Graham's Magazine, Vol. XX, No. 2, February 1842

In Short

This volume of Graham’s Magazine presents a classic collection of nineteenth-century American periodical literature, combining dramatic serialized fiction, reflective essays, and sharp literary criticism. From maritime clashes and historical clashes in England to satirical reviews of contemporary poetry, the issue offers a panoramic look at the tastes, entertainments, and intellectual debates of its era. It endures as an authentic artifact of early American magazine culture, showcasing how mid-nineteenth-century readers engaged with serial storytelling, romantic verse, and the emerging art of critical review.

The Story

The volume opens with a vivid descriptive tour of Harper’s Ferry, invoking Thomas Jefferson’s celebrated account of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers tearing through the Blue Ridge mountains. This appreciation for American landscape gives way to high-seas adventure in the continuation of "Harry Cavendish." A ship’s crew finds itself caught between two formidable foes—a heavy vessel ahead and a swift corvette bearing down on them. Amidst the mounting dread of the officers and passengers, Captain Smythe maintains a resolute calm, ordering his men to prepare for battle while the young narrator, Cavendish, escorts the frightened Miss St. Clair and Annette safely below deck, promising them victory before returning to his post.

The dramatic narrative shifts from the high seas to historical conflict in "The Two Dukes," where Lord Dudley leaps from the shoulders of his supporters onto a church window sill to face the Lord Protector, Somerset. Facing a furious crowd and a volley of missiles, Dudley confronts the armed duke, pleading for the safety of the parishioners and revealing that Somerset's own daughter is trapped within the imperiled church.

Interspersed with these dramatic serials are reflective essays and character studies. An affectionate tribute to Charles Dickens ("Boz") praises his rare combination of brilliant talent and genuine purity of heart, contrasting him with flawed literary figures like Lord Byron. Another narrative essay examines the perils of social flirtation, as a young woman reflects on her past coquetry, her awakening to life's deeper moral duties, and her humbling visits to a dying servant girl named Fanny Rivers. Meanwhile, in "The Blue Velvet Mantilla," young Julius Rockwell pursues a mysterious beauty through city streets, leading to a tangled web of anonymous notes, a duel threat from his college friend Elkinton, and an eventual happy resolution ending in marriage and family life.

The issue closes with powerful critical essays, most notably Edgar Allan Poe’s sharp commentary on contemporary literature. Poe rigorously dissects the relationship between critical theory and practice, famously dismantling Cornelius Mathews’s poem "Wakondah." Poe also provides an analytical breakdown of Charles Dickens's Barnaby Rudge, demonstrating his own talent for unraveling narrative mysteries early in a serialized story.

How It Unfolds

The rivers carve the landscape The issue opens with a majestic description of Harper’s Ferry, echoing Thomas Jefferson’s classic account of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers violently rending the Blue Ridge mountains asunder.

Surrounded on the open sea In "Harry Cavendish," the crew of a merchant vessel discovers they are trapped between an approaching corvette and another heavy warship, forcing Captain Smythe to prepare his crew for a desperate naval engagement while Cavendish escorts the terrified ladies below.

Confrontation at the church Lord Dudley leaps unarmed onto a stone window sill to face the enraged Lord Protector Somerset, begging him to stay his attack on the parishioners and revealing that Somerset's own daughter is trapped inside the church.

Reflecting on vanity and duty In a reflective tale of romantic awakening, a former flirt confesses her past coquetry to a friend, recalling how a humbling encounter with a dying servant girl transformed her view of life from superficial romance to genuine empathy.

The chase through the city Julius Rockwell spots a captivating woman wearing a blue velvet mantilla and tracks her across town, initiating a comedy of errors involving mysterious correspondence and a tense confrontation with his old college friend Elkinton.

Dissecting the literary landscape Edgar Allan Poe delivers a scathing critique of bad poetry and misguided literary theories, famously dismantling Cornelius Mathews's "Wakondah" while demonstrating his own analytical prowess in predicting the plot twists of Dickens's Barnaby Rudge.

The People

• Captain Smythe: The unflappable commander of a imperiled ship in "Harry Cavendish." Facing two enemy vessels at once, he remains steadfastly calm, ordering his crew to hold fire until the last possible moment to give his ship a fighting chance.
• Harry Cavendish: The brave young officer in "Harry Cavendish" who offers words of comfort to Miss St. Clair and Annette before rushing back to his battle station on the deck.
• Lord Dudley: A courageous young nobleman in "The Two Dukes" who leaps unarmed into a volatile confrontation between armed soldiers and furious parishioners to prevent bloodshed and save the woman he loves.
• The Lord Protector, Somerset: A fiery and vengeful noble in "The Two Dukes" who orders his troops to attack a church and kill Dudley, only to be halted when he learns his own daughter is trapped inside.
• Julius Rockwell: An earnest young romantic in "The Blue Velvet Mantilla" who impulsively pursues a veiled woman through city streets, landing him in a delicate misunderstanding with his old classmate.
• Elkinton: Julius’s college classmate who mistakes Rockwell's courtship efforts for an insult to his own betrothed, leading to a tense challenge before the confusion is resolved.

In Its Own Voice

"The passage of the Potomac, through the Blue Ridge, is, perhaps, one of the most stupendous scenes in nature."

This opening line from Thomas Jefferson’s quoted description sets a grand, majestic tone for the magazine's appreciation of the American wilderness.

"A powerful foe was coming up with us hand over hand astern, and a craft fully our equal was heading us off. Escape seemed impossible."

This tense moment from "Harry Cavendish" captures the high-stakes narrative suspense that characterizes the issue's serial fiction.

"To say what they are in the daily habit of saying—that such or such a matter may be good in theory but is false in practice,—is to perpetrate a bull—to commit a paradox—to state a contradiction in terms..."

Edgar Allan Poe’s sharp, uncompromising prose highlights the intellectual rigor and incisive critique he brought to nineteenth-century American letters.

What It's Really About

Beneath its entertaining blend of naval adventures, historical drama, and urban romance, this issue explores the tension between emotion and intellect in nineteenth-century culture. Stories like "The Blue Velvet Mantilla" and the essay on social flirtation examine the shift from superficial romantic idealism to genuine moral responsibility and self-reflection. Meanwhile, historical and nautical tales ponder how individuals maintain dignity, composure, and courage when confronted by overwhelming forces, whether on a stormy sea or before an enraged mob. In the critical back section, Edgar Allan Poe tackles the standards of artistic creation, arguing that true literature requires logical discipline, clear theory, and precise execution rather than unchecked sentimentality or popular acclaim.

Why Read It Today

Reading a period issue of Graham’s Magazine offers a rare, immersive glimpse into the literary culture of pre-Civil War America. Rather than encountering famous authors in isolated anthologies, readers see Edgar Allan Poe’s stinging criticism side-by-side with popular romantic poetry, historical melodramas, and detailed commentary on contemporary fashion. The prose reflects the period's love for elaborate descriptions, dramatic dialogue, and formal sentimentality, which may feel leisurely or overly ornate to modern readers. However, the sheer variety of the collection—ranging from high-seas ship battles to sharp literary takedowns—keeps the reading experience lively and dynamic. It is a rewarding read for fans of historical literature, nineteenth-century culture, and early American journalism who want to experience how everyday readers consumed serialized entertainment and critical debate in 1842.