Poe's Helen

Front matter

a o i • o " o

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^0* ibrary of Congress

Preface

AFTER the lapse of half a century, Poe /§ still remains the one romantic figure in the field of American letters — a figure in whose dramatic personality the public interest centres so persistently as almost to obscure his literary claims.

And those that were linked with him by ties of love, friendship, or even hate have thereby gained their lasting titles to literary immortality; titles to which Poe } s tributes to their merits, set forth in the pages of his "Literati" would never have insured them.

Pre-eminent among the literary women who were closely associated zvith the poet stands Sarah Helen Whitman, presenting a mystical, poetic figure, quite as romantic as his own, zuhose claims to literary immortality should rest securely upon her own poetic contributions.

The story of her brief engagement to Poe {the year before his death) has often been recounted, but her own story, so closely identified with that of the important men and women of her time, has, until now, remained untold.

For nearly forty years the literary correspondence, from which the substance of this volume is derived, has been preserved in the Providence

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PREFACE home, where Mrs. Whitman spent her last days. Following her sister s death in 1877 she accepted the invitation of her friend, Mrs. Albert Dailey, to make her home with her, and there she passed the last months of her life, carrying on her extensive correspondence and preparing for the press a new edition of her poems.

Believing that a memoir of herself would soon be written, Mrs. Whitman, who had preserved the correspondence of a lifetime, busied herself arranging, classifying, and even annotating the letters which seemed to her to possess vital interest, as did those especially relating to her association with Poe and his biographers. At her request, C. Fiske Harris and Doctor William Channing became her literary executors, and the latter, who was a lifelong friend, wrote the preface to the collected poems published after her death in 1878.

Subsequently, Doctor Channing made over Mrs. Whitman s correspondence to Miss Charlotte F. Dailey, in whose keeping, as literary executrix, and that of her sister, Mrs. Henry R. Chace, it has remained until to-day; Miss Dailey' s recent death leaving Mrs. Chace, by whose kind permission the following material is used, in sole charge of the manuscripts and letters.

While there is much of charm and interest in Mrs. Whitman s correspondence that has not been made public, the substance of the material relating to the Poe episode has been already

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PREFACE chronicled, hi her endeavor to do justice to Poe *s memory, Mrs. Whitman gave freely to his biographers, on both sides of the water, details of her experience and copies of the important letters relative to her romance with the poet. Thus, owing to her zeal in this direction, a goodly portion of her material relative to Poe is widely scattered throughout the pages of a half-dozen biographies. And this species of courtesy wasy after Mrs. Whitman s death, extended by Miss Dailey to the late Professor Harrison, to whom she gave the privilege of using certain extracts from her collection in his biography of Poe.

Poe' s love-letters {now kindly loaned by Mrs. Chace, for reproduction), which have been, from time to time, quoted in more or less fragmentary form by Poe' 's biographers, were for the first time printed in full during the Poe centenary celebrations in 1909. At this time a very limited edition was issued {through the courtesy of Miss Dailey and Mrs. Chace) under the auspices of the University of Virginia.

Poe 's letters to Airs. Whitman, unique among productions of their kind, must remain in the permanent niche which they have won among the world 's classic love-letters. In the present volume they are for the first time fitted into their proper place in the romance of these two poets, who loved to make love in poetic form. Among Mrs. Whitman s own letters, hitherto unpub-

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PREFACE lished, those of Mrs. Clemm, and many others of that day, will be found much that vividly reflects contemporary life and that casts new light upon the ever-interesting subject of the true Edgar Allan Poe.

C. T.

Contents

CHAPTER

PAGE

I

Chapter I

T ELEN of a thousand dreams," wrote Edgar Allan Poe to the woman who was most closely allied to him by intellectual and spiritual ties. Others lavished their affection upon this fascinating, morbid genius, but Sarah Helen Whitman loved him and comprehended that genius. With a clear, searching vision she perceived his pitiful weaknesses and temperamental failings, which, though they loomed up darkly, never obscured from her the true, fine attributes of the real man.

