the works of edgar allan poe-5-第1章

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The　Works　of　Edgar　Allan　Poe

Volume　5　of　the　Raven　Edition




IN　FIVE　VOLUMES



Contents
Philosophy　of　Furniture
A　Tale　of　Jerusalem
The　Sphinx
Hop　Frog
The　Man　of　the　Crowd
Never　Bet　the　Devill　Your　Head
Thou　Art　the　Man
Why　the　Little　Frenchman　Wears　his　Hand　in　a　Sling
Bon…Bon
Some　words　with　a　Mummy
The　Poetic　Principle
Old　English　Poetry


POEMS

Dedication
Preface

Poems　of　Later　Life

The　Raven
The　Bells
Ulalume
To　Helen
Annabel　Lee
A　Valentine
An　Enigma
To　my　Mother
For　Annie
To　F
To　Frances　S。　Osgood
Eldorado
Eulalie
A　Dream　within　a　Dream
To　Marie　Louise　（Shew）
To　the　Same
The　City　in　the　Sea
The　Sleeper
Bridal　Ballad
Notes

Poems　of　Manhood

Lenore
To　One　in　Paradise
The　Coliseum
The　Haunted　Palace
The　Conqueror　Worm
Silence
Dreamland
Hymn
To　Zante
Scenes　from　〃Politian〃
Note

Poems　of　Youth

Introduction　（1831）
SonnetTo　Science
Al　Aaraaf
Tamerlane
To　Helen
The　Valley　of　Unrest
Israfel
To　　（〃The　Bowers　Whereat；　in　Dreams　I　See〃）
To　　（〃I　Heed　not　That　my　Earthly　Lot〃）
To　the　River　
Song
A　Dream
Romance
Fairyland
The　Lake　To
〃The　Happiest　Day〃
Imitation
Hymn。　Translation　from　the　Greek
〃In　Youth　I　Have　Known　One〃
A　Paean
Notes

Doubtful　Poems

Alone
To　Isadore
The　Village　Street
The　Forest　Reverie
Notes




PHILOSOPHY　OF　FURNITURE。

　　　　In　the　internal　decoration；　if　not　in　the　external　architecture　of
their　residences；　the　English　are　supreme。　The　Italians　have　but　little
sentiment　beyond　marbles　and　colours。　In　France；　_meliora　probant；
deteriora　_sequuntur　…　the　people　are　too　much　a　race　of　gadabouts　to
maintain　those　household　proprieties　of　which；　indeed；　they　have　a
delicate　appreciation；　or　at　least　the　elements　of　a　proper　sense。　The
Chinese　and　most　of　the　eastern　races　have　a　warm　but　inappropriate　fancy。
The　Scotch　are　_poor　_decorists。　The　Dutch　have；　perhaps；　an　indeterminate
idea　that　a　curtain　is　not　a　cabbage。　In　Spain　they　are　_all　_curtains　…　a
nation　of　hangmen。　The　Russians　do　not　furnish。　The　Hottentots　and
Kickapoos　are　very　well　in　their　way。　The　Yankees　alone　are　preposterous。

　　　　How　this　happens；　it　is　not　difficult　to　see。　We　have　no　aristocracy
of　blood；　and　having　therefore　as　a　natural；　and　indeed　as　an　inevitable
thing；　fashioned　for　ourselves　an　aristocracy　of　dollars；　the　_display　of
wealth　_has　here　to　take　the　place　and　perform　the　office　of　the　heraldic
display　in　monarchical　countries。　By　a　transition　readily　understood；　and
which　might　have　been　as　readily　foreseen；　we　have　been　brought　to　merge
in　simple　_show　_our　notions　of　taste　itself

　　　　To　speak　less　abstractly。　In　England；　for　example；　no　mere　parade　of
costly　appurtenances　would　be　so　likely　as　with　us；　to　create　an
impression　of　the　beautiful　in　respect　to　the　appurtenances　themselves　…
or　of　taste　as　regards　the　proprietor：　…　this　for　the　reason；　first；　that
wealth　is　not；　in　England；　the　loftiest　object　of　ambition　as　constituting
a　nobility；　and　secondly；　that　there；　the　true　nobility　of　blood；
confining　itself　within　the　strict　limits　of　legitimate　taste；　rather
avoids　than　affects　that　mere　costliness　in　which　a　_parvenu　_rivalry　may
at　any　time　be　successfully　attempted。

