Chapter XXVIII of the Home Life of Poe by Susan Archer Weiss. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. A Morning with Poe and the Raven. A Leaf from a Journal. One pleasant, though slightly drizzly morning in the latter part of September, I sat in our parlor at Talavera at a table on which were some new magazines and a vase of tea roses freshly gathered. Opposite me sat Mr. Poe. A basket of grapes, his favourite fruit, had been placed between us, and as we leisurely partook of them we chatted lightly. He inquired at length what method I pursued in my writing. The idea was new to me, and on my replying that I wrote only on the impulse of a newly conceived idea, he proceeded to give me some needed advice. I must make a study of my poem, he said, line by line and word by word, and revise and correct it, until it was as perfect as it could be made. It was in this way that he himself wrote. And then he spoke of the Raven. He had before told me of the difficulties which he had experienced in writing this poem, and of how it had lain for more than ten years in his desk, unfinished, while he would at long intervals work on it, adding a few words or lines, altering, omitting, and even changing the plan or idea of the poem, in the endeavour to make of it something which would satisfy himself. His first intention, he said, had been to write a short poem only, based upon the incident of an owl, a nightbird, the bird of wisdom, with its ghostly presence and inscrutable gaze entering the window of a vault or chamber, where he sat beside the beer of the lost Lenore. Then he had exchanged the owl for the Raven, for the sake of the latter's nevermore, and the poem, despite himself, had grown beyond the length originally intended. Does this not explain why the Raven, though not like the owl a nightbird, should be represented as attracted by the lighted window, and perching upon the bust of palace, which would be more appropriate to the original owl, Minerva's bird? Also we recognise the latter in the lines, by the grave and stern decorum of the countenance at war. Poe, in adopting the Raven, evidently did not obliterate all traces of the owl. Of these troubles with the poem he had before informed me, and now, in answer to a remark of mine, he said, in effect, the Raven was never completed. It was published before I had given the final touches. There were in it certain naughty points and tangles, which I had never been able to overcome, and I let it go as it was. He told how, toward the last, he had become heartily tired of and disgusted with the poem, of which he had so poor an opinion that he was many times on the point of destroying it. I believe that his having published it under the known deplume of quarrels was owing to this lack of confidence in it, and that, had it proven a failure, he would never have acknowledged himself the author. He feared to risk his literary reputation on what appeared to him of such uncertain merit. He now, in speaking of the poem, regretted that he had not fully completed before publishing it. If I had a copy of it here, he said, I could show you those naughty points of which I spoke, and which I have found it impossible to do away with. Adding, Perhaps you will help me. I am sure that you can, if you will. I did not feel particularly flattered by this proposal, knowing that, since his coming to Richmond, he had made a similar request of at least two other persons. However, I cleared the table of the fruit and the flowers, and placed before him several sheets of generous fool-scap, on which I had copied for a friend the raven as it was first published. He requested me to read it aloud, and as I did so, slowly and carefully, he sat, pencil in hand, ready to mark the difficult passages of which he had spoken. I paused at the third line. Had I not myself often noted the incongruity of representing the poet as pondering over many a volume, instead of a single one, I glanced inquiringly at Poe, and, noting his unconscious look, proceeded. When I reached the line, an each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. He gave a slight shiver or shrug of the shoulders, an expressive motion habitual to him, and the pencil came down with an emphatic stroke beneath the six last words. This was one of the hardest knots, he said, nor could he find a way of getting over it. Ember was the only word rhyming with the two preceding lines, but in no way could he dispose of it except as he had done, thus producing the worst line in the poem. He pondered over it for a while and finally gave it up. But I may hear mention that I have since in studying the poem made a discovery, which, strangely enough, seems never to have occurred to the author. This was that in this particular stanza he had unconsciously reversed the order or arrangement of the lines, placing those of the triple rhymes first and the rhyming couplet last. Thus all his long years of worry over that unfortunate ember had been unnecessary, since the construction of the verse required not only the omission of the word as a rhyme, but of the whole line of, and each separate dying ember, when the succeeding objectionable words wrought its ghost upon the floor, could have been easily altered, and the addition of a third line to the succeeding couplet would have made the stanza correct. Our next pause was at the word beast, through which he ran his pencil. Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above my chamber door. I must get rid of that word, he said, for of course no beast could be expected to occupy such a position. Oh yes, a mouse, for instance, I suggested, at which he gave me one of his rare humorous smiles. Leaving this point for future consideration, we passed on to a more serious difficulty. This and more I sat divining, with my head in ease reclining, on the cushion's velvet lining with the lamplight gloated oar. The naughty point here was in the word lining, a blunder obvious to every reader. Poe said that the only way he could see of getting over the difficulty was by omitting the whole stanza, but he was unwilling to give up that violet velvet chair, which with the purple silken curtain he considered a picturesque adjunct to the scene, imparting to it a character of luxury which served as a relief to the more somber surroundings. I had so often heard this impossible lining criticized that when he inquired, shall I omit or retain the stanza? I ventured to suggest that it might be better to give up the stanza than have the poem marred by a defect so conspicuous. For a moment he held the pencil poise, as if in doubt, and I have since wondered what would have been his decision. But just here we were interrupted by the tumultuous entrance of my little dog, Pink, in hot pursuit of the family cat. The latter took refuge beneath the table at which we were seated, and there ensued a brisk exchange of dualistic passes, while I called off Pink and Mr. Poe took up the cat, and placing her on his knee stroked her soothingly, inquiring if she were my pet. Upon my disclaiming any partiality for felines, he said, I like them, and continued his gentle caressing. Was he thinking of Catalina, his wife's pet-cat, which he had left at home in Fordham, and which, after her death, had sat upon his shoulder as he wrote far into the night? Recalling his grave and softened expression, I think that it must have been so, but at that time I had never heard of Catalina. But now came the final and most difficult tangle of all, the blunder apparent to the world, the defect which marrs the whole poem, and yet is contained in but a single line. And the lamplight or him streaming casts his shadow on the floor. Poe declared this to be hopeless, and that it was, in fact, the chief cause of his dissatisfaction with the poem. Indeed, it may well excite surprise that he, so careful and fastidious as to the completeness of his work, should have allowed the raven to go from his hands, marred by a defect so glaring. But this is proof that he did indeed regard it as hopeless. When Mr. Poe left us on this September morning he took with him this manuscript copy of the raven, which, however, he, on the following day, handed to me, begging that I would keep it until his return from New York. I found that he had marked several minor defects in the poem, one of which was his objection to the word shutter as being too commonplace and not agreeing with the word lattice previously used. He remarked, before leaving for New York, that he intended having the raven, after some further work upon it, published in an early number of the stylus. I do not doubt, but that, had he lived, he would have made it much more perfect than it now is. After his death his friend, Mr. Robert Sully, the Richmond artist, was desirous of making a picture of the raven, but explained to me why it could not be done, all on account of that impossible shadow on the floor. Of course, said he, to produce such an effect the lamplight must come from above and behind the bust and the bird. No, it was impracticable. This set me to thinking, and the result was that I, some time after, went to Mr. Sully's studio and said to him, How would it do to have a glass transom above the door, one of those large fan-shaped transoms which we sometimes find in old colonial mansions, opening