She saw where he in weakness failed, where he from prejudice, or passion, erred sadly; she deplored his faults and shortcomings, but her gaze rested steadfastly on a great spirit groping toward the light, a man of brilliant intellect, splendid imagination and marvellous power of expression. Herself a poet, she thoroughly appreciated his poetic gift; a critic, she could measure his keen insight into literary values; a mistress of English style, she recognized in his creative touch the masterhand.

Having once comprehended the man in his entirety, Mrs. Whitman would never allow the thought of any one phase of his conduct to alter her estimate of him, or to detract from that which she regarded as his just desert.

Poe accorded her the loveliest of his poetic tributes and the most ardent of love-letters, he begged her hand in marriage, withdrew all claim to her small patrimony, and pledged himself to honorable deportment and selfdenial. Then he failed miserably, proving himself incapable of living up to the standard imposed and forcing her to sever the tie between them. Following her dismissal, Poe withdrew in anger and humiliation, not hesitating in his chagrin to utter words of cruel bravado and biting criticism.

A woman of less fine caliber would have exhibited some trace of resentment, or would doubtless have joined the chorus of Poe's detractors, but not so Mrs. Whitman, who cherished only sympathy for all his eccentricities; and when Poe's critics poured forth unjust and bitter denunciations, it was she who came forward with simple dignity, and in her little volume, entitled "Edgar Poe and His

Critics," publicly defended the object of their attack.

It was most fitting that the figure of this woman of "a thousand dreams" should first have dawned upon the poet's sight as she stood in the moonlight which rested on her garden, for she was above all else a woman of poetry and moonlight. Yet with all her graces and fantastic moods, she possessed a logical, wellbalanced mind, her judgment was keen and free from bias, and her critical faculties excellent.

On the occasion of his first glimpse of Mrs. Whitman, Poe had visited Providence to deliver a poem before the Lyceum. Restless near midnight he had wandered forth from his hotel and had strolled past her home, where she had stepped from the doorway to breathe the night air and the perfume of the garden. This incident, which at the time made a vivid impression on his mind, he afterward immortalized in one of his most exquisite poems, entitled "To Helen."

I saw thee once — once only — years ago :

I must not say how many — but not many.

It was a July midnight; and from out

A full-orbed moon, that, like thine own soul soaring,

Sought a precipitate pathway up through heaven,

There fell a silvery silken veil of light,

With quietude, and sultriness and slumber,

Upon the upturn'd faces of a thousand

Roses that grew in an enchanted garden,

Where no wind dared to stir, unless on tiptoe, Fell on the upturn'd faces of these roses That gave out, in return for the love-light, Their odorous souls in an ecstatic death — Fell on the upturn'd faces of these roses That smiled and died in this parterre, enchanted By thee, and by the poetry of thy presence.

Clad all in white, upon a violet bank I saw thee half reclining; while the moon Fell on the upturn'd faces of the roses, And on thine own, upturn'd — alas, in sorrow !

Was it not Fate, that, on this July midnight — W 7 as it not Fate (whose name is also Sorrow), That bade me pause before that garden-gate, To breathe the incense of those slumbering roses ?

Poe pictures the vanishing of this "enchanted garden," which left him alone in the darkness retaining only the vision of the lady's eyes, which were no doubt exceedingly expressive:

The pearly lustre of the moon went out: The mossy banks and the meandering paths, The happy flowers and the repining trees, Were seen no more: the very roses' odours Died in the arms of the adoring airs. All — all expired save thee — save less than thou: Save only the divine light in thine eyes — Save but the soul of thine uplifted eyes.

They are my ministers — yet I their slave. Their office is to illumine and enkindle — My duty to be saved by their bright light,

And purified in their electric fire,

And sanctified in their elysian fire.

They fill my soul with Beauty (which is Hope),

Had Mrs. Whitman failed to respond to this poetic tribute when the manuscript was sent her by its author, the romance might have ended there, but Fate had willed it otherwise.

Poe's vision of her in the garden (or looking out upon it), took place in the summer of 1845, at which time she was forty-two years old. Her meeting with Poe did not take place until three years later, when she was fortyfive and he thirty-nine. Their birthdays were identical, both occurring upon January 19.

