THEsituationofAmericanliteratureisanomalous。Ithasnocentre，or，ifithave，itislikethatofthesphereofHermes。Itis，dividedintomanysystems，eachrevolvingrounditsseveralsuns，andoftenpresentingtotherestonlythefaintglimmerofamilk-and-waterway。Ourcapitalcity，unlikeLondonorParis，isnotagreatcentralheartfromwhichlifeandvigorradiatetotheextremities，butresemblesmoreanisolatedumbilicusstuckdownasnearasmaybetothecentreoftheland，andseemingrathertotellalegendofformerusefulnessthantoserveanypresentneed。Boston，NewYork，Philadelphia，eachhasitsliteraturealmostmoredistinctthanthoseofthedifferentdialectsofGermany；andtheYoungQueenoftheWesthasalsooneofherown，ofwhichsomearticulaterumorbarelyhasreachedusdwellersbytheAtlantic。
Perhapsthereisnotaskmoredifficultthanthejustcriticismofcontemporaryliterature。Itisevenmoregratefultogivepraisewhereitisneededthanwhereitisdeserved，andfriendshipsooftenseducestheironstylusofjusticeintoavagueflourish，thatshewriteswhatseemsratherlikeanepitaphthanacriticism。Yetifpraisebegivenasanalms，wecouldnotdropsopoisonousaoneintoanyman’shat。Thecritic’sinkmaysufferequallyfromtoolargeaninfusionofnutgallsorofsugar。Butitiseasiertobegenerousthantobejust，andwemightreadilyputfaithinthatfabulousdirectiontothehidingplaceoftruth，didwejudgefromtheamountofwaterwhichweusuallyfindmixedwithit。
Remarkableexperiencesareusuallyconfinedtotheinnerlifeofimaginativemen，butMr。Poe’sbiographydisplaysavicissitudeandpeculiarityofinterestsuchasisrarelymetwith。Theoffspringofaromanticmarriage，andleftanorphanatanearlyage，hewasadoptedbyMr。Allan，awealthyVirginian，whosebarrenmarriage-bedseemedthewarrantyofalargeestatetotheyoungpoet。
HavingreceivedaclassicaleducationinEngland，hereturnedhomeandenteredtheUniversityofVirginia，where，afteranextravagantcourse，followedbyreformationatthelastextremity，hewasgraduatedwiththehighesthonorsofhisclass。ThencameaboyishattempttojointhefortunesoftheinsurgentGreeks，whichendedatSt。Petersburg，wherehegotintodifficultiesthroughwantofapassport，fromwhichhewasrescuedbytheAmericanconsulandsenthome。HenowenteredthemilitaryacademyatWestPoint，fromwhichheobtainedadismissalonhearingofthebirthofasontohisadoptedfather，byasecondmarriage，aneventwhichcutoffhisexpectationsasanheir。ThedeathofMr。Allan，inwhosewillhisnamewasnotmentioned，soonafterrelievedhimofalldoubtinthisregard，andhecommittedhimselfatoncetoauthorshipforasupport。
Previouslytothis，however，hehadpublishedin1827asmallvolumeofpoems，whichsoonranthroughthreeeditions，andexcitedhighexpectationsofitsauthor’sfuturedistinctioninthemindsofmanycompetentjudges。