on a lofty, galleried hall? It would do, he said, indeed, with such an arrangement and the lamp supposed to be suspended from the hall-ceiling, as in those old mansions, there would be no difficulty with either the poem or the picture. And we were both delighted at our discovery, and thought, how pleased Poe would have been with the idea, so effective in explaining that mysterious shadow on the floor. Mr. Sully commenced upon his picture, but died before completing it. This manuscript copy of the raven, with all its pencil-marks, as made by Mr. Poe on that September morning, remained in my possession for many years. It is yet photographed upon my memory, with all the details here given from an odd leaf of a journal which I kept about that time. The quiet parlor, the outside drizzle, the books, the roses, the face and figure of Mr. Poe as he gravely bent over that manuscript copy of his immortal poem of the raven. Had he no premonition that even then a darker shadow than that of the raven was hovering over him? It was one of the last occasions on which I ever saw him. CHAPTER XXIX Poe's first visits on his arrival in Richmond had been to Mrs. Shelton, and it soon became known that an engagement existed between them, although they were never seen together in public, and Poe, on all occasions, denied the engagement. Yet morning after morning the curious neighbors were treated to a sight of the poet ascending the steps of the tall, plain, substantial-looking brick house on the corner of Grace Street, facing the rear of St. John's Church. And had they watched more closely, they might, at times, have seen another figure following in its footsteps. Mrs. was Rosalie Poe, who, delighted at her brother's engagement and being utterly without tact or judgment, would present herself at Mrs. Shelton's door shortly after his own arrival, as she said, for the pleasure of seeing the couple together. Once she surprised them at a tettetet luncheon at which corn beef and mustard figured. But on another occasion Mrs. Shelton met and informed her that Mr. Poe had a headache from his long walk, and was resting on the parlor sofa where she herself would attend to him, and so dismissed her to her great indignation. Not alone to Mrs. Shelton's were these shadowings of her brother confined, but if she at any time knew of his intention to call at some house where she herself was acquainted, she was as likely as not to make her own appearance during his visit, or, in promenading Broad Street, he would unexpectedly find himself way-laid and introduced to some prosy acquaintance of his sister. It required Mrs. McKenzie's authority to relieve him from these annoyances. There was, however, something pathetic in the sister's pride in, an affection for, a brother from whom she received but little manifestation of regard. He treated her indulgently, but, as she herself often said in her homely way, Edgar could never love me as I do him, because he is so far above me. About the middle of August Mrs. Shelton's interested neighbors observed that the poet's visits to her suddenly ceased, and then followed a report that the engagement was broken and that a bitter estrangement existed between the two. Mr. Woodbury, Poe's biographer, doubts this, and declares that we have no evidence that such was the case. But we, who were on the spot, as it were, and had opportunity of judging, knew that the report was true. Miss Van Loo, the famous War Postmistress of Richmond, once said to me as, standing on the porch of her house, she pointed out Mrs. Shelton's residence. I used it first to often see Mr. Poe enter there, but never during the latter part of his stay in Richmond. It seemed to be known about here that the engagement was off. Gossop had it that Mrs. Shelton discarded him because persuaded by friends that he was after her money. All her relatives are said to be opposed to the match. From Poe's own confidential statement to Mr. John McKenzie, who had first suggested the match with Mrs. Shelton, it appears that money considerations was really the cause of the trouble. Mrs. Shelton had the reputation of being a thorough businesswoman and very careful and cautious with regard to her money. Poe was at this time canvassing in the interests of the stylus, in which he received great encouragement from his friends. But when he applied to Mrs. Shelton, it is certain that she failed to respond as he desired. She had no faith in the success of his plan, neither any sympathy with its purpose. Also, in discussing arrangements for their marriage, she announced her intention of keeping entire control of her property. Poe himself broke their engagement. Next there arose a difficulty concerning certain letters which the lady desired to have returned to her, and which he declined to give up, except on condition of receiving his own. Possibly each feared that these letters might sometime fall into the hands of Poe's biographers. If they were written during his courtship of Mrs. Whitman, and when still uncertain of the result, he appears to have been keeping Mrs. Shelton in reserve. Mrs. Shelton, during a few days absence of Poe at the country-home of Mr. John McKenzie, came to Duncan Lodge and appealed to Mrs. McKenzie to influence Poe in returning her letters. I saw her on this occasion, a tall, rather masculine-looking woman, who drew her veil over her face as she passed us on the porch, though I caught a glimpse of large, shadowy, light-blue eyes which must once have been handsome. We heard no more of her until some time about the middle of September when suddenly Poe's visits to her were resumed, though in a very quiet manner. It seems certain that the engagement was then renewed, and that Mrs. Shelton must have promised to assist Poe in his literary enterprise, for from that time he was enthusiastic in regard to the stylus and what he termed its assured success. He even commenced arranging a table of contents for the first number of the magazine, and Mrs. McKenzie told me how he one morning spent an hour in her room taking from her information, notes, and data for an article which he intended to appear in one of its earliest numbers. He was in high spirits, and declared that he had never felt in better health. This was after an attack of serious illness due to his association with dissipated companions. Tempted as he was on every side and wherever he went in the city, it was not strange that he had not always the strength of will to resist, and twice during this visit to Richmond he was subject to attacks somewhat similar to those which he had known at Fordham, and through which he was now kindly nursed by his friends at Duncan Lodge. Poe gave but one public lecture on this visit to Richmond, that on the poetic principle, and of this most exaggerated accounts have been given by several writers, even to the present day. They representing it to have been a great financial success. One recent lecturer remarks upon the strangeness of the fate when, just as the hitherto impicunious poet, was about returning home with five thousand and five hundred dollars in his pocket, he should have been robbed of it all. The truth of the matter is that but two hundred and fifty tickets were printed, the prize being fifty cents each. And, as Dr. William Gibbon Carter informed me, there were by actual count not more than one hundred persons present at the lecture, some being holders of complimentary tickets. Another account says there were but sixty present, but that they were of the very elite of the city. Considering that from the proceeds of the lecture all expenses of haul rent had to be paid, we cannot wonder at Poe's writing to Mrs. Clem, my poor poor muddy, I am yet unable to send you a single dollar. I was present at this lecture, with my mother and sister, and Rose Poe, who, as we took seats reserved for us, left her party and joined us. I noticed that Poe had no manuscript, and that, though he stood like a statue, he held his audience as motionless as himself, fascinated by his voice and expression. Rose pointed out to me Mrs. Shelton, seated conspicuously in front of the platform, facing the lecturer. This position gave me a good view of her, with her large, deep set, light blue eyes, and sunken cheeks, her straight features, high forehead, and cold expression of countenance. Doubtless she had been handsome in her youth, but the impression which she produced upon me was that of a sensible, practical woman, the reverse of a Poe's ideal. And yet, she says, Poe often told her that she was the original of his lost Lenore. When Poe had concluded his lecture, he lightly and quickly descended the platform, and, passing Mrs. Shelton without notice, came to where we were seated, greeting us in his usual graceful manner. He looked pleased, smiling, and handsome. The audience arose, but made no motion to retire, watching him as he talked, and evidently waiting to speak to him, but he never glanced in their direction. Rose, radiantly happy, stood drawn up to her full height, and observed, Edgar, only see how the people are staring at the poet and his sister. I believe it to have been the proudest moment of her life, and one which she ever delighted to recall. This occurred during the period of estrangement between Poe and Mrs. Shelton. Quite suddenly, in the latter