Edgar Allan Poe to James Russell Lowell — 1844-08-18

Edgar Allan Poe to James Russell Lowell — 1844-08-18 Historical letter reading from George E. Woodberry, The Life of Edgar Allan Poe: Personal and Literary, volume II (1909). Catalogue identity RCL-493. The record heading uses the scholarly checklist date; the historical text retains the edition’s dateline and wording. This is a later printed transcription, not a manuscript facsimile or a modern critical text. Historical postscript and address material are retained where printed; source footnote callouts and modern website apparatus are omitted. The text has not been independently proofread word by word. NEW YORK, August 18, 1844. MY DEAR FRIEND, — With this letter I take the liberty to mail you a number of the “Columbian Magazine” in which you will find a paper on “Mesmeric Revelation.” In it I have endeavored to amplify some ideas which I suggested in my last letter. You will observe many corrections and alterations. In fact the article was wofully misprinted; and my principal object in boring you with it now, is to beg of you the favor to get it copied (with corrections) in the Brother Jonathan — I mean the Boston Notion — or any other paper where you have interest. If you can do this with out trouble, I would be very deeply indebted to you. I am living so entirely out of the world, just now, that I can do nothing of the kind myself. In what are you occupied? — or is it still the far niente? For myself I am very industrious — collecting and arranging materials for a “Critical History of American Literature.” Do you ever see Mr. Hawthorne? He is a man of rare genius. A day or two since I met with a sketch by him called “Browne's Wooden Image” — delicious. The leading idea, however, is suggested by Michael Angelo's couplet: — Non ha T ottimo artista alcun concetto Ché un marmo solo in se non circonscriva. To be sure Angelo half stole the thought from Socrates. How fares it with the Biography? I fear we shall be late. Most truly your friend, EDGAR A. POE.