Abraham Lincoln

James Russell LowellProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.7

Word count: 58K 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.Abraham Lincoln by James Russell LowellAuthor: Lowell, James Russell, 1819-1891,Language: English, Class: E456: History: America: Civil War period (1861-1865), Release Date: May 1, 1997

Editor's review

This is a famous critical essay by James Russell Lowell on Abraham Lincoln, not a full biography. Lowell, writing as a literary critic of his own era, assesses Lincoln's character, speeches, and political qualities in prose that carries the gravity and rhetorical flourish of nineteenth-century writing. The value of the piece lies not in a chronological account of Lincoln's life but in showing how a cultivated observer understood Lincoln's moral weight during the Civil War; its analysis of Lincoln's language and public persona is especially rewarding. The Project Gutenberg public-domain edition preserves the original text; it is short and works well as supplementary reading for Lincoln studies or for understanding nineteenth-century American political culture. Because it was written long ago, the essay carries pronounced period assumptions and rhetorical habits, and today's reader needs some historical awareness. Reading it alongside Lincoln's own speeches is recommended to appreciate the point of Lowell's judgments.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers curious about how a nineteenth-century American critic assessed Lincoln
Those interested in Civil War–era political culture and the tradition of public oratory
English learners seeking a short public-domain text for close-reading practice
Organizers preparing a Lincoln-themed reading group who want a contemporary critical perspective

Not a good fit for

Biography readers hoping for a complete life of Lincoln with event-by-event detail
Historians expecting modern scholarly annotation and documentary research
Beginners who find nineteenth-century English rhetoric and long sentences hard to follow

Reading tips

Familiarize yourself with the basic timeline of Lincoln in the Civil War first; you will then quickly see what the essay is responding to.
Pull out the Lincoln remarks quoted in the text and read them against the original speeches to see where the assessment lands.
Distinguish Lowell's period standpoint from present-day historical understanding; note doubtful passages as you read.
It is short, so read it in one sitting, then revisit the opening and closing to grasp the overall evaluative frame.

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

Is this essay a biography of Lincoln?

No. It is a critical essay by Lowell that focuses on evaluating Lincoln's character, speeches, and public qualities rather than narrating his life chronologically. For a full account of Lincoln's life you need a separate biography; this works best as supplementary reading that offers a contemporary critical perspective.

Why does reading it require historical awareness?

The essay was written in the nineteenth century and carries the rhetorical habits, political positions, and value judgments of its time; some statements need to be understood in the context of the Civil War and the abolition movement. Without basic historical knowledge, readers may mistake the author's period biases for objective conclusions, so a little background reading first is advised.

Does the Gutenberg edition include notes or an introduction?

Project Gutenberg provides public-domain electronic texts that usually contain only the main text and basic bibliographic information, generally without modern editorial notes or introductions. Readers who want background can pair it with encyclopedia entries, Lincoln's original speeches, or a relevant historical introduction.

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About the author

James Russell Lowell Author · American · 1819–1891

James Russell Lowell (1819–1891) was an American Romantic poet, critic, editor and diplomat, and one of the Fireside Poets. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he graduated from Harvard and later served as editor of The Atlantic Monthly, as a professor at Harvard, and as a diplomat to Spain and Britain. His work spans both poetry and prose, with representative titles including The Biglow Papers and A Fable for Critics, as well as Among My Books (two series) and The Function of the Poet, and Other Essays. His writing combines satirical edge with lyrical sensibility, and he left a lasting mark on nineteenth-century American literature and public culture. The collection here contains eleven of his works, covering poetry, criticism and essays, reflecting his dual role as creative writer and critic.