part of September, Poe decided to go to New York. His object was, as he himself declared, to make some arrangements in regard to the stylus, though gossip said to bring Mrs. Clemont to his marriage. It is difficult to get a clear idea of the relation between Poe and Mrs. Shelton, owing to the counter-dictory statements of the two. Undoubtedly they must have met during Poe's first visit to Richmond, and he tells Mrs. Whitman that he was about to address the lady when her own letters caused him to change his mind. And yet Mrs. Shelton speaks of their meeting on his last visit as though it had been the first since their youthful acquaintance. As she entered the parlor, she says, on his first call, I knew him at once, and, as the pious and practical woman that she was, she adds, I told him that I was on my way to church, and that I allowed nothing to interfere with this duty. She says also in her reminiscences, I was never engaged to him but there was an understanding, and yet, on his death, she appeared in public attired in deep widow's-weeds. That she was devoted to him appears from her own letter to Dr. Moran when informed by him of Poe's death. He was dearer to me than any other living creature. Poe himself, writing to Mrs. Clem, says, Elmira has just returned from the country. I believe that she loves me more devotedly than any one I ever knew. He adds, apparently, an allusion to his marriage. Everything has yet been arranged, and it will not do to hurry matters, concluding with, if possible, I will get married before leaving Richmond. On his deathbed in Washington, he said to Dr. Moran, Sir, I was to have been married in ten days, and requested him to write to Mrs. Shelton. End of Chapter 29 Chapter 30 of The Home-Life of Poe by Susan Archer Weiss This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The Mystery of Fate One evening, it was Sunday the 2nd of October, Dr. John Carter was seated alone in his office when Poe entered, having just paid a farewell visit to Mrs. Shelton before leaving in the morning for New York. He remarked to Dr. Carter that he would probably stop for one day in Baltimore, and perhaps also in Philadelphia, on business, would like to remain longer, but had written to Mrs. Clem to expect him at Fordham some time this week. He would be back in Richmond in about a fortnight. While talking, he took up a handsome Malacca sword-cane belonging to Dr. Carter, and absently played with it. He looked grave and preoccupied. Several times inquired the hour, and at length, rising suddenly, remarked that he would step over to Sadler's Restaurant and get supper. He took the cane with him, Dr. Carter understanding from this circumstance and his not taking leave that he would presently return on his way to the swan, where he had left his baggage. He did not, however, reappear, and on the next morning Dr. Carter inquired about him at Sadler's. The proprietor said that Poe and two friends had remained to a late hour, talking and drinking moderately, and had then left together to go aboard the boat, which would start at four o'clock for Baltimore. He said that Poe, when he left, was in good spirits and quite sober, though this last may be doubted, since he not only forgot to return Dr. Carter's cane, but to send for his own baggage at the swan. Some persons have insisted that Poe must have been drugged by these men, who were strangers to Mr. Sadler, and there was even a sensational story published in a northern magazine, to the effect that Poe had been followed to Baltimore by two of Mrs. Shelton's brothers, and there, after having certain letters taken from him, beaten so severely that he was found dying in an obscure alley. This story was first started by Mrs. Elizabeth Oakesmith in one of the New York journals, though it does not appear from what source she derived her information. No denial was made or noticed taken of it by Mrs. Shelton's friends, and the story gradually died out. For over forty years, the mystery of the tragic death of the poet remained a mystery, strangely and persistently, defying all attempts at elucidation. But within the last few years there has appeared in a St. Louis paper a communication which professes to give a truthful account of the circumstances connected with the poet's death, and which wears such an appearance of probability that it is at least worth considering. This letter, which is addressed to the editor of the paper, is from a certain Dr. Snodgrass, who represents himself to have been for many years a resident of Dakota. He says that on the evening of October 2nd, 1849, being in Baltimore, he stepped into a plain but respectable eating-house or restaurant, kept by an Irish widow, where, to his surprise, he met with Poe, whom he had once been accustomed to meet here, but had not seen for some years. After taking some refreshment, they left the place together, but had not proceeded far when they were seized upon by two men, who hurried them off to some place where they were, with several others, kept close prisoners through the night and following day, though otherwise well-treated. It was the eve of a great municipal election, and the city was wild with excitement. Next evening the kidnappers, having drugged their captives, hurried them to the polls, where they, in a half-conscious condition, were made to vote over and over again. The doctor, it appears, was only partially affected, but Poe succumbed utterly, and at length one of the men said, What is the use of dragging around a dead man? With that they called a hack, put Poe within it, and ordered the driver to take him to the Washington hospital. Dr. Snodgrass says positively, I myself saw Poe thrust into the hack, heard the order given, and saw the vehicle drive off with its unconscious burden. Thus, if this account may be relied upon, ended the strange, sad tragedy of the poet's life. None stranger, none sadder, in all the annals of modern literature. Dr. Snodgrass intimates that his reason for so long a delay in making this story known was his unwillingness to have his own part in the affair exposed, and with the notoriety which its connection with the poet would render unavoidable. But now, he says, in his old age, and having outlived all who knew him at the time, this consideration is of little worth to him. If the story not be true, we cannot see why it should have been invented. At least it cannot, at the present day, be disproved, and it certainly appears to be the most probable and natural explanation of the poet's death that has been given. He agrees also with Dr. Moran's account of Poe's condition when he was received at the hospital, and with the latter's earnest assurance that he himself was not responsible for that condition, and also with his requesting that Dr. Snodgrass be sent for. The kidnappers had probably exchanged his garments for others as a means of disguise, intending to restore them eventually. They at least did not take from him the handsome Malica Cain, which was in his grasp when he reached the hospital, and which would tend to prove that he was not then altogether unconscious. This Cain was, at Dr. Carter's request, returned to him by Mrs. Clem, to whom Dr. Moran sent it. His baggage, left at the swan, was sent by Mr. McKenzie to Mrs. Clem, disproving the story that had been stolen from him in Baltimore. In addition to the above, we find another and very similar account, apparently by the same Dr. Snodgrass, in the San Francisco Chronicle of August 31st, the date of the year not appearing on the clipping from which I make the following extracts. "'You say that Poe did not die from the effects of deliberate dissipation?' asked the Chronicle reporter. "'That is just what I do mean, and I say further that he died from the effects of deliberate murder.' The author of this assertion was a well-known member of this city's advanced and inveterate Bohemia, a gentleman who has long since retired from the active pursuits of his profession, and spends his old age in dreamy meditation, frequenting one of the popular resorts of the craft, but mingling little in their society. When joining in their conversation it is generally to correct some errors from his inexhaustible mind of reminiscences, and on these occasions his words are few and precise. "'Then you knew something of the poet, doctor?' I was his intimate associate for years, much that biographers have said of him as false, especially regarding his death. Poe was not an habitual drunkard, but he was a steady drinker when his means admitted of it. His habitual resort, when in Baltimore, was the widow Meegar's place, on the city front, inexpensive but respectable, having an oyster and liquor stand, and corresponding in some respects with the coffee-shops of San Francisco. Here I frequently met him. But about his death? The mystery of the poet's death had remained a mystery for more than forty years when there appeared in a Texas paper an article from the pen of the editor, in which he gave a letter from a Dr. Snodgrass professing to reveal the truth of the matter. About the time that this article was published there appeared one in the San Francisco Chronicle by a reporter of that paper, telling of an interview which he had had with the same Dr. Snodgrass, of whom he says, "'He was a well-known literary bohemian