A pen-portrait of Mrs. Whitman drawn by her friend, Miss Sarah S. Jacobs, may well supplement the interesting portraits painted by Thompson and Arnold, which hang to-day respectively in the Athenaeum and Hay Library in Providence.

"As she came flitting into the room and gave you her small, nervous hand, you saw a slight figure, a pale, eager face of fine spiritual expression and irregular features, the dreamy look of deep-set eyes that gazed over and beyond, but never at you. Her movements were very rapid, and she seemed to flutter like a bird, so that her friends asserted that she was in the process of transformation either to or from the condition of a lapwing.

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"Her spell was on you from the moment she appeared (and she generally kept you waiting a little), but when she spoke, her empire was assured. She was wise, she was witty, she was interested in the things which we call 'the topics of the day,' making them fresh and fair.

"But it was not her imagination that chiefly bound her friends to this brilliant woman. Her qualities of heart were as engaging as her intellectual gifts were impressive. No one could be long with her without being aware of her quick, generous sympathy, her sweet unworldly nature, her ready recognition of whatever feeble talent, or inferior worth another possessed."

Mrs. Whitman seems to have retained to the end of her life her personal attractiveness, and at the time of her death, at seventy-five years, it was said of her:

'The freshness of her spirit and the charm of her presence were not lost in the vicissitudes of a life of strange and romantic experience. No one ever associated with her the idea of age, and she is represented as lying beautiful as a bride in death, her brown hair scarcely touched with gray."

Mrs. Whitman doubtless possessed something of that magnetic quality which was exerted by certain famous Frenchwomen, who at the age of seventy found suitors almost as

SJR.lll HELEN IVIHTM.IN ardent as they had been half a century earlier. Throughout her life Mrs. Whitman had a succession of adorers, and her hand was sought in marriage, even in her latest years, by men who had long given her their devoted allegiance.

Her home in Providence was a literary centre where the intellectual spirits of her time were accustomed to gather, and from the feminine as well as the masculine circle which she drew about her, she evoked extraordinary devotion.

Her correspondence, carried on to her seventy-fifth year, was a voluminous one, and embraced the names of George William Curtis, John Hay, Horace Greeley, and many others. From each she had the faculty of drawing the best, and to each she was able to give that of which the subject seemed most in need.

It is a sad injustice to the memory of one of this country's most gifted women to allow her to go down to posterity as merely a charming personage to whom Poe was engaged for a brief time. She was a woman of rare poetic gifts and vivid personality, and her title to fame should rest securely on her own work, and on the vital influence which she exerted upon all who came in contact with her.

Without a complete knowledge of Poe's association with Mrs. Whitman, it is impossible to comprehend, not only the last phase of his career, but also Poe himself. For in the

[ 7 1 realization that this woman understood him as no one else had done, he poured out his heart to her in a series of truly remarkable love-letters, revealing his hopes, his fears, his hates and aspirations. He taught her to know him at his best, and she, in turn, filled with this knowledge, endeavored with unceasing loyalty throughout her life to tell the world the best about him, believing, as did Hawthorne, that a man is "most truly himself when at his "very best."

Chapter II Mrs. Whitman's Early Life

SARAH HELEN WHITMAN, who claimed descent from an ancient Celtic-Norman stock to which she believed Poe's lineage was also to be traced, was born in Providence, Rhode Island, January 19 (Poe's birthday), 1803. She was the second of three children born to Anna Marsh and Nicholas Power, and first saw the light in the home of her grandfather, Captain Nicholas Power, on the corner of South Main and Transit Streets. Here the family lived until the grandfather's death, in 1808, when they moved "over the bridge," to the corner of Snow and Westminster Streets; later they removed to the "Grinnell House,'' and subsequently occupied what was called the "Angell Tavern." Here their garden extended to the water, and from this place the children were rowed across the cove to Mr. Noyes's school. In 1813, Mrs. Whitman's younger sister, Susan Anna, was born, and shortly after this her father, who possessed a roving disposition, departed for North Carolina, whence he sailed for the West Indies. The War of 181 2 then being in progress, his vessel was captured by the British, and he was held a prisoner until

