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Edinburgh Review for April

About This Item

  • Title: Edinburgh Review for April
  • Date: 31 May 1858
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: per.01140
  • Source: Brooklyn Daily Times, 31 May 1858: 2. Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm scan of the original issue. Microfilm of original issue held at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the journalism, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Editorial note: This piece is unsigned, as was the case for most of Whitman's journalism. However, this editorial is part of a series of texts that deal with a coherent theme that has been identified by the Whitman Archive journalism team as likely authored by Whitman. This decision is based on a combination of historical and (auto)biographical accounts, similarity to contemporary Whitman writings, a history of scholarly attribution, extant clippings retained by Whitman, computational stylometric analysis, and, in some cases, manuscript evidence in Whitman’s hand.
  • Contributors to digital file: Kaylen Michaelis Jamie DeRousse Jason Stacy Karie Cobb Stephanie Blalock
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "Edinburgh Review for April." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 16 July 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: per.01140.xml (TEI)
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EDINBURGH REVIEW1 FOR APRIL.—

One of the articles of this number is a slashing criticism on the life and writings of Edgar A. Poe.2 Mr. P. is pronounced “incontestably one of the most worthless persons of whom we have any record in the world of letters—a blackguard of undeniable mark—the lowest abyss of moral imbecility and disrepute never attained until he came, and stood forth a warning to the times to come.”

In this manner poor Poe is berated through several pages, with good round abuse. Extracts, however, are liberally made from his writings, and a high meed of praise given to his intellect, and his powers of subtle analysis. The critic thinks him a specimen of bright but highly diseased and unprincipled mentality. Doubtless this is pretty near the mark.

A good article on the “Annals of California,” and another on “The Speeches of Lord Brougham," will be read with profit.3 “The Eastern Church,” a criticism on Buckle’s History of Civilization in England, “Thiers’s Consulate and Empire,” “The Conquest of Oude,” &c., complete the number.

Notes:

1. Marietta Piccolomini (1834–1899) was an Italian opera singer. [back]

2. Edgar Allen Poe (1809–1849) was a well-known American writer, critic, and poet who would occasionally be referred to as "Literary Mohawk" due to his harsh criticism. Whitman met Poe in 1845. For more information on Poe and Whitman, see Amy E. Earhart, "Poe, Edgar Allan (1809–1849)," Walt Whitman: An Encyclopedia, ed. J.R. LeMaster and Donald D. Kummings (New York: Garland Publishing, 1998). [back]

3. Henry Peter Brougham (1778–1868) was a Scottish politician and co-founder of The Edinburgh Review. [back]

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