HEN, in his silent vigils, enthralled by the WHE imaginative ecstasy which often possessed and overpowered him, Poe conceived and wrought out this marvellous inspiration, what wonder is it that his delicate sensibility should prompt him to conceal from the rude gaze of his material audience the secret springs of his inner consciousness, by printing his chef d'œuvre over an assumed name, and hedging its origin about with the impenetrable veil of fiction. Had "The Raven" been, as he described in his paper, "The Philosophy of Composition," a product of art simply, and not of inspiration, his ambition for fame * From Gill's Life of Edgar Allan Poe. would infallibly have led him, not only to claim the poem openly from the outset, but to have preluded it with the descriptive analysis, using the verse as an illustration of the alleged philosophy of the composition. To his intimates, Poe frequently spoke of the exalted state, which he defined as ecstasy, in which he wrote his poems of imagination. From one of his nearest friends, who knew him in prosperity and adversity, in sickness and health, we learn that none of Poe's romances were more fictitious than his romances about himself and his writings, and his accepted analysis of "The Raven" is confessedly as thorough a specimen of plausible fabrication as is his familiar story of "The Facts in the Case of Monsieur de Valdemar." Like all persons of a highly wrought condition, he resented the slightest approach from the world at large, and from practical people in particular, to the inner citadel of his soul, and he knew well how to use his invincible weapons of defence. Many admirers of the poet's genius will doubtless prefer that the origin of the inspiration of "The Raven" shall remain enshrouded in the chiaro-oscuro of the mystic suggestiveness of the verse. But in a much wider circle, there unquestionably exists a pardonable desire to learn the true source of this wonderful poem, that, written in any age, in any language, would have given to its author a world-wide fame. Postulating the opinions which we venture to advance here, upon the result of a process of psychological introversion, which conclusion is confirmed by several of Poe's most intimate acquaintances now living, strengthened by a chain of conclusive circumstantial evidence, we have arrived at a theory of the origin of the poem that has received the approval of Mr. George R. Graham, and others of Poe's friends. A letter received from Mr. Graham, May 1st, 1877, in this connection, will be read with interest, from the writer's near and friendly intimacy with the poet. W. F. GILL, Esq. DEAR SIR-From my near acquaintance with Edgar A. Poe at the time "The Raven" was written, I have no doubt that your theory as to the source of the inspiration of "The Raven" is in the main correct. It was his foible to mislead and mystify his readers. His published analysis of "The Raven" is a good specimen of his capability in this kind of fiction. Your impression that the poet was accessible to fear, is entirely correct. He was singularly sensitive to outside in fluences, more so than most imaginative men. His organisation, as I have always said, was extremely delicate and fine. Hence his impressibility, and subjection at times to influences which would not have a feather's weight with ordinary men. Even when absorbed in writing, I noticed that a sudden breath of air, a noise unheard by others around him, would startle him. He disliked the dark, and was rarely out at night when I |