Edgar Allan Poe to John Allan — 1829-05-29

Edgar Allan Poe to John Allan — 1829-05-29 Historical letter date: 1829-05-29. Source edition: Mary Newton Stanard, Edgar Allan Poe Letters Till Now Unpublished, 1925, letter twelve. This is repository machine OCR of the printed transcription; spelling and recognition errors remain. Consult the accompanying local scan excerpt and manuscript facsimile. [Source scan page 161] LETTER NUMBER TWELVE Baltimore May 29^ 1829 Dear Pa, I am now going to make a request different from any I have ever yet made As I wrote you, sometime since, I have been several times to visit Mf Wirt, who has treated me with great kindness & attention. I sent him, for his opinion, a day or two ago, a poem which I have written since I left home & in the letter which I now enclose vou have j his opinion upon its merits From such a man as My Wirt the flattering character he has given of the work, will surely be to you a recommendation in its favor. In the conclusion of the letter you will see that he advises me to "get a personal introduction to Ml Walsh" the editor of the American Quaterly Review & get his interest in my favor that interest, and his highest en- comiums on the poem are already obtained as Editor of the Review he promises to notice it which will assure it, if not of popularity, of success Under these circumstances I have thought it my duty to write to you on the subject Believing you to be free from prejudice, I think you will aid me, if you see cause ; At my time of life there is much in being before the eye of the world if once noticed I can easily cut out a path 133 [Source scan page 162] i u EDGAR ALLAN POE LETTERS to reputation. It can certainly be of no disadvantage as it will not, even for a moment, interfere with other ohieds which I have in view. I am aware of the difficulty of getting a poem published in this country M r Wirt & M r Walsh have advised me of that but the difficulty should be no objet, with a proper aim in view. If M s .!! Carev, Lea & Carey, should decline publishing (as I have no reason to think they will not they having invariably declined it with all our American poets) that is upon their own risk the request I have to make is this that you will give me a letter to M ssrs Carey, Lea & Carey saying that if in publishing the poem "Al Aaraaf " they shall incur any loss you will make it good to them. The col of publishing the work, in a Style equal to any of our American publications, will at the extent be $100 This then, of course, mul be the limit of any loss supposing not a single copy of the work to be sold It is more than probable that the work will be profitable &c that I may gain instead of lose, even in a pecuniary \vay I would remark, in conclusion that I have long given up Byron as a model for which, I think, I deserve some credit If you will help me in this matter I will be always grateful for your kindness. If you conclude upon giving me a trial please enclose me the letter to Mess^l Carey, Lea, & Carey I shall wait anxiously for your answer [Source scan page 165] LETTER NUMBER TWELVE 135 Give my love to Miss Valentine 6c all I remain yours affe<5t : E A. Poe Please present my thanks to Col : Preston for his obliging letter. replied to Monday 8 th June 1829 Strongly censuring his condud: & refusing any aid