1 815, when peace was declared, at which time Nicholas Power failed to return to the bosom of his family, but continued his seafaring career. The early life of the young poet was shadowed by the anxiety occasioned by her father's long absence, which continued for years after his release by the British. He was constantly expected home, but did not put in an appearance until nineteen years had elapsed and he had long been given up by his expectant household. His eventual return proved even more of a shock to his family than had been his original disappearance, and was characterized by his eccentric daughter Anna in the following couplet:

Mr. Nicholas Power left home in a sailing vessel bound

for St. Kitts, When he returned, he frightened his family out of their

wits.

In 1 8 16 the Power family removed to the house which will always remain especially identified with them, situated at the corner of Benefit and Church Streets, where they lived for over forty years, and where Poe's brief romance took place. The fact that this house was painted red, distressed Sarah Helen, who was, however, somewhat consoled by the handsome woodwork of the interior, and by the lovely garden in the rear, immortalized by Poe.

From her girlhood days this garden was a constant source of joy to Sarah Helen Power,

Nicholas power

From a miniature- by Malbone in the Providence Athenaum who had a passion for flowers, later expressed in some of her most admirable verse; she did not like attending school, much preferring to read novels, and to share in the social activities of her elder sister Rebecca.

For a short time she visited her aunt, Mrs. Bogert, on Long Island, New York, and this relative sent her to a school kept by John A. Griscom, a Quaker; during this period she met many cultivated people and came in touch with a much wider social circle than she had previously enjoyed. On her return to Providence she attended Miss Sterry's school for a brief time. Already she was amusing herself by writing humorous rhymes about the admirers of her sister Rebecca, some of whom began to turn their attention toward the younger sister; among these was a young lawyer named John Winslow Whitman, who upon a certain occasion, when the young people were having a frolic, shook the young poetess by the shoulders, exclaiming: "You hussy, you wrote those verses !" This tribute to her poetic gifts pleased the young woman exceedingly, and from this time she began to regard the young lawyer with especial interest.

In 1 821 Rebecca Power married William E. Staples, and in 1824 the engagement of Sarah Helen to John Winslow Whitman w r as announced. He was the third son of Judge Kilborne Whitman, of Pembroke, Massachusetts, and had graduated from Brown University in 1818; he began his practise of law at Barnstable, but later took up his profession in Boston. His marriage to Sarah Helen Power took place on July 10, 1828, at the house of the bride's uncle, Cornelius J. Bogert, at Jamaica, Long Island, at whose home the bride had, in earlier years, spent many happy days.

The honeymoon was passed partly at the home of the Bogerts on Long Island, and partly with Mrs. Whitman's aunt, Mrs. William Blodget, in Providence, in whose large and valuable library the niece had improved her opportunities to become better acquainted with the classics and with French and German literature. Mrs. Blodget gave the bridal couple a wedding reception in Providence before they left to take up their residence in Boston.

Mrs. Whitman's taste for poetry was frowned upon by certain relatives, and her cousin, Susan Warner, author of "The Wide, Wide World," was, in later years, anxious for her regeneration. These relatives sent her reproving letters, penned in precise copperplate, in which they expressed the hope that she "did not read much poetry, as it was almost as pernicious as novel-reading." And they were also greatly distressed at her religious state of mind, which they feared was far from orthodox.

Their admonitions, however, had small effect upon Mrs. Whitman, who doubtless viewed her

Cousin Susan's "Wide, Wide World " as a sadly restricted universe.

In 1829 Mrs. Whitman's first published poem appeared; it was entitled "Retrospection," and was signed "Helen," the name which she always preferred. At this time Mrs. Sarah J. Hale, editor of the Ladies' Alagazine, in which this poem was printed, became interested in her work, and asked her for contributions.

For the next two or three years the married life of the young couple w T as rather an anxious one, as they were very restricted in their means and as Mr. Whitman was not possessed of practical business qualities. He nevertheless gained some recognition in his profession, and was also much interested in an invention, to reduce the price of steel by a cheaper method of production, which he hoped would prove an immediate road to fortune. During a visit to Providence he contracted a cold from which he never wholly recovered, and in 1833 n ^ s death took place w T hile on a visit to his father's home at Pembroke.

