|
|
Article: Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy.
- Article from:
- Contemporary Review
- Article date:
- September 1, 1993
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 Contemporary Review Company Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Jeffrey Meyers. John Murray. 25.00 [pounds].
0 7195 5023 8.
Recalling how Arthur Symons drew Ernest Dowson brilliantly out of focus in his epicedial essay, standing memorial as preface at the gateway to the posthumous edition of his works, and thus fathered a legend, one is disturbed to wonder how much to accept of the received legend of Poe, derived from his friend and literary executor (or executioner!) Rufus Wilmot Griswold's smudged picture, and filtered by the hoodwinked down the years.
The Griswold obituary (pseudonymous) and the biographical memoir (acknowledged) present alike a tatterdemalion, albeit nicely romantic, figure, pallid, ...