Tuesday marks the anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s death in Baltimore. The milestone provides a date on the calendar to link the author with the city that honors him with a museum, tavern tributes and even the name of its football team. But as this year’s anniversary comes faintly tapping, Boston is trying to get a piece of Poe. And he didn’t even like it there!
The New York Times reports that dignitaries unveiled a brass statue of the writer in Boston Common over the weekend. The statue shows a sneering Poe walking in full stride, with a giant raven along for the ride.
To be fair, Boston has a right to Poe since he was born there. But can they really feel good about immortalizing a man who said Bostonians were “dull people” who “have no soul,” and coined the term “Frogpondians” to describe the croaking nature of the city’s writers?
At the very least, it seems like Boston should leave the ceremony filled with pomp and poet laureates until their own Poe anniversary in January. Baltimore could use you right about now, Poe Toaster.