of this city, who long ago gave up his profession, and is spending his old age in a state of dreamy existence, from which he has seldom aroused, except to correct some error concerning people and things of past times, of which he possesses a mind of reminiscences.' The doctor, denying that Poe had died from dissipation, gave an account of the manner of his death as he knew it, corresponding in all particulars with that given by him to the Texas editor. In conclusion, he said, Poe did not die of dissipation. I say that he was deliberately murdered. He died of laudanum or some other drug forced upon him by his kidnappers. When one said, "'What is the use of carrying around a dying man?' they put him in a cab and sent him to the hospital. I was there and saw it myself. Poe had been shifting about between Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York for some years. Once he had been away for several months in Richmond, and one evening turned up at the widows. I was there when he came in. Then it was drinks all round, and at length we were real jolly. It was the eve of an election, and we started uptown. There were four of us, and we had not gone half a dozen squares when we were nabbed by policemen, who were looking up voters to coop. It was the practice in those days to seize people, whether drunk or sober, and keep them locked up until the polls were opened, and then march them to every precinct in control of the party having the coop. This coop was in the rear of an engine house on Calvert Street. It was part of the plan to stupify the prisoners with drugged liquor. Next day we were voted at thirty different places, it being as much as one's life was worth to rebel. Poe was so badly drugged that he had to be carried on two or three rounds, and then the gang said it was no use trying any longer to vote a dead man, and must get rid of him, and with that they shoved him into a cab and sent him away. Then he died from dissipation after all. Nothing of the kind. He died from the effects of laudanum or some other poison, forced on him in the coop. He was in a dying condition when being voted twenty or thirty times. The story told by Griswold and others of his being picked up in the street is a lie. I saw him thrust into the cab myself. And Mrs. Clem, when she received Poe's letter bidding her to expect him at Fordham that week, she hastened thither to set her house in order for his reception. Day after day she watched and waited, but he did not come. Then at length, when the week had passed, she one evening sat alone in the little cottage, around which, and through the naked branches of the cherry-tree, the October wind was sighing, and an anguish of spirit wrote to Annie. Eddie is dead. Dead. End of Chapter 30 CHAPTER XXXI. In the fall of 1865, the year which saw the conclusion of the unhappy war, I returned to Richmond in my old home of Talavera, which I had not seen in four years. What a shock to me was the first sight of it. In place of the pleasant, smiling home, there stood a bare and lonely house in the midst of encircling fortifications, still bristling with dismantled gun carriages. Every outbuilding had disappeared. All the beautiful trees which had made it so attractive, even the young cedar of Lebanon, which had been our pride, were gone. Clean houses, orchard, vineyard—everything had been swept away, leaving only a dead level overgrown with broom-straw, amidst which were scattered rusted bayonets and a few hardy plants struggling through the trampled ground. The place was no longer Talavera, but Battery X. In this desolate abode I remained for some time, awaiting the arrival of our scattered family, and with no protectors save a faithful old negro-couple. Each evening we would barricade, as well as we could, the entrance to the fort, as some slight protection against the hordes of newly freed negroes who roamed the country, living on whatever they could pick up. One evening when we had taken this precaution, someone was heard calling without, and mounting the ramparts, I beheld a forlorn-looking figure in black, standing upon the outer edge of the trej. It proved to be Rosalie Poe, and when I had brought her into the light and warmth of the fire I saw how changed and ill she appeared. She told me of the Mackenzie's. Mrs. Mackenzie was dead. Matt—Mrs. Byrd—was a widow with a beautiful young daughter, and her brother Mr. Richard was in wretched health. Miss Jane Mackenzie had died in England, leaving her fortune to her brother residing there, and the destruction of the war had completed the poverty of the family. They lived on a little place in the country, with a cow and a garden as their chief means of support. They have to work for a living now, Rose said for Lornely, but I am not strong enough to work. I am going to Baltimore to my relations there, and see what they can do for me. I inquired after young Dr. Mackenzie, gay, handsome, genial Tom, whom everyone loved. Tom is dead, said Rose sadly. He died of camp fever and bad food. When he came home he had only the clothes which he wore, and a neighbor gave us something to bury him in. With a pang I thought of the gay wedding at Duncan Lodge, and the happy faces that had been there assembled. When Rose left me I could but hope that she would be kindly received by her relatives in Baltimore. But some months thereafter, being in New York, I received from her a number of photographs of her brother, which she begged of me to dispose of for her benefit, at one dollar each. Mrs. M. A. Kitter of Boston kindly interested herself in the matter, but wrote me that she met with but poor success, even at the reduced price of twenty-five cents, people saying that they had not sufficient respect for Poe's character to care to possess his portrait. I found it to be nearly the same in New York. In mean time Rose wrote me every few days. Dear S., haven't you got anything for me yet? Do try and do something for me, for I am more soft now than ever. I walk about the streets all day, trying to dispose of her brother's pictures, and at night have to look for a place to sleep. I feel like a lost sheep. Thus the sister of Edgar A. Poe, in the year 1868, wandered homeless and friendless through the streets of Baltimore, as more than thirty years previous her brother had done. We heard long afterward that through some kind northern lady she applied for admittance to the Louise Home in Washington, which Mr. Corcoran was willing to grant, but that certain of his guests, ladies who had formerly occupied high social positions, were of opinion that, considering Miss Poe's eccentricities, she would be better suited and better satisfied in a less pretentious establishment. Finally she was received into the Epiphany Church Home in Washington, where she seems to have enjoyed a good deal of liberty, being often seen riding on the street-cars and visiting the offices of wealthy businessmen, who, if they did not care to possess a photograph of Poe, were yet willing to assist his penniless sister. It was never known what she did with the money so collected, but from a letter to Mrs. Bird it would appear that her intention was to purchase a grave for herself near that of her brother. Mrs. Bird wrote to me, I think Poe's friends might lay Rose in a grave beside him. It has always been her dearest wish. Rosalie Poe died suddenly, with a letter in her hand but that moment received, and which, when opened, proved to be for Mr. George W. Childs, in closing a check for fifty dollars, doubtless in answer to an application for aid. They gave her a pauper's grave in the cemetery of the Epiphany Church Home. The record of her death by the board is Rosalie Poe, died June 14, 1874, aged sixty-four. Some years after the death of Rose Poe, I received a visit from Mrs. Bird, whom I had not seen since the war, and we talked over times past and present. It had been Rosalie's own choice, she said, to go to Baltimore. She did not like the country or the hard life which they were leading. She must have collected considerable money, but never told where she kept it, nor was it ever found. She told me about her family. Her pretty daughter had married a poor man in preference to a rich one who had offered, and they had two beautiful babies and were very happy. Her brother Richard was in firm, and able to do but little work. They had a little place in the country where they raised their own vegetables and sent poultry and eggs to market. She and her son-in-law did all the hard work about the place. I wash and cook for six persons, said she cheerily. Yes, she continued, in her old quaint way. We are poor, but respectable, and I am more content than ever I was at Duncan Lodge. I feel that I have something to live for, and the working life suits me. Yes, we are happy, although there are not two tea-cups in the house of the same pattern. She spoke of Poe, whom she considered to have always been unjustly treated. Everybody could see what his faults were, but few gave him credit for his good qualities, his generous nature and kindly and affectionate disposition, especially as exemplified in the harmony always existing between himself and his wife and mother-in-law. While giving the latter full credit for her devotion to Edgar, her impression was that, except in the matter of his dissipation, her influence over him had not been for good. Her mother and brother John believed that the marriage with Virginia had been the greatest misfortune of his life, and that he himself, while patiently resigning himself to his lot, had come to regard it as such.  