Curiosities of Criticism

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Bibliographic Information

A. B. "Curiosities of Criticism." New York Saturday Press. 20 Jan. 1866: 40.

Type: newspaper ; Genre: editorial

Abstract

Rebutting Dr. R. Shelton Mackenzie’s statement that “no critic in this country” ever thought the poem, “The Fire Fiend,” was written by Edgar Allan Poe, Clapp cites two previous articles from the Philadelphia Press. In the first, published on September 9th, 1864, Mackenzie is quoted as averring Poe’s authorship of the verse; however, on November 17th and 21st of the same year, Mackenzie vehemently denies ever having ascribed authorship to Poe. Clapp sarcastically ends his rebuttal with the rhetorical question, “Query: What is the opinion of Dr. Mackenzie worth?”

People Mentioned in this Work

Gardette, Charles Desmarais: Clapp discusses Mackenzie's affirmation in the Philadelphia Press that the poems published in "The Fire Fiend and other Poems, by Charles D. Gardette" appeared to be written by Poe. Clapp also notes Mackenzie's subsequent denials of Poe's authorship of the poems.
Mackenzie, Robert Shelton Dr.: He was the literary editor for the Philadelphia Press in 1864.

Clapp discusses Mackenzie's affirmation in the Philadelphia Press that the poems published in "The Fire Fiend and other Poems, by Charles D. Gardette" appeared to be written by Poe. Clapp also notes Mackenzie's subsequent denials of Poe's authorship of the poems. Clapp tracks Mackenzie's responses to the poems: 30 Sept. 1864, "We believe that Poe wrote them," 17 Nov. 1864, "I thought Poe could not have written them," 21 Nov. 1864, "We never believed that Poe wrote them," and finally, "It did not decieve any critic in this country."

The piece ends with the "Query": What is the opinion of Dr. Mackenzie worth? Yours, without much doubt on the subject, A.B.
Poe, Edgar Allan: Gardette claimed that "The Fire Fiend" was derived from one of Poe's unpublished manuscripts. After the publication of the poems, controversy about their authenticity ensued.