Favorite last words from poets

"Hand me my pantaloons, if you please."

These were the last recorded words of Connecticut-born poet Fitz-Greene Halleck before his death 147 years ago today on November 19, 1867.

In honor of those not-so-glamorous last words, here are a few of my other favorite last words of American writers highlighted on the blog (in no particular order):

"I want to go away."

—Ohio/NY poet Phoebe Cary (died February 12, 1871)

"All is perfect peace with me."

—Georgia poet Thomas Holley Chivers (died December 18, 1858)

"Take me away. Take me away."

—"Poet of the Sierras" Joaquin Miller (died February 17, 1913)

"Your kisses are always sweet to me."

—Painter/poet Thomas Buchanan Read (died May 11, 1872)

"Beautiful!"

—New Hampshire poet Samuel Burnham (died June 22, 1873)

"Moose... Indian."

—Massachusetts writer Henry David Thoreau (died May 6, 1862)
*Note: The above was a guest post by historian Richard Smith

"In spite of it all, I am going to sleep; put out the lights."

—"Bad Boy" and poet Thomas Bailey Aldrich (March 19, 1907)

5 Favorite Posts on Edgar Allan Poe

In honor of Edgar Allan Poe's 205th birthday (he was born in Boston on January 19, 1809), here are five of my favorite posts that I've written about Poe in the several years since I created this site. They are presented here in no particular order and were chosen not based on popularity but just how interesting I personally find them.

5. Poe on stage: rather tedious
First published: August 8, 2012

If people think today's adaptations of the work of Poe are new or unique, they are sorely mistaken. The first stage adaptation of one of Poe's tales, "The Gold-Bug," premiered in Philadelphia all the way back in 1843. Not unlike today's adaptations, this one was deemed to be terrible. Incidentally, I often like to point out that "The Gold-Bug" was one of Poe's most well-known works in his lifetime, much more than the horror stories we know him for today.

4. Poe and Darley: In his best manner
First published: January 31, 2011

Speaking of "The Gold-Bug," that same tale inspired some of the earliest illustrations of Poe's works. In this case, the illustrator was Felix O. C. Darley (who also created the caricature of Poe seen at right). More importantly, however, Poe and Darley signed an agreement that would have made the young artist the official illustrator for The Stylus, Poe's long-imagined literary journal. Few 21st century Poe fans seem to recognize the importance of this project, nor how close it came to becoming a reality.

3. The fever called Living
First published: April 28, 2010

For someone who runs a web site based on anniversaries in literary history, this one was a no-brainer. One of Poe's greatest poems, "For Annie," was concurrently published on April 28, 1849 in two different periodicals. It was also one of his final works in the months before his death. It helps, too, that the poem is very Poe-like as an odd celebration of death. It is, however, one of his most poetic of poems. The post also inspired a great number of comments, which you can still read if interested.

2. A great Poe hoax
First published: August 2, 2010

Imagine finding an unpublished manuscript poem by Edgar Allan Poe over 20 years after his death, at a time when fervor for Poe is soaring. Now, imagine your discovery being published in New York, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, and nearly every other major city in the country, causing a fantastic stir and instant fame on the person who found the poem. Now imagine the whole thing was a hoax perpetrated by an up and coming poet who happened to have been born the very day that Poe died. James Whitcomb Riley proved his point — and, frankly, Poe would have enjoyed the ruse.

1. Edgar Allan Poe is dead
First published: October 9, 2010

Today, one simply cannot discuss Edgar Allan Poe without discussing Rufus Wilmot Griswold, the man who popularized the "myth of Poe." That myth — which portrays Poe as a drunk, drug-addled madman, a loner without friends, who bordered on insanity — owes much of its origins to this obituary written by Griswold immediately after Poe's mysterious death in 1849. Regardless of its veracity, the Poe myth has enthralled generations of fans and readers — and made Griswold into the consummate literary villain.

For those interested in continuing the legacy of Poe on his birthday in the city of his birth, please join the Edgar Allan Poe Foundation of Boston as we attempt to raise the funds necessary to create and install a life-sized statue of him near his birthplace. Every donation is important as we reach the final stages of this effort. You can donate safely and securely online.

2013: An American Literary Year in Review

Death of Mark Twain

Originally posted:
April 21, 2010

Readers seems fascinated that Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) predicted his own death in 1910. Without question, this post is the most popular of all time (so far) — more than 8 times more popular than its nearest competitor (see below). Twain's headstone in Elmira, New York is pictured here.

Marriage of Edgar Poe

Originally posted:
May 16, 2010

Most readers seem to find this post through search engines as they incredulously wonder if Edgar Allan Poe really married his 13-year old cousin. (Yes, he did.) 

Death of Virginia Clemm Poe
Originally posted:
January 30, 2010

Fascination with Poe's relationship with his wife Virginia Clemm continues here, based at least part on his reaction to her death in 1847. This post also highlights Poe's most obvious literary work inspired by his wife, and its one few have read (it's not "Annabel Lee").

Dickinson: I'm nobody! Who are you?
Originally posted:
December 10, 2010

Emily Dickinson remains an enigmatic yet inspiring poet — and certainly, this poem of hers continues to intrigue poetry fans of all ages. 