But, she added, she had been offered a home with her relatives at the south, and she appealed to me, as a friend of her Eddie, to assist her in raising the money necessary to pay her expenses thither. A similar appeal she made to other of Poe's former friends, but we heard of her afterward as an inmate of the church-home infirmary in Baltimore, where she died in 1871, having outlived her son-in-law some twenty-two years. It is a curious coincidence that the building in which she died was the same in which, as the Washington hospital, Poe had breathed his last. Her grave is in Westminster Cemetery, and in sight of Poe's monument. CHAPTER XXXII. In order thoroughly to understand Poe, it is necessary that one should recognize the dominant trait of his character, a trait which affected and in a measure overruled all the rest, in a word, darkness of will. Unstable as water is written upon Poe's every visage in characters which all might read, in the weak falling away of the outline of the jaw, the narrow receding chin, and the sensitive, irresolute mouth. Above the soul-lighted eyes and the magnificent temple of intellect overshadowing them we look in vain for the rising dome of firmness, which, like the keystone of the arch, should strengthen and bind together the rest. Lacking this the arch must be ever tottering to a fall. To this weakness of will we may trace nearly every other defect in Poe's character, together with most of the disappointments and failures in whatsoever he undertook. He lacked the resolution and persistence necessary to battle against obstacles, to persevere to the end against opposition and discouragement, and to resist temptations and influences which he knew would lead him astray from the object which he had at heart. In this way he lost many a coveted prize when it seemed almost within his grasp. The accepted opinion is that Poe's dissipation was his chief fault, as it was that to which was owing his ruin in the end. But even this was the effect chiefly of weakness of will. He was not by nature inclined to evil, but the contrary, and we have seen that when left to himself and not exposed to temptation he was from all accounts sober, industrious, and exemplary in his conduct. But he lacked firmness to resist the temptation which, more than in the case of most men, assailed him on every side. Dr. William Gibbon Carter has told me how, when Poe was in Richmond on his last visit, and doing his best to remain sober, he would in his visits and strolls about the city be constantly greeted by friends and acquaintances with invitations to take a julep. It was the custom of the time. Poe, said Dr. Carter, in one morning declined twenty-four such invitations, but finally yielded, and the consequence was the severe illness which threatened his life whilst in the city. The effect of one glass on him, said the doctor, was that of several on any other man. Often he was tempted to drink from an amiable reluctance to decline the offered hospitality. A marked peculiarity of Poe's character was the restless discontent which from his sixteenth year took possession of and clung to him through life, and was to him a source of much unhappiness. It was not the discontent of poverty or of ungratified worldly ambition, but the dissatisfaction of a genius which knows itself capable of higher things from which it is disbarred, the desire of the caged eagle for the windswept sky in the distant eerie. He was not satisfied with being a mere writer of stories. He believed that with a broader scope he could wield a powerful influence over the literary world and make a record for strength, brilliancy, and originality of thought which would render his name famous in other countries as in this. His desire was to set established rules and conventionalities at defiance and to be fearless, independent, dominant in his assertion of himself and his ideas and convictions. As an editor writing for other editors he found himself trampled by what he called their narrowness and timidity. He must be his own master, his own editor, and hence his lifelong dream and desire took form in the conception of the stylus, that ignis fatuous which he pursued to the last day of his life, uncertain, elusive, yet ever eagerly sought, and always ending in disappointment and bitterness of soul. Time and again it seemed within his grasp and, as he exultantly proclaimed, his prospects glorious, when by his own weakness of will it was lost to him. Undoubtedly one of the chief factors in the non-success of Poe's life and its consequent unhappiness was his marriage. Setting aside the poetic imaginings which have been and doubtless will continue to be written concerning this marriage as one of idyllic, mutual love and idolatry, the story, in the light of established facts, resolves itself into a very prosaic one. After John McKenzie, Poe's lifelong and only intimate and confidential friend never hesitated to say that had Poe been left to himself, the idea would never have occurred to him of marrying his little child cousin. In no transaction of his life was his pitiable weakness more manifest than in this feeble yielding of himself to the dominant will of a mother-in-law. Poe remained single, or have married another than Virginia. His regard for her would have continued just what it had been in the beginning and what it remained to the end, the affection of a brother or cousin for a sweet and lovable child. But no one can believe that Poe's nature could have found it satisfying in such a marriage, and, in fact, whatsoever sentimental things he may have written concerning it, his whole conduct goes to prove its insincerity. Poe was of all men one who most craved and needed the love and sympathy of a woman of a nature kindred to his own, a woman of talent and qualities of mind and heart to appreciate his genius and all that was best in him, one who would be to him not only a congenial companion but a help-meet as well. But he married one of Mrs. Osgood's tender sensibilities in feminine charm, or Mrs. Whitman, with her talent and strong character, or even a woman of the practical good sense and judgment of Mrs. Shoe, who knew so well how to care for him mentally and physically. Poe would have been a different man. But his imprudent and, as it has been called, unnatural marriage cut him off from what would probably have been the highest happiness of his life, with its accompanying worldly and social advantages, and bound him down to a life of unceasing toil, penury, and helplessness. It deprived him of a social position and social enjoyment, for his poverty-stricken home was never one to which he could invite his friends, and he himself seems never to have found in it any real pleasure, but to have regarded it merely as a haven of refuge and seasons of distress. But as the years went by, and despite his incessant toil, his life and his home grew more cheerless and poverty-stricken, he became hopeless and in a measure reckless. It is to be noted that it was only after the death of his wife that he appeared to recover anything like hope or energy. Then his prospect suddenly brightened in the love of a good and talented woman, who could have made his life happy and prosperous, when owing to his miserable weakness of will in yielding to temptation, for which there was no excuse, it was all at once swept from his grasp. Mr. John Mackenzie might well have said, as he did, that Poe's marriage was the greatest misfortune of his life, and as a millstone around his neck, holding him down against every effort to rise. But perhaps not even this close friend knew how keenly the Poe must have felt the narrowness of his life, the sordidness of his home, and the humiliation of his poverty. Patiently and uncomplainingly he bore his unhappy lot, and it is to be noted to his credit that, howsoever he might at times go astray, no word or act of unkindness toward the wife and mother who loved him was ever known to escape from him. It will be seen, from all that has here been written, in the light of prosaic truth, that Poe's real character was one very different from that which it has pleased the world in general to ascribe to him, judging him, as it does, by the character of his writings as a poet. The folly of such judgment, and the extent to which it was until recently carried, is simply surprising. It is true that he appeared to have but one ideal, the death of a woman young, lovely, and beloved, and that ideal in the imagining of the world resolved itself into the personality of his wife. She, they concluded, was the original of all the Lenors, and Annabelle Lise, and Ulla Looms, which inspired his melancholy and despairing liar, and in its gloom and hopelessness they could see nothing but the expression of the poet's own nature, as well have accused Rembrandt of being gloomy and morose, because he painted in dark colors. Like the artist, Poe loved obscure and somber ideas and conceptions, and he delighted in embodying these in his poems as much as Rembrandt did in transferring his own to canvas.