Thus closed the first part of Mrs. Whitman's career, and the young widow returned to make her home with her mother and sister in Providence. Here she continued her literary work, making occasional visits to her late husband's relatives in Boston.

In 1838 the portrait of Mrs. W T hitman, which now hangs in the Athenaeum in Providence, was painted by Giovanni Thompson. It shows her in her widow's cap with pink strings, and gives an excellent idea of her personal attractiveness at thirty-five years of age. An exquisite miniature of her father Nicholas Power, painted by Malbone, is also in possession of the Athenaeum, and one may trace considerable likeness between the daughter and the debonair and adventurous seafaring man.

Among Mrs. Whitman's literary productions at this time may be mentioned a prize poem which she read at the opening of Shakespeare's Hall, in Providence, on November 27, 1838.

It was between 1830 and 1850 that the Transcendentalists flourished in New England, and the subjects of theology, revelation, and inspiration were the chief themes discussed. By entering into the transcendental spirit a man was made "a citizen of the world of souls." Transcendentalism was a form of pure idealism, the insistence upon the power of thought and will, and upon the exaltation of the life of the spirit above all material or physical demands. The persistent search for the things of the spirit at this time brought about an awakened interest in spiritualism.

Mrs. Whitman and her immediate circle were intensely absorbed in this experimental field, eagerly discussed the results attained by vari-

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JOHX JVINSLOJr WHITMAN ous mediums, and corresponded with each other in regard to their individual beliefs. James Freeman Clarke, Horace Greeley, and many others of prominence in the intellectual world, busied themselves with spiritualistic research.

Mrs. Whitman, whose mysterious and elusive qualities made her seem rather of the spirit than the material world, was by temperament particularly fitted for this transcendental epoch. Yet she could be blithe and merry as well as a lady of dreams, and on occasion she could command a fund of sarcasm. In the matter of clothes she was entirely unconventional, dressing in a style all her own; she loved silken draperies, lace scarfs, and floating veils, and was always shod in dainty slippers. She invariably carried a fan to shield her eyes from any glare, and her pleasant rooms were never pervaded by anything but a subdued light.

In 1851 she furnished the New York Tribune with articles on spiritualism, which were extensively copied, and among those who corresponded with her on this subject were Epes Sargent, S. W. Eveleth, S. B. Brittan, Horatio Greenough, Horace H. Day, and Horace Greeley. The latter, in writing her upon this topic, suggested that he "would be pleased if Mrs. Whitman could find him a medium to take care of his children, and to accompany the family to Westchester," declaring: "I am willing to believe, but the evidence seems to evade."

Horace H. Day, who had sought Mrs. Whitman's acquaintance in connection with this mutual interest, remained to the end of his life one of her warmest friends, and her visits to England and France were the result of generous invitations from him. In return she wrote two poems for his household, entitled "Christmas Eve" and "Santa Claus."

Mrs. Anna Cora Mowatt, the actress, was among Mrs. Whitman's friends who entered into the discussion of spiritualism, and urged her to contribute articles to Sargent's Magazine, a periodical with which Mrs. Mowatt's husband was associated. This lady began her public career by giving readings, and later wrote a play, entitled "Fashion," the success of which inspired her to go upon the stage. After only one rehearsal Mrs. Mowatt appeared in "The Lady of Lyons," and at the end of the performance received such an ovation as to assure her that she had chosen the right profession. Her correspondence with Mrs. Whitman extended over a number of years, and her residence in Richmond brought her in touch with many of Poe's friends.

The New England of 1840-50 was the New England of changing ideals. The antislavery leaders were at their height of enthusiasm, reformers of every school were breaking through old bonds; prophecies regarding the end of the world were rife, Brook Farm was setting its unique standard and registering its famous experiments, and on all sides supporters of the kingdom of the mind and spirit were putting forth suggestions for the extension of those dominions. In Boston, Parker and Channing were names to conjure with, and Emerson was lecturing to delighted audiences.