De Forest: The Great American Novel
Originally posted:
January 9, 2011

This post highlights the author who popularized the term "Great American Novel," thereby inspiring an unending quest to meet a standard which few modern readers seem to notice more than coincidentally lined up with John William De Forest's own writings. Self-promotional, much?

Bierce: No trace of him was ever discovered
Originally posted:
September 3, 2012

Few authors have as mysterious an end as Ambrose Bierce, who disappeared without a trace. Making it even more mysterious is that Bierce wrote an ambiguous story about a man who also disappeared without a trace.

My Favorite Obscure Literary Figures of 2013

Clodfelter: Farewell, on earth, farewell
Originally published:
January 27, 2013

Indiana poet Noah J. Clodfelter mourns the loss of his young son Byron (named after the poet) in 1879 and the touching poet he wrote a few days later: "Methinks I see my little boy, / With hands extended to me now, As if in ecstacy of joy, / To press fond kisses on my brow."

Death of Sill: can't be worse than Ohio
Originally published:
February 27, 1813

On the death of poet Edward Rowland Sill (pictured here) in 1887, as well as his thoughts on life and death: "And so, if life is endlessly manifold, we may hope for good and great things, here or hereafter."

Death of Burnham: To us is the weeping
Originally published:
June 22, 2013

In this post on the 1873 death of New Hampshire born poet Samuel Burnham, what moved me most was his last utterance, recorded simply as: "Beautiful."

Weeks: I am glad to be alive!
Originally published:
September 21, 2013

This post introduced New York writer Robert Kelley Weeks, born September 21, 1840, and his unshakably optimistic poetry. "Butterflies float in a dream..."

Birth of John Gardiner Calkins Brainard
Originally published:
October 21, 2013

On the birth of this quadruple-named Connecticut poet in 1796 and his short career in publishing and the law — as well as his poem on the most heinous of crimes, the stealing of newspapers.

Evils oppressing themselves or others
Originally published:
November 21, 2013

The final installment of "Woman and Her Needs" by Elizabeth Oakes Smith, and her rallying cry for women's equality. This was actually a two-parter, meant to add to the post on her last installment of the same essay from June 2013.

2011: An American Literary Year in Review

With only a few days left on the 2011 calendar, it seems like a good time to look back at 2011 on the American Literary Blog. Blog statistics might be slightly skewed, but it looks like the last 6 months sums up the popularity of specific posts fairly well. Here are, so far as I can tell, the most popular posts from 2011:

10. Marriage of Edgar Poe (May 16, 2010)

In this longer-than-average post, I wrote about the marriage of Edgar Allan Poe (age 27) and Virginia Clemm (age 13), and whether or not the age difference was unusual in those days. More importantly, I wrote extensively about their (presumed) sex life as a married couple. I'm sure the lack of the salacious disappointed those who found the post through Google. Still, the Poes drew enough interest that two posts about their marriage made it to this top 10 list (see number 4 below).

9. Death of Stephen Crane and O. Henry (June 5, 2010)

To tell the truth, I have no clear indication that the bigger draw to this post was Stephen Crane or O. Henry. They share a death anniversary (1900 and 1910, respectively). Incidentally, since writing this post, I have read significantly more of the work of both Crane and Henry.

8. Alcott: in a month I mean to be done" (November 1, 2010)

This letter from Louisa May Alcott includes the promise that the second volume of her book Little Women will be finished in a month. The letter, dated November 1, sparked some interest from participants in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Like Miss Alcott, those participants vowed to complete a novel in 30 days.

7. Whitman's funeral and burial (March 30, 2010)

This post focuses on the funeral of Walt Whitman. More importantly, it includes a photograph of the poet's death mask; from what statistics tell me, it's the image that has drawn people (morbidly curious?).

6. And the papers will tell you the rest (November 7, 2010)

This political limerick by a very young Ezra Pound in 1896 drew big numbers when it was originally posted, and remains strong today. My guess is that internet users have had difficulty finding the complete text of the poem, which I have so kindly provided here — along with an adorable image of the young Pound with his mother. 

5. Guest Post: Death of Poe and Holmes (October 7, 2010)

This entry was last year's most-visited post, and it still remains respectably in the top five. Here, historical novelist Matthew Pearl delves into his interest in Edgar Allan Poe and Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, who both died on the same day (albeit decades apart). Pearl has included both Poe and Holmes in his fiction (The Poe Shadow and The Dante Club, respectively). I'm sure Mr. Pearl deserves much of the credit for the popularity of this post; then again, Poe's death always draws the curious (and it doesn't hurt that it was October).

4. Death of Virginia Clemm Poe (January 30, 2010)

The confusing relationship between Edgar Allan Poe and his younger wife Virginia Clemm continues to draw interest from all corners. In this post, I look at their marriage, Poe's drinking habits, and his obsession with sick women in his writing — I only hope that some of the many visitors who read it every day note that I have attempted to knock down the assumptions that his wife's death drove him to drink or to obsess over sick women in his writing! 

