ABSTRACT
Griswold (1815–57), is chiefly remembered as Poe's editor and untrustworthy biographer — his ‘Ludwig’ obituary (No. 92), and his malicious ‘Memoir’ of 185o, did much to discredit Poe's reputation for years to come. But in his own day Griswold was a respected editor and critic, and his popular anthologies (especially The Poets and Poetry of America,1842) made him an important arbiter of taste. In 1842 he replaced Poe as literary editor of Graham's Magazine; thereafter Poe generally regarded him with sour hostility, though there were periods of reconciliation. Throughout most of 1845 they were superficially friendly: Griswold solicited contributions from Poe for his forthcoming anthology of American prose, and evidently tried to place his poems with a publisher; Poe, for his part, ‘puffed’ Griswold and borrowed money from him. Though not strictly a review, Griswold's friendly comments were provoked by Poe's recent collection; the entire essay was reprinted as the introduction to Griswold's Prose Writers of America(1847)
