorable ancestry. His grandfather, David Poe, was a Revolutionary hero, over whose grave it is said that Lafayette, as he kissed the sod, said : “Ici repose un coeur noble” — ‘‘Here reposes a noble heart.” His father, a young wayward youth, became enamored of an English actress, and left the bar for the stage. They were soon married, and while in an engagement in Boston, the young poet was born, January 19, 1809. Two years later the wandering pair were in Richmond, where they died in about two weeks of each other in extreme poverty. They left three children. The second, of whom we are now speaking, was left in the home of a wealthy merchant, Mr. John Allan.

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SOUTH SIDE ECHOES 43 volume of poems. As was to be expected, his book gave but little attractions, and he was soon reduced to financial straits. He enlisted under an assumed name in the United States Army. He served at Fort Moultrie and Fortress Monroe. He rose to rank of sergeant major. He was exemplary in his deport- ment, prompt and faithful in the discharge of his duties. In 1829, Mr. Allan’s heart was softened towards his adopted son. by the death of his wife. Through his influence Poe succeeded in securing his discharge from the army and obtained a place in West Point. Here he was reserved, exclu- sive, discontented and censorious, and would often ignore the daily routine of roll calls and guard duties, which often caused him to be arrested and punished. At the end of six months he was summoned before a court-martial, tried and expelled. After having been expelled, he went to Richmond. Mr. Allan had refused to recognize him, since he had shown so little appreciation. Accordingly, Poe was thrown entirely upon his own resources. He finally settled in Baltimore, where he had a few friends, and began his literary career. In 1833. “The Baltimore Saturday Visitor” offered a prize of one hundred dollars for the best prose story. Poe won the prize by his tale “A M. S. Found in a Bottle.” This prize may be regarded as the first step in his career. The ability shown in that story caused John Kennedy to befriend him in his dis- tress and help him with his work. After a few years of hack work in Baltimore, he moved to Richmond again in 1835, and obtained employment on the “Southern Literary Messenger.” In a short time he was pro- moted to editorship of the paper, and by his tales, poems and reviews he made the paper, very popular. The South sang his praises and regarded him as the fore- most writer of the day. The bright future that was before him, he ruthlessly abused. It was said of him that he resigned the editorship for a more lucrative offer in New York, but