3. De Forest: The Great American Novel (January 9, 2011)

One of the first posts of 2011, this analysis of John William De Forest's call for the "Great American Novel" remains unsurprisingly popular. From the responses I got, few actually knew that De Forest originated the term/challenge for American writing. With the context, I think the term makes more sense (and, in a way, leaves its meaning slightly less daunting).

2. Prohibition, temperance, and T. S. Arthur (January 16, 2010)

I'm perpetually surprised by the ongoing popularity of this post which, to be honest, I threw in as a sort of filler. One of my earliest posts (January 2010), it celebrates the first day that Prohibition took affect by looking back at 19th-century literature and its temperance advocates. The majority of the post focuses on Timothy Shay Arthur's novel Ten Nights in a Bar-room (a book I highly recommend). I can't imagine, however, that Arthur or his book is particularly well-known today so the popularity of this post leaves me baffled.

1. Dickinson: I'm nobody! Who are you? (December 10, 2010)

By far, the most visited post of the year was this one on the birthday of Emily Dickinson, including one of her most-quoted poems. I'm a little surprised that the single most popular post of the year 2011 was from back in 2010! I suspect much of the traffic was driven there by searches for images of Dickinson (there sure aren't many authenticated ones) — but I'll take it! And, to be clear, this post had nearly double the number of hits as the second place winner so there really was no contest here.

I am admittedly pleased that Edgar Allan Poe has been such a draw; he is, and has been, a specialty of mine. It still appears that the majority of traffic to the American Literary Blog comes from Google searches, rather than regular followers of the site. No matter — I'm happy to see people are benefiting one way or another (judging by some search terms, I'm glad I've been so helpful with homework assignments!). Someone recently asked how long I spend writing each post. In response, I think I can safely admit that each takes an average of an hour to research and then another 30 minutes to write the first draft. I'm not sure if that's impressive or not!

Finally, I have to admit that even I am surprised that I'll be starting my third year with this blog in just a few days — I hope you'll stick around!

2010: An American Literary Year in Review

Now that the year 2010 is rapidly drawing to a close, I wanted to thank all of you for following the American Literary Blog. It's been fun for me as I research some of my favorites and learn new things about writers I'd never heard of - all in the attempt at giving you, the reader, something interesting tidbits iin American literary history almost every day. I'll admit, the blog has taken up much more of my personal time than I ever anticipated but the pay-off has been that lots of people actually read it!

I thought it might be interesting to look at the most popular entries of the year (based on the blog's built-in statistics, these were the most-visited entries).

10. Great Astronomical Discoveries (August 25, 2010)

The infamous "Moon-Hoax" of 1835 in the New York Sun 

9. Tramping over the soil (August 5, 2010)

The day that Nathaniel Hawthorne met Herman Melville in the Berkshires of Massachusetts in 1850

8. Emerson's first wife and "Wild Apples" (February 8, 2010)

Ellen Tucker, wife of Ralph Waldo Emerson, died in 1831; exactly 29 years later, Emerson's daughter by his second wife (named after Ellen) reflected on a lecture given by Henry David Thoreau, Emerson's protege

7. Walden published, waxwork yellowing (August 9, 2010)

In 1854, Henry David Thoreau casually remarked on the publication of his masterpiece, Walden, as if it was just any other day

6. Alcott: In a month, I mean to be done (November 1, 2010)

Louisa May Alcott sets the goal of completing volume two of Little Women within 30 days. This post gained popularity at least in part due to Twitter connecting it to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoMo).

5. Fuller: That the anguish may be brief (July 19, 2010)

160 years after her death at sea, Margaret Fuller is getting lots of attention, thanks in part to her bicentennial being this year.

4. Whitman's funeral and burial (March 30, 2010)

Part two of the story of Walt Whitman's death; people seemed most interested in seeing the poet's death mask.

3. Death of Virginia Clemm Poe (January 30, 2010)

For the death of the wife of Edgar Allan Poe, this entry focused on their unique relationship and the controversy behind it.

2. And the papers will tell you the rest (November 7, 2010)

The first poem published by a young Ezra Pound was the first (and likely the last) entry on the Modernist on the blog.

1. Guest blog: Death of Poe and Holmes (October 7, 2010)

The dual death of Edgar Allan Poe and Oliver Wendell Holmes, though decades apart, proved the biggest draw this year. Written as a guest blog by contemporary novelist Matthew Pearl (The Dante Club, The Poe Shadow, The Last Dickens), I'm not sure if it was Pearl, Holmes, or Poe that pulled the most people in.

I promise to keep things interesting throughout 2011. I also promise to balance out the authors represented a little better (I'm vowing to limit myself on entries related to Longfellow, Poe, and Hawthorne). I'm also hoping to inspire more and more guest entries. In the meantime, I'll be cutting back a bit (consider it my New Year's resolution). This year, I averaged about six posts a week; next year, I'm aiming only for four per week. To make up for it, I'd like to encourage more interaction. That means more discussions on the Facebook page, more comments on the blog itself, more votes for future posts, etc. I hope to get everyone who is reading to show me they're enjoying it. We'll see how it goes!