　　　　The　people　_will　_imitate　the　nobles；　and　the　result　is　a　thorough
diffusion　of　the　proper　feeling。　But　in　America；　the　coins　current　being
the　sole　arms　of　the　aristocracy；　their　display　may　be　said；　in　general；
to　be　the　sole　means　of　the　aristocratic　distinction；　and　the　populace；
looking　always　upward　for　models；；are　insensibly　led　to　confound　the　two
entirely　separate　ideas　of　magnificence　and　beauty。　In　short；　the　cost　of
an　article　of　furniture　has　at　length　come　to　be；　with　us；　nearly　the　sole
test　of　its　merit　in　a　decorative　point　of　view　…　and　this　test；　once
established；　has　led　the　way　to　many　analogous　errors；　readily　traceable
to　the　one　primitive　folly。

　　　　There　could　be　nothing　more　directly　offensive　to　the　eye　of　an　artist
than　the　interior　of　what　is　termed　in　the　United　States　…　that　is　to　say；
in　Appallachia　…　a　well…furnished　apartment。　Its　most　usual　defect　is　a
want　of　keeping。　We　speak　of　the　keeping　of　a　room　as　we　would　of　the
keeping　of　a　picture　…　for　both　the　picture　and　the　room　are　amenable　to
those　undeviating　principles　which　regulate　all　varieties　of　art；　and　very
nearly　the　same　laws　by　which　we　decide　on　the　higher　merits　of　a
painting；　suffice　for　decision　on　the　adjustment　of　a　chamber。

　　　　A　want　of　keeping　is　observable　sometimes　in　the　character　of　the
several　pieces　of　furniture；　but　generally　in　their　colours　or　modes　of
adaptation　to　use　_Very　_often　the　eye　is　offended　by　their　inartistic
arrangement。　Straight　lines　are　too　prevalent　…　too　uninterruptedly
continued　…　or　clumsily　interrupted　at　right　angles。　If　curved　lines
occur；　they　are　repeated　into　unpleasant　uniformity。　By　undue　precision；
the　appearance　of　many　a　fine　apartment　is　utterly　spoiled。

　　　　Curtains　are　rarely　well　disposed；　or　well　chosen　in　respect　to　other
decorations。　With　formal　furniture；　curtains　are　out　of　place；　and　an
extensive　volume　of　drapery　of　any　kind　is；　under　any　circumstance；
irreconcilable　with　good　taste　…　the　proper　quantum；　as　well　as　the　proper
adjustment；　depending　upon　the　character　of　the　general　effect。

　　　　Carpets　are　better　understood　of　late　than　of　ancient　days；　but　we
still　very　frequently　err　in　their　patterns　and　colours。　The　soul　of　the
apartment　is　the　carpet。　From　it　are　deduced　not　only　the　hues　but　the
forms　of　all　objects　incumbent。　A　judge　at　common　law　may　be　an　ordinary
man；　a　good　judge　of　a　carpet　_must　be　_a　genius。　Yet　we　have　heard
discoursing　of　carpets；　with　the　air　〃_d'un　mouton　qui　reve；〃　_fellows　who
should　not　and　who　could　not　be　entrusted　with　the　management　of　their　own
_moustaches。　_Every　one　knows　that　a　large　floor　_may　_have　a　covering　of
large　figures；　and　that　a　small　one　must　have　a　covering　of　small　…　yet
this　is　not　all　the　knowledge　in　the　world。　As　regards　texture；　the　Saxony
is　alone　admissible。　Brussels　is　the　preterpluperfect　tense　of　fashion；
and　Turkey　is　taste　in　its　dying　agonies。　Touching　pattern　…　a　carpet
should　_not　_be　bedizzened　out　like　a　Riccaree　Indian　…　all　red　chalk；
yellow　ochre；　and　cock's　feathers。　In　brief　…　distinct　grounds；　and　vivid
circular　or　cycloid　figures；　_of　no　meaning；　_are　here　Median　laws。　The
abomination　of　flowers；　or　representations　of　well…known　objects　of　any
kind；　should　not　be　endured　within　the　limits　of　Christendom。　Indeed；
whether　on　carpets；　or　curtains；　or　tapestry；　or　ottoman　coverings；　all
upholstery　of　this　nature　should　be　rigidly　Arabesque。　As　for　those
antique　floor…cloth　&　still　occasionally　seen　in　the　dwellings　of　the
rabble　…　cloths　of　huge；　sprawling；　and　radiating　devises；
stripe…interspersed；　and　glorious　with　all　hues；　among　which　no　ground　is
intelligible…these　are　but　the　wicked　invention　of　a　race　of　time…servers
and　money…lovers　…　children　of　Baal　and　worshippers　of　Mammon　…　Benthams；
who；　to　spare　thought　and　economize　fancy；　first　cruelly　invented　the
Kaleidoscope；　and　then　established　joint…stock　companies　to　twirl　it　by
steam。

