Criticism

John Greenleaf WhittierProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.6

Word count: 54K words
Chapters: 6

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Criticism by John Greenleaf WhittierAuthor: Whittier, John Greenleaf, 1807-1892,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Dec 1, 2005

Editor's review

This essay reveals a side of Whittier beyond the poet: a calm, restrained, and discerning critic. It centers on the act of criticism itself, discussing the tact, sincerity, and self-reflection that should accompany judging others' work, in a tone that is gentle yet pointed. Its value lies not in offering specific standards of literary judgment but in reminding readers that criticism is both speech about others and a test of one's own discernment. Concise in style and clear in structure, it serves well as an introductory essay for understanding the climate of nineteenth-century American literary criticism, and for readers interested in review writing, editing, or public discussion. Read it as a mirror: set against the careless judgments common in today's online environment, many of its reminders remain timely. Brief but worth savoring, especially before joining a discussion or writing a review.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in literary criticism and review writing
Editors, reviewers, or content creators seeking to cultivate judgment
Readers who enjoy nineteenth-century American prose and short critical essays
Those wishing to reflect on the tone of judgment in public discussion

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking concrete methods or practical guides to criticism
Academic researchers expecting a systematic theoretical framework
Readers interested only in plot-driven fiction or poetry

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the overall stance, then revisit each paragraph to see how the author develops judgments.
As you read, compare it with a recent book review or online comment to note differences in tact.
If using it as a writing reference, note sentences that embody restraint and sincerity.
It is short enough to finish in one sitting, but reread it a few days later to appreciate the tone.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Does this essay discuss literary criticism or criticism in a broader sense?

Judging by the title and the author's identity, it centers on the act of criticism with a literary-review background, but its discussion of tact, sincerity, and self-reflection applies more broadly, and readers may extend it to everyday judgment and discussion.

How long does it take to read?

As a short essay, it can usually be finished in one sitting and does not take long. But because the tone is understated and the judgments lie in plain sentences, it is worth pausing to reflect afterward or rereading a few days later for greater benefit.

How does it differ from the author's poetry?

Whittier is known for his poetry, whereas this work presents the stance of a critic: a calmer tone, with attention on the attitude and tact required when judging others' work. Reading the two together highlights how the same author expresses himself in different genres.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

John Greenleaf Whittier Author · American · 1807–1892

John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892) was an American poet and abolitionist, a Quaker, and one of the nineteenth-century "Fireside Poets," born in Haverhill, Massachusetts. He devoted himself early to the anti-slavery cause, edited several abolitionist newspapers, and gave voice to the movement in verse collected in volumes such as the Anti-Slavery Poems. His poetry ranges widely: the narrative poem Snow-Bound depicts New England country life and family memory in plain, homely language, while other works include nature poems, subjective and reminiscent pieces, religious poems, and legendary narrative poems such as The Tent on the Beach. His writing is simple and warm in feeling, marked by strong local color and moral concern. The library holds 44 of his works. Public information is limited, so this note gives only the main points of his life and writing.