The initial intention of the publishers to present “The Raven” without
preface, notes, or other extraneous matter that might detract from an
undivided appreciation of the poem, has been somewhat modified by the
introduction of Poe’s prose essay, “The Philosophy of Composition.” If
any justification were necessary, it is to be found both in the unique
literary interest of the essay, and in the fact that it is (or purports
to be) a frank exposition of the modus operandi by which “The Raven” was
written. It is felt that no other introduction could be more happily
conceived or executed. Coming from Poe’s own hand, it directly avoids
the charge of presumption; and written in Poe’s most felicitous style,
it entirely escapes the defect—not uncommon in analytical treatises—of
pedantry.
It is indeed possible, as some critics assert, that this supposed
analysis is purely fictitious. If so, it becomes all the more
distinctive as a marvelous bit of imaginative writing, and as such ranks
equally with that wild snatch of melody, “The Raven.” But these same
critics would lead us further to believe that “The Raven” itself is
almost a literal translation of the work of a Persian poet. If they be
again correct, Poe’s genius as seen in the creation of “The Philosophy
of Composition” is far more startling than it has otherwise appeared;
and “robbed of his bay leaves in the realm of poetry,” he is to be
“crowned with a double wreath of berried holly for his prose.”
The Philosophy of Composition.
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