Page:The Southern Literary Messenger - Minor.djvu/74

 62 of the work again devolves upon myself alone. Mr. P., however, will continue to furnish its columns, from time to time, with the effusions of his vigorous and popular pen." He also states that Mr. Poe was the author of the reviews of Bryant's Poems, George Balcombe, Irving's Astoria, and Reynold's Address, on the South Sea Expedition. Thus, it will be seen how large a portion of this grand number was contributed by his pen. But it may have been executed some time prior to January; because the contents had to be made up in advance and the Messenger strove to appear on or very near the 20th of each month preceding the one for which it was dated. This number must, however, have been partly prepared and printed in January and several delays have already been noted.

This review of Wm. C. Bryant's poems might find a place in any edition of Poe's works, because of its subject and mode of treatment. It shows what special pains Mr. Poe was even then taking towards perfecting his own poetry and what were his ideas of true poetry. There is, too, one striking passage in it. He compares Bryant with Young and Cowper, with whom he has many points of analogy, and says: "He has a juster appreciation of the beautiful than the one; of the sublime, than the other,—a finer taste than Cowper; an equally vigorous and far