THE RAVEN
I sent my "Raven" posting around to Poe Societies on the web. Poe's
Philadelphia house responded first and provided the telephone number of the
Walnut Street Theatre where THE BLACK RAVEN played in 1843, but had no other
opinion of the citation.
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Date: Fri, 19 Dec 1997 17:35:55 -0500
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From: INDE_Poe_House[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]nps.gov (INDE Poe House)
To: Bapopik Bapopik[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Fwd: The Raven
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TO: Barry Popik
FROM: John Stoudt
SUBJECT: "Ravens"
DATE: 12/19/97
Sorry, we do not have any information here that would help you in your
attempt to find more information regarding the two pre-Poe "Raven"
ravens.
You might try either the Free Library of Philadelphia (which, I am
told, has an excellent theater arts history section) at
(215) 686-5427 or (215) 686-5396.
The Walnut Street Theater can be called at (215) 574-3550. I called
that number but got a voicemail message.
Good Luck!
John Stoudt
Park Ranger
Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site
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Subject: Fwd: The Raven
Author: Bapopik Bapopik[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]aol.com at NP--INTERNET
Date: 12/18/97 2:08 AM
Dear Poe People,
Are these two pre-Poe "Raven" ravens known? Are you familiar with the
1843 play THE BLACK RAVEN (Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia) and the 1839
poem "The Raven" in N. P. Willis's CORSAIR?
I sent this to my list at the American Dialect Society. Sorry for the
corny jokes!
--Barry Popik
225 East 57th Street, Apt. 7P
New York, NY 10022
(212) 308-2635
Bapopik[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]aol.com
Contributor to the RANDOM HOUSE HISTORICAL DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN
SLANG,
AMERICA IN SO MANY WORDS, CITY IN SLANG, et al.
Various postings on the American Dialect Society list (ADS-L archives)
include the origin of the Big Apple, Fun City, the Windy City, Beantown, I'm
from Missouri-show me, Hoosier, Canuck, the Democratic donkey, the G. O. P.,
Kriss Kringle, Uncle Sam, O. K., 69, Not!, hot dog, pizza, shake, ice cream
sandwich, club sandwich, Tom Collins, New York's
Finest/Bravest/Strongest/Boldest, New York Yankees, Bronx Bombers, baseball
fan, grand slam, jazz, shindig, hobo, lollapalooza, Longfellow's "There Was a
Little Girl" poem, and much more.
--------------------
From: Bapopik Bapopik[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]aol.com
Return-path: Bapopik[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]aol.com
To: ADS-L[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]uga.cc.uga.edu
Subject: The Raven
Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 01:13:25 EST
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Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" is perhaps the most celebrated American
poem. It's long been known that Poe "copied" or "borrowed" from other works.
I've identified two previously unknown pre-Poe "Raven" ravens. I found the
second, more important one today.
A different poem called "The Raven" appeared in the February 1839 (I may
have the month wrong) CORSAIR. Poe probably read the CORSAIR, because the
editor was his friend, N. P. Willis. Willis later edited the New York Mirror,
where Poe's "The Raven" was printed on 29 January 1845.
I think Poe's vasted overrated now (a "language maven" titled a book after
the poem, and there's even a football team called the Baltimore Ravens!), but
I've been to Poe homes in Richmond, Baltimore (where he's buried), and the
Bronx. A few years ago, I sent the CORSAIR "Raven" to Bronx Community College
Poe scholar Burton Pollin. He hadn't heard of the poem before, but he didn't
think that the vastly different "Raven" had much influence.
I was going through the Public Ledger of Philadelphia today when--just a
minute, something just flew in.
THE RAVEN: Nevermore!
POPIK: You crap on my bust of Pallas Athena and I'll break your bones!
This is from the Public Ledger, 28 February 1843, pg. 2, col. 3:
_The Black Raven_, as produced now at the Walnut street Theatre, is a
decided improvement upon the former performances. Russell is a very nimble
fellow, a good dancer, and plays his part well. Miss Wallace, as Columbine,
does excellently, and her dancing is much admired. Davenport plays the part
of the Old Roue with much credit; and Barnes, the clown, grows more comical in
his tricks at every performance. It draws well, and is worth seeing.
THE RAVEN: Nevermore!
POPIK: Don't you say anything else?
THE RAVEN: Butter!
POPIK: Butter?
THE RAVEN: Parkay!
POPIK: Parkay is margarine!
THE RAVEN: Omnipoint! Omnipoint!
In 1839, Poe became coeditor of Burton's Gentlemen's Magazine in
Philadelphia. In 1843, his story "The Gold Bug" won a prize of $100 from the
Philadelphia DOLLAR NEWSPAPER. I'm reading this from a book (which I bought
in Richmond) edited by Roscoe Brown Fisher, THE JAMES CARLING ILLUSTRATIONS OF
EDGAR ALLAN POE'S "THE RAVEN" (1982). Poe left Philadelphia for New York City
in April 1843. Had Poe seen _The Black Raven_ at the Walnut Street Theatre?
What was that production about, anyway? I'll have to do some more
checking--just a minute! I hear a gentle rapping, rapping, as if some visitor
was tapping, tapping at my chamber door.
LENORE: Hello, my name's Lenore, and I was looking for my--there he is!!
THE RAVEN: Nevermore!
I gotta stick to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poems.
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