Margaret Fuller was conducting her famous "Conversations," and freely discussing the various topics which were enthralling the attention of her contemporaries. She, too, was questioning the problem of spiritualism, and exclaiming: "I am perplexed about the spirits — that seem to come a great way to teach so little!" In 1838 she was teaching school in Providence, where for a time she touched the little circle that clustered about Mrs. Whitman. Although friendly in their relations these two women were temperamentally opposed to one another, and seldom found their points of view or their ideas in harmony. Miss Fuller was a woman of compelling power, while Mrs. Whitman was a woman of unusual charm.

Among the latter's enthusiastic admirers was the Honorable Wilkins Updike,* whose correspondence extended over many years. He always insisted that she would marry him even-

Author of " History of the Narragansett Church."

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tually, and looked forward to the time when his persistence would conquer all objections on the lady's part.

Mrs. Whitman's health, which was always frail, was a constant source of anxiety to her family. During her entire life she suffered from heart-trouble, and felt herself upon the verge of a departure from those whom she loved, and throughout her correspondence one finds frequent references to her belief that she is about to take leave of her friends.

Her principal anxiety was in connection with her eccentric sister Anna, who was during her entire life guarded and protected by mother and sister. After the death of Mrs. Power, in i860, the elder daughter assumed the whole responsibility of the younger, who was ten years her junior, and to whose tyrannical domination she unselfishly adapted her life. In the home at 39 Benevolent Street, to which they moved after the mother's death, Anna was the sole arbitress, and if she was not in the mood for the admission of visitors, none were allowed to enter. Anna seldom appeared when there was company, but enjoyed sitting near by, concealed in a closet or adjoining room, where she could hear the conversation that was taking place. Fearing that should her sister survive her she would not have sufficient means of support, Mrs. Whitman during her last years scrimped herself

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pitifully in order to save all that was possible for Anna's future. In the end, Anna passed away one year before the sister who had rendered her such untiring devotion.

Chapter III Friendship With Curtis And Hay

THE role of literary mentor was one in which Mrs. Whitman excelled; she could inspire the young writer to do his best, touch gently upon his faults, and point out with admirable discernment the pathway to his higher capabilities. Among her letters from literary friends may be found many feeling tributes from those to whom she furnished both aid and inspiration.

George William Curtis, whose subsequent achievements in the world of letters are too well-known to demand further comment, early enjoyed her sympathetic companionship and thoughtful criticism; he confided to her, in a series of long letters, his literary hopes and aspirations, and throughout their lifelong friendship accorded the same deference to her literary judgment that he exhibited when he submitted to her the question: "Is 'Trumps* worth publishing?"

His correspondence with Mrs. Whitman opened when he was in the early twenties, just after his return from Brook Farm, and continued with great regularity up to the time of his departure for Europe in 1846. It was later renewed at frequent intervals, and ended only with Mrs. Whitman's death, when, in 1878, Curtis wrote a feeling appreciation of her, in Harper ' s Magazine, in the September "Easy Chair."

The early communications of Curtis, in which he poured out his heart about poetry and nature, are admirable examples of the "literary letter" in all its old-time elegance and elaboration. A few extracts from these reveal not only the thoughtful, poetic nature of the young man, but also reflect clearly Mrs. Whitman's own mental attitude, and the quality of intellectual stimulus which she was able to bestow.

The first letter from Curtis is dated Concord, April 9, 1845, and in it the writer begs Mrs. Whitman for more explicit criticism of his own literary work and offers his own theory concerning poetry and the poets.

My Dear Mrs. Whitman:

May I say a few words about poetry and Poets to you, hoping so to provoke from you a closer criticism upon my verses than you have yet given me. Is not the Orpheus & E. complete without the Introduction and close ? I do not remember that I asked you this, and if so, would it not increase the unity of impression if I should separate it from them. It has occurred to me that it might be so. Is the poetical power shown in the conception and general effect of what you heard, as well as in the melody and illustration ?

Is not "The Poet" more perfect than the Orpheus as a work of art ? Does not the preponderance of thought make it less poetical, or is the thought subdued sufficiently under that veil ?