Hi, my name is Todd Bacastow. Welcome to Geospatial Intelligence and Geospatial Revolution. This is lesson three, lecture one. By the end of this lesson, you should be able to describe the need for geospatial intelligence requirements process, define the high-level geodata collection strategies and sources, describe the advantages and disadvantages of each of these, and match a strategy and source to a task. Geodata is collected by a variety of methods, systems, platforms, and sensors to include humans. In general, intelligence sources are those means to observe and record information related to something's condition, situation, or activity. Geoance primary data source traditionally has been imagery. While imagery still dominates, and it's the most important source, there are other emerging sources that are being recognized within the community. If you recall, the principal purpose of geoint is to supply the decision maker with timely geospatial insights that allow for informed and knowledgeable decisions. In order to fulfill this purpose, we prioritize the intelligence requirements of the decision maker. These requirements define the mission, function, and structure of geoint. They also drive data collection, analysis, and budget. The intelligence cycle depicted here starts with requirements. The requirements are sorted and prioritized and then used to drive the requirement activities of the members of the broader intelligence community. Once information has been collected, it is initially evaluated and processed and reported to the consumers. The cycle is then repeated until the intelligence requirement is fully satisfied. Requirements are often difficult to define. They focus in the long term, while decision makers really don't know what they want until they're in a situation. Collection management is a formal process of converting intelligence requirements into collection requirements, establishing priorities, tasking or coordinating with appropriate collection resources, monitoring results, and retasking. The collection process includes determining what should be collected. There are four criteria for this. Is the intelligence requirement necessary? Is it feasible to collect the information? Is the requirement timely? And do we have enough information to properly collect the information? A collection strategy is a high-level plan to satisfy information requirements. The key goals of a collection strategy, in addition to meeting the requirements, are to detect deception and minimize the effects of deception and provide redundancy. Detecting deception requires analysis of information from a variety of sources so that information from one source can be verified or confirmed by others. Multiple collection sources enable collection managers to cross-cue between different sources. Cross-cuing is assisting in the completion of the collection task by having another sensor look at the target. In this case, the target is a place, a thing, or person at which the sensor is aimed. For example, one sensor may look at a target and find trees and foliage. Another sensor may reveal that the object that we think are green leaves are actually painted plastic and the tree is camouflaging something. Once camouflaged and determined, another sensor that will not be confused by the camouflage may investigate the object beneath the painted plastic tree. Collection may also require redundancy so that loss or failure of one source can be compensated by another. A strategy is a plan to achieve goals. It provides direction and scope for an effort. Collection strategy is used to note a high-level way to pursue joint data collection goals. Collection strategy is important because the resources available to achieve goals are often limited. We have artificially divided the continuous strategies into two categories. These categories are persistent collection and discontinuous collection. Persistent collection is a strategy that emphasizes the ability to use collecting systems that linger for a period of time over an area. These detect, locate, characterize, identify, track, and possibly provide near real-time data. Persistent collection facilitates the collection and prediction of human behavior, for example, pattern of life. The goal is to achieve near perfect knowledge by increasing the rate and regularity of data collected and thereby understanding about the target. This enables a faster decision cycle with more frequent and detailed data. The collection strategy is that a target will be unable to move, hide, disperse, deceive, or break contact. The intent is to improve decision making. In different domains, persistent collection is called persistent surveillance, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance or ISR, persistent stare, or pervasive knowledge. Unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs are frequently associated with persistent collection. UAVs are also known as drones. UAVs are being used in traditional and emerging industries such as agriculture, land development, surveying and mapping, forestry, marketing, environmental and marine research, oil and gas, exploration, homeland security, and law enforcement. Discontinuous collection is not a full record of activity during a period of time. It may also be called non-persistent collection. Discontinuous collection is not a permanent stare at the target. A permanent stare might not be possible. We might not have the assets available, might not be technically feasible. We might have limited resources. While losing information in the practice of discontinuous collection of data has long dominated the discipline. Satellite remote sensing systems are an example of discontinuous source strategy. Here sensors are mounted on aircraft or satellites orbiting the earth. Spaceborne remote sensing provides repetitive coverage of an area of interest. Discontinuous collection occurs when any sensor sporadically provides data. Consider your cell phone as a sensor. A cell phone can be a discontinuous sensor. There are numerous other examples of discontinuous joint data. For example, highway toll devices that record your point of entry and report of exit from a toll road. Twitter is another example. Tweets can be geotagged to record information about the location of the device that created the tweet. Images taken with a phone or GPS enabled camera also record location. These are all examples of discontinuous data. This concludes the first lecture of lesson three. The next lecture we will discuss joint data sources.


All right, um, where do I start with this? Hey guys, so recently we went on a little shopping trip to Barnes & Noble's. And if you haven't seen that video, I'm gonna leave a link to it down below. There were so many amazing sets that I just, I wish I could have gotten a lot more than I did. But you know what? That's okay. There's always next time. But anyways, of the puzzles that I picked up that day in Barnes & Noble's, there is, there's one of them that is like, it's been constantly staring at me from the shelf. And I feel like I just got to get into it. I just got to do it. So the puzzle that I am talking about is called The World of Dracula. The artwork is by Adam Simpson. It is 1000 pieces and it's 19 inches by 27 inches when it's completed. And the brand for this one is Lawrence King. Now Lawrence King is a brand that I've never heard of before. I've never obviously tried it before. So you know, that was one of the main reasons why I picked up this set. And you know, there were a number of these from, you know, different novels and whatnot. And of all of them, this one spoke to me the most because Dracula just so happens to be one of my most favorite novels. And I've always found the idea of vampires very interesting and mysterious. But anyways, I couldn't help but be captivated by this image. This is fantastic artwork. And the back of the box does actually explain pretty much what you're getting yourself into with this. The image is packed with characters from the story and the illustration includes all the key scenes from the novel in incredible detail. And what's also really interesting about The World of Collection from the Lawrence King brand is that they all come with an illustrated poster and explanatory text by leading, well, for this particular set, leading Dracula expert, Roger Luckhurst, detailing who's who in the Count's grisly world. This sounds way too exciting. And aside from the fact that you have all, you know, those little tidbits in there too, I mean, just looking at this image is, you know, it's just mind blowing to me because, for one, I think this castle looks absolutely amazing. It looks dark. It's mysterious. Would I necessarily want to be in this image? Like, do I see myself in here? No, I don't really think I want to because, I mean, let's be honest here, we have quite a number of questionable, worrisome situations going on here. Because obviously, if you know the story of Dracula, you know, there's a number of gruesome things going on throughout the entire novel. So, you know, you know, I'm going to be honest, I don't really want to see myself in any of those situations or partake in any of it. But anyways, in terms of challenge level with this particular image, I don't know, looking at it this very moment, it almost doesn't seem like it's going to be extremely challenging for me. And I know I always say that and most of the times, you know, that's not always the case. I always I always end up like losing my mind at some point. But I mean, I don't know. I kind of feel good about this. I almost feel like it's going to feel like I'm actually reading the book again. But, you know, probably this might be more fun than that. So, you know what, guys, I can't wait to get into this. So let's open this up and let's get a move on with it. All right, let's get this opened. Now, quick note, I just want to mention this packaging is fantastic. This box is nice and sturdy. The print is amazing. And I don't know, I just love it. This is this is fancy stuff here. But one thing that I don't understand is why some brands do not tape the lid to the box itself. There's no tape on this. So, you know, there's to me, that's just asking for trouble sometimes in terms of, you know, people doing stupid things to the box, like taking stuff out. But anyways, let's move on. It comes in like a paper bag, which is interesting. Let's look at this poster real quick.  And the back of it has all the informational text. This is quite a big read here. But look, we have everything pinpointed in the puzzle image with numbers, as you can see here. And it basically gives you the reference as to what's going on in that particular scene. This is awesome. I love this. All right, but I want to see right now, what are these pieces like? That paper makes a lot of noise. This is this is fancy stuff. This is quality and it better be for the price I paid. But anyways, let's see what this print looks like. Look at this, guys. This is a very clear print. You can see the details very well. Even with these darker pieces here, you can really see that detail in there. Look at that. Even that dark piece. You can see what's going on there as well. Trying to get a variety of pieces with different details here. Look at the hair here. Look at that print. That's great. And you know what? From what I'm seeing so far, this glare is not intense. It's really not that bad. I'm I'm facing this right now towards the window, which is completely open. And that's I could still see what's going on there, which is great. The box doesn't say if there's any kind of finish to it. But I mean, I'm liking this so far. Look, again, look how sharp that image is there. That's a great print. I am really, really looking forward to piecing this together. Oh, oh, that's not good. And these pieces are quite thick. Look at that thickness. That's great. Oh, I kind of feel like just by judging from that thickness, I feel like these are going to piece together really nicely and, you know, hopefully hold well together. These are strong. The tabs are not weak at all. This is great stuff, guys. You know what? I'm just going to stop with this now because I seriously want to get, you know, get to work on this. I think the sorting is not going to be too difficult. Everything looks pretty clear and straightforward, even for the dark areas. I mean, I know I tend to struggle with dark areas anyway. So hopefully I won't too much this time, but we shall see. Right. So you know what? I'm going to stop this unboxing now. Let's get started on this because I think this is going to be awesome. All right, let's move on. I