　_　　　Glare　is　_a　leading　error　in　the　philosophy　of　American　household
decoration　…　an　error　easily　recognised　as　deduced　from　the　perversion　of
taste　just　specified。；　We　are　violently　enamoured　of　gas　and　of　glass。　The
former　is　totally　inadmissible　within　doors。　Its　harsh　and　unsteady　light
offends。　No　one　having　both　brains　and　eyes　will　use　it。　A　mild；　or　what
artists　term　a　cool　light；　with　its　consequent　warm　shadows；　will　do
wonders　for　even　an　ill…furnished　apartment。　Never　was　a　more　lovely
thought　than　that　of　the　astral　lamp。　We　mean；　of　course；　the　astral　lamp
proper　…　the　lamp　of　Argand；　with　its　original　plain　ground…glass　shade；
and　its　tempered　and　uniform　moonlight　rays。　The　cut…glass　shade　is　a　weak
invention　of　the　enemy。　The　eagerness　with　which　we　have　adopted　it；
partly　on　account　of　its　_flashiness；　_but　principally　on　account　of　its
_greater　rest；　is　_a　good　commentary　on　the　proposition　with　which　we
began。　It　is　not　too　much　to　say；　that　the　deliberate　employer　of　a
cut…glass　shade；　is　either　radically　deficient　in　taste；　or　blindly
subservient　to　the　caprices　of　fashion。　The　light　proceeding　from　one　of
these　gaudy　abominations　is　unequal　broken；　and　painful。　It　alone　is
sufficient　to　mar　a　world　of　good　effect　in　the　furniture　subjected　to　its
influence。　Female　loveliness；　in　especial；　is　more　than　one…half
disenchanted　beneath　its　evil　eye。

　　　　In　the　matter　of　glass；　generally；　we　proceed　upon　false　principles。
Its　leading　feature　is　_glitter　…　_and　in　that　one　word　how　much　of　all
that　is　detestable　do　we　express　！　Flickering；　unquiet　lights；　are
_sometimes　_pleasing　…　to　children　and　idiots　always　so　…　but　in　the
embellishment　of　a　room　they　should　be　scrupulously　avoided。　In　truth；
even　strong　_steady　_lights　are　inadmissible。　The　huge　and　unmeaning　glass
chandeliers；　prism…cut；　gas…lighted；　and　without　shade；　which　dangle　in
our　most　fashionable　drawing…rooms；　may　be　cited　as　the　quintessence　of
all　that　is　false　in　taste　or　preposterous　in　folly。

　　　　The　rage　for　_glitter…_because　its　idea　has　become　as　we　before
observed；　confounded　with　that　of　magnificence　in　the　abstract…has　led　us；
also；　to　the　exaggerated　employment　of　mirrors。　We　line　our　dwellings　with
great　British　plates；　and　then　imagine　we　have　done　a　fine　thing。　Now　the
slightest　thought　will　be　sufficient　to　convince　any　one　who　has　an　eye　at
all；　of　the　ill　effect　of　numerous　looking…glasses；　and　especially　of
large　ones。　Regarded　apart　from　its　reflection；　the　mirror　presents　a
continuous；　flat；　colourless；　unrelieved　surface；　…　a　thing　always　and
obviously　unpleasant。　Considered　as　a　reflector；　it　is　potent　in　producing
a　monstrous　and　odious　uniformity：　and　the　evil　is　here　aggravated；　not　in
merely　direct　proportion　with　the　augmentation　of　its　sources；　but　in　a
ratio　constantly　increasing。　In　fact；　a　room　with　four　or　five　mirrors
arranged　at　random；　is；　for　all　purposes　of　artistic　show；　a　room　of　no
shape　at　all。　If　we　add　to　this　evil；　the　attendant　glitter　upon　glitter；
we　have　a　perfect　farrago　of　discordant　and　displeasing　effects。　The
veriest　bumpkin；　on　entering　an　apartment　so　bedizzened；　would　be
instantly　aware　of　something　wrong；　although　he　might　be　altogether　unable
to　assign　a　cause　for　his　dissatisfaction。　But　let　the　same　person　be　led
into　a　room　tastefully　furnished；　and　he　would　be　startled　into　an
exclamation　of　pleasure　and　surprise。

　　　　It　is　an　evil　growing　out　of　our　republican　institutions；　that　here　a
man　of　large　purse　has　usually　a　very　little　soul　which　he　keeps　in　it。
The　corruption　of　taste　is　a　portion　or　a　pendant　of　the　dollar…manufac
sure。　As　we　grow　rich；　our　ideas　grow　rusty。　It　is；　therefore；　not　among
_our　_aristocracy　that　we　must　look　（if　at　all；　in　Appallachia）；　for　the
spirituality　of　a　British　_boudoir。　_But　we　have　seen　apartments　in　the
tenure　of　Americans　of　moderns　＇possibly　〃modest〃　or　〃moderate〃＇　means；
which；　in　negative　merit　at　least；　might　vie　with　any　of　the　_or…m