Curiosities of Criticism

Rebutting Dr. R. Shelton Mackenzie’s statement that “no critic in this country” ever thought the poem, “The Fire Fiend,” was written by Edgar Allan Poe, Clapp cites two previous articles from the Philadelphia Press. In the first, published on September 9th, 1864, Mackenzie is quoted as averring Poe’s authorship of the verse; however, on November 17th and 21st of the same year, Mackenzie vehemently denies ever having ascribed authorship to Poe. Clapp sarcastically ends his rebuttal with the rhetorical question, “Query: What is the opinion of Dr. Mackenzie worth?”