am quite shocked. That was the most fun I've had sorting in a very long time. I mean, I say that like I've ever had fun sorting, but this was different. Now, I'm using the trays from the super large puzzle board that was sent to me. But anyways, the first tray here are, of course, the edge pieces over here. We have like kind of swirly things going on. We've got some sparklies going on here and some more sparklies there. I don't know. I don't really know how to describe that. But anyways, then this tray over here, I have a few different piles going on. So here we have all the grays and the black, and there are some details in them. Over here, we have the water in the center. I kind of put aside the pieces for the moon over here. I don't know. This color stood out to me, but we do have some waves. So I figured I put that here. And there's also some of this like beigey color as well. I don't know. I kind of felt like that needed to be put to the side over here. We have the sky and then over here, these are more sky pieces, but this has details from the castle. And that's a small pile of just some green stuff that I saw over here. We have pieces for the castle itself. And probably there's some other pieces from other buildings in the image, kind of like those in the background and the rooms and the brickwork and all that good stuff. Then over here, this is the characters. And I also put on the side over here details such as like all the crosses. I kind of put them in one little pile. I have the carriages and some other things like the bed here. And those those kind of things. But yeah, I mean, I know this looks like a huge mess and it probably doesn't really look like I did anything here. But as I said, I thought this was a lot of fun. But yeah, you know, I just kind of slowly took it all in and already started to really enjoy this experience so far. So, you know what, guys, let's move on to the really fun stuff. And that's the piecing together kind of stuff. Once I got the edges done, which seemed pretty simple, I moved on to the smallest tray, which had the sparklies and the swirly stuff, which I realized were actually the tree branches. But anyways, thinking back now, and this goes for any puzzle, but completing the initial sort can almost feel like a big weight lifting off you.  But then again, figuring out what to get started on after the sort. I mean, heck, even after getting the frame complete and sometimes feel pretty overwhelming. And I love it when I finally get into my groove and start seeing all those little sections coming together. And all this really makes me think about how puzzles really are something special. Not only do they challenge your mind in terms of, you know, like the solving part of it, but I feel like they play with your emotions as well. And I'm not sure if I'm making sense, but do you get what I'm trying to say? You can start out excited or nervous, then you're overwhelmed, then relieved and ready, then confused, happy, frustrated, energized. The list goes on really all to finally get to that ever so wonderful sense of accomplishment. And once you get to that point, you can take a moment to reflect and say to yourself, my goodness, what a journey. All right, well, I haven't gotten very, very far into this puzzle. But so far, I have to say I am absolutely loving it. And it's not so much because of the image, the image, of course, you know, I'm in love with it, but I mean, the quality of this, the way this feels, this is, this is amazing. And one of the things that's kind of driving me over the edge, but, you know, in a good way is look at this hold. This is fantastic.  And quite honestly, I'm not feeling like this image is difficult. It's honestly pretty straightforward, you know, I think I did pretty well with the sorting, which is like kind of one of the things that really help you. But as I mentioned in the review for this board, these trays are fantastic. The size is great. I have all my pieces laid out in a single layer. So, you know, I guess that's kind of helping me get through this in a nice timely manner, not that I'm rushing or anything.  And look at these colors. This is just this is absolutely fantastic. You know what? I'm going to stop filming right now. I'm just going to keep puzzling here because I just I'm having too much fun and this is amazing. All right, let's continue. Now, a number of you brought something to my attention when you saw that I picked this puzzle in my shopping video. And you all said the same things, which was that there are actually two versions of Lawrence King puzzles that the awesome quality version is produced in the Netherlands and the other is produced in China, which is known as not really good at all. So when I read these comments, I quickly grabbed my box to see what it said. And thankfully it was from the Netherlands because that would have sucked if I paid the price I did for a sad version. So, yeah, if you get your hands on a Lawrence King puzzle, make sure to check the box and see where it was produced. I paid like twenty two dollars. This was regular price for this one. So if you find one less than that, then I'd probably be a bit suspicious. It might be a sign that you're getting a not so good one. But I don't know. I almost want to find a made in China one and see how bad it actually is that might be an interesting video. We shall see. All right, I'm in a serious groove right now with this puzzle. I am I'm having so much fun with this. But I'm getting to a point now where it's getting a little challenging, only only ever so slight. So we're working on the castle right now. So, you know, I figured, you know, I'll take the tray that has all the castle pieces and kind of resorted into little piles here. So here I have windows. This, I believe, is for like the roofing area. These are kind of just like the plain stone pieces. I have a couple here that have read for the curtains. These have little bits of details in them, like books and arms and whatnot. We got a column building here and some other dark pieces from the castle. We have stairs and then this one has candlelight. So yeah, I feel like this is going to help me get through this castle fairly quickly. So you know what? Let's see if it works. And again, those areas were only a little more challenging. And considering how there is a lot going on in this image, I was surprised. It wasn't a lot harder. Really, it was nothing that a little resort here and there couldn't fix. But once that was all said and done, I was then left with the sky, which has never been one of my strengths. And for the most part, it tends to be the last thing I work on when I puzzle, unless for some strange reason, there's not much of it in my image. But usually I do landscape. So there's always quite a big sky in the picture. But anyways, let me know down below.  All right, we're down to the wire now. Castle was not bad at all. Now all we have left is the sky, which I think will probably end up being the most challenging part of the puzzle. But I'm on my last train now. So this is this is everything. Is it? Yeah, that's all. So I'm not really sure how I'm going to go about if I'm going to sort these pieces by shape. I'll probably do that. I already have like the pieces with bits of bats already set aside. So that's a little head start there. But you know what? Let's just see what we can do with this and let's finish it. All right, let's go. Skies are always tricky for me. I mean, I guess it is really for most people. But anyways, this was certainly an experience that I didn't want to end. I almost wish it was a bigger piece count or the image could magically expand or something with more scenes from the book in my dreams, right? This puzzle took me about seven and a half hours to complete. And even though I wanted it to last forever, in the end, I was happy to finally set that last piece in, sit back and take in a new form of one of my favorite novels. This was a great experience and it's bloody beautiful. All right. Where do I start with this? Now, I didn't really know what to expect with this brand, but quite honestly, from start to finish, I was immensely surprised. And I'm not quite sure really what did it more. It was I don't know if it was the quality, the image, just the whole concept of this kind of puzzle. Or if it was just all of that put together, that's probably, I mean, yeah, that probably was what made this quite an amazing experience. Now, in regards to the quality, it's fantastic. This has a great print. The outlines are clear. It's sharp. It has great colors. I mean, even for the dark areas, it was really easy to see all the details. And I absolutely loved the fact that I didn't have any issues with glare. To me, this seemed more like a matte finish, which, of course, in turns, helps you to see the details more clearly. And in terms of the pea size, it was a great pea size. And I love the variety of pea shapes. I think there were about five or six different pea shapes and different kind of forms or varieties. I absolutely loved the fit of these pieces. They just like glided right into each other.  But the hold, that hold was one of the best holds I've ever experienced in a puzzle brand. You could pick up small sections, bigger sections, two pieces, 10 pieces together. And, you know, that kind of stuff drives me insane. I just love when my puzzles do that. I love being able to, like, move sections around to, you know, pick them up and put them where I need them. It's just it just added on to the whole experience. And because that hold was so great, I was already expecting, you know, there was going to be some good stuff happening at the pickup test, and I wasn't wrong. It held up beautifully. And not only that, it did pass the storage test as well with very minimal casualties along the way. I was even able to, like, hold it up and kind of bend it and fold it over. And it held on beautifully. But quite honestly, I don't think I'm going to leave this in sections. I think I'm just going to take this all apart and just, you know, this is definitely one that I want to work on again. So, yeah, in terms of the quality, I mean, it's it's great. And I think what also added on to the whole experience is the fact that, you know, with the concept of this puzzle brand, you have the reference image, but it also has information on what each of these scenes are depicting within the novel. I kind of saw this as a more fun version of, like, do you guys remember Cliff Notes, you know, the books that the teachers, you know, the little yellow and black books that the teachers told you not to use for your book reports? But, you know, you did anyways. I know I did. But anyways, I mean, it kind of reminded me of that because you have key scenes depicted within the image. And it gave you the notes on it, too. It gave you the little story in a very abbreviated form. So if you're someone who hasn't read the novel, I mean, you can take one of these puzzles and, you know, kind of get a feel for it that way if you wanted to, especially if you're not really into reading novels. And I have to say this artwork is fantastic. I really appreciate how much detail the artist put into this image and how beautifully it's put together. Now I really, I really have to get Frankenstein and the other ones that I saw at Barnes and Obles. And yes, with saying that, I absolutely feel that this is worth every penny that I spent on it. You know what this reminded me of? I have to say this, this, the feel, the quality, the experience in general. It's so much reminded me of a Schmidt puzzle. I'm serious. I swear it felt like a Schmidt puzzle. You know, the fun, the whole experience. It just if I had to compare it to another brand, it would be that one. So I guess what I'm saying here is Lawrence King, you know, this World of Collection is probably one of my my top two puzzle brands. But if you have tried this brand, please let me know. Has was your experience the same? Am I talking crazy that I just have a one off here? I need to know because I think my puzzle collection is definitely going to have more of these. And also let me know down below if there are other collections within that brand that you've tried and you think I need to try out as well. Now, if you're looking for a place to share your experiences or your puzzle halls or whatnot with other puzzlers, I do have a community that you can join. And I'm going to leave a link to that down below so that you can check it out. But anyways, guys, I need to get a move on with my next puzzle. So I hope you are all doing well. Thank you for all your support and I will see you in the next one.


