Edgar Allan Poe to James Russell Lowell — 1843-02-04

Edgar Allan Poe to James Russell Lowell — 1843-02-04 Historical letter reading from George E. Woodberry, The Life of Edgar Allan Poe: Personal and Literary, volume I (1909). Catalogue identity RCL-412. 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. PHILADELPHIA, February 4, 1843. MY DEAR MR. LOWELL, — For some weeks I have been daily proposing to write and congratulate you upon the triumphant début of the “Pioneer,” but have been prevented by a crowd of more worldly concerns. Thank you for the compliment in the foot note. Thank you, also, for your attention in for warding the Magazine. As far as a $3 Magazine can please me at all, I am delighted with yours. I am especially gratified with what seems to me a certain coincidence of opinion and of taste, between yourself and your humble servant, in the minor arrangements, as well as in the more important details of the journal, for example, — the poetry in the same type as the prose — the designs from Flaxman — &c. As regards the contributors our thoughts are one. Do you know that when, some time since, I dreamed of establishing a Magazine of my own, I said to myself — “If I can but succeed in engaging, as permanent contributors, Mr. Hawthorne, Mr. Neal, and two others, with a certain young poet of Boston, who shall be nameless, I will engage to produce the best journal in America.” At the same time, while I thought, and still think highly of Mr. Bryant, Mr. Cooper, and others, I said nothing of them. You have many warm friends in this city — but the reforms you propose require time in their development, and it may be even a year before “The Pioneer” will make due impression among the Quakers. In the meantime, persevere. I forwarded you, about a fortnight ago I believe, by Harnden's Express, an article called “Notes upon English Verse.” A thought has struck me, that it may prove too long, or perhaps too dull, for your Magazine — in either case, use no ceremony, but return it in the same mode (thro Harnden) and I will, forthwith, send something in its place. I duly received, from Mr. Graham, $10 on your account, for which I am obliged. I would prefer, however, that you would remit directly to myself through the P. Office. I saw, not long ago, at Graham's, a poem without the author's name — but which for many reasons I take to be yours — the chief being that it was very beautiful. Its title I for get, but it slightly veiled a lovely Allegory — in which “Religion” was typified, and the whole painted the voyage of some wanderers and mourners in search of some far-off isle. Is it yours? Truly your friend, E. A. POE.