ABSTRACT
Quite a controversy is being carried on, at the present time, between the critics, concerning the merits of Mr POE, as a poet. It appears that Mr PoE was invited to deliver a poem before the Boston Lyceum, on the same evening during which Mr CALEB CUSHING was to deliver an address. The poet, dilatory as he usually is, neglected until too late to write anything original for the occasion; and, in order to test the judgement of the Bostonians, who, to trust their words, are judges of everything, he recited a poem of his, which had been written and published at the age of ten. As a psychological curiosity, the poem was very wonderful, but as a poem, it is such as a juvenile production might have been expected to be. It took very well with the audience, who, deny it if they dare, applauded most furiously. That same night, over a bottle of Madeira, the poet let out the secret; and BOSTON — that is, the transcendental donkies who call themselves BOSTON - has been in a ferment ever since. ‘Straight jackets wouldn't howld 'em, for the rage they were in, when they found themselves diddled.’ They began to abuse POE, who spoke back; and, dirt began to fly lustily from both parties. That Mr POE was wrong in performing such a trick, we assert without hesitation; but the less the clique in BOSTON say about critical judgement the better. According to their own story, they invited a poet, whom they now assert has no claims to the title to deliver a poem before the best of their literati. Why, they should now take such uncommon pains to prove themselves donkies, we cannot, for the life of us, conceive.