Uh, what's that girl that, uh, that DC, uh, talked about on Wildin' Out, the one that cried? Azalea Banks? Yeah. What did she actually, what did she actually do to make him do that? What did she do to make him do that? She said something, he made a simple joke and then she started talking about his career and you'll never make it and enjoy your this, that, and the third and Fly was like, I'm gonna save it for Wild Style. Yeah, we on Boss Talk 101. 101. Yeah, we gonna talk. You know what I mean? Everything's working, man. There are different types of pots, boiling and bubbling, but it's always been that way.  Right. You know, and now they like, man, what, what else you make? Exactly. You know what I mean?  So we got a whole bunch of stuff. We working on the movie, we working on cartoons, we got the studio, music studio set up, you know, because everybody been, oh, we might make it a 2B movie and just call it Where's Mama? Man. That's it. And the whole movie, we just trying to figure out where Mama went.  It's just one of those things that the people have been asking for, like the public want it. So we got everything boiling and we got all types of pots cooking. So we just want the people to stay true and stay down with us and, and, you know, keep supporting us in the way that they do. I heard the new spot nice over there. That's beautiful. You got to come check it out, man. Just make sure you bring the access because you can't get in without it. Bro, I didn't come last time. We went to the comedy club. We went to the comedy club. We called those brothers. And you weren't there. You weren't there. You weren't there. I don't even think he was in North Carolina. Probably with his daughter. Yeah. Yeah. That's why I'm always there. Yeah, I'm always there. But most of the time when I get free time, I'm, I'm with her. Thank you so much for even showing up to boss talk 101 rocking out with me. No, man. No problem. And Moses, man. Like I said, we appreciate it. All your questions, man. Go ahead. Uh, what's that girl that, uh, the DC, uh, talked about on Wild'n Out. I sell your banks. Yeah. What did she actually, what did she actually do to make him do that? What did she do to make him do that? She said something. He made a simple joke and then she started talking about his career and you'll never make it and enjoy your this, that, and the third and fly was like, I'm gonna save it for wild style. But once she got to going, man, and I think I made it worse if you go back and watch that clip. I'm dying. That's not fair. Go ahead, Bobby. She was like, oh my God, this nigga had me crying, laughing, man.  Yeah. I mean, but you know, a lot of people, I don't understand a lot of people's perspective about the show. Like some people be like this nigga, they just don't watch it apparently. Because if you watch it, then you know what the show is. Everybody gets climbed. Nobody's exempt. The host of the show get talked about all goddamn show. I didn't see that. You know what I mean? So it's like, you know, God bless that young lady. Did you know the episode with you and Safar would blow up the way how it did? Yeah, we knew because of the first one. Like we didn't know that first old school battle, but everybody around us seemed to know that.  And then when it came out, it was like, boom. So when that happened and that was all organic, we didn't know that nigga was going to jump on stage like that. Right. But once he did, I looked back at the producer, saluted now, I look back to now, that nigga now had the headset on. He was like, I bet. So we doing it. And you know, that ended up being one. And that's the thing. Y'all only saw what you saw. The full version was way worse. Where is the full version? I don't know. I don't know. I don't think they're going to put no, no, no, I know that never came out. Tell me. Oh, the just the rhymes was just a whole it went, the battle was a lot longer than what y'all saw. You know what I mean?  You ever seen that picture D-Wade and LeBron when D-Wade like this and LeBron, that was the whole battle, man, all the way. So I hope that's one thing.   Put that to be like a pain section that people go and buy just to see that.   Which one would that, would that one be the hottest one? No, man. It would be like the one that you think that will go crazy. Man, honestly, Corey Hockham's. He got some stuff done.   Man. But had y'all died. Man, this nigga here. I mean, all of us, all of us had those moments with where we not filming. And it's just, I remember we made up a song about this white girl Air Force once after the show went off. Man, I just that is one of my desires. If I had any requests, it would be that we put out a behind the scenes while and out, because if you think you love the show that you've been watching for all them years, that's a whole another show. Well, the best song y'all made on Wild'n Out. The best song we made on Wild'n Out. That's the thing, man. I haven't been, you know, me and Emmanuel and, you know, Los really, you know, since the time we've been there, we didn't had our hands in pretty much every song that they've never been wrote on that on that show, the good ones, at least. Send me the news was a classic. The Revenge of Tyrone with Eric Abadou. Man, what else? Oh, boy, the road song Spray Stomp. It's so many. There's been so many years. It's so many. And then it's like it translates over to somebody asked me that the other day about what's my favorite 85 South show song that we had made, and it's so many of them. It's so many of them, man. Like it's one that we lost that the footage got, you know, got lost. But we was in San Antonio and it was a song we made up called Dude.  And we made up a song called them titties of mine. I wish that we didn't lose that footage, man.  That nigga Lois was on the couch, crying, me and flight. Them titties of mine.  So there's just, you know, it's an honor to even be able to create in the space. That's why I thank God every day that when I wake up that I'm me because just the way he made my mind work and then to put me around some other motherfuckers who might work the same way is a blessing, man. It was the most viral, viral Internet. Yes, no. Oh, just me? Yeah. Oh, man, most viral. I think I asked Carlos the same question. He remembered the pizza. They remembered. Yeah. Probably that. Probably that Buster Rhymes when I did the Buster Rhymes. When I first did the Buster Rhymes in front of Buster Rhymes. And when they come to do on this and we did it again with Coco Jones. Yeah. Yeah, I thought I would say that's the most. I've never seen it. Can you give me a little bit of it? You never seen what you never see me do the Buster Rhymes. Come on, man. Come on. Just because I'm feeling like I'm running and I'm feeling like I got to get away, get away, get away.  They see that we really want to pop it. Just know that you can never stop me. But I know that it can be a little cocky. You ain't never going to stop me. Every time I come in, I got to say that I got to get it and I got to blow and then I got to show that little thing and it can be doing because it doesn't matter. Because I'm going to do everything and anything. I got to do a lot of things to make clear to a couple of niggas that I always win and I got to get it and get it and get it and get it. And then be doing it. Every now and then I move a little fire on the fire. I got to call a wrap and everybody know my style of niggas. Know that I'm the best one to come to doing this and I'll be banging on my chest and I'll bang in the east and I'll bang in the west. And I come to give you more and I will never give you less. You were hit in the street so you could be in the press. Do you really want to know what's next? Let's go. I'll start. Man. Yeah. I'll start. I'm trying over here and trying to hold my breath. What do you want to know? It's like that one of my guests from God, man. I'm able to remember, I remember like that because that was a childhood thing. That was a punishment of mine. My uncle, that's why I love twisting so much.  He was like, look, nigga, you remember this song by the time I get back.  You could go outside and all that.