Project Gutenberg 1998-02-01 Public domain in the USA. 461 Meredith, George 1828 1909 An Essay on Comedy and the Uses of the Comic Spirit Transcribed from the 1897 Archibald Constable and Company edition by David Price "An Essay on Comedy and the Uses of the Comic Spirit" by George Meredith is a scholarly exploration of comic literature and its relevance to human society, written in the late 19th century. The text delves into the complexities and rarefied nature of true comedy, discussing the societal conditions that foster the comic spirit and the challenges faced by comic poets. Meredith contrasts various comedic traditions, analyzing the societal structures that both stifle and illuminate the comedic experience. The opening of the essay begins by outlining the rarity of true comedies, suggesting that many recognized as such may not fulfill their potential. Meredith introduces the reader to the idea that a rich intellectual environment is necessary for comedy to flourish, while he criticizes the dichotomy between "non-laughers," who reject humor altogether, and "over-laughers," who laugh inappropriately. He argues that the true comic spirit serves as a critical lens on society, illuminating folly and moral failures while offering insight into the human condition. By invoking the works of great comic poets like Moliere and illustrating the evolution of comedic styles, the opening positions comedy as both a mirror and a critique of social norms, laying the foundation for a deeper exploration of its functions in later sections. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 62.0 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en Comedy Comic, The PN Text Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches 128319 2025-08-01T08:56:26.028616 text/html 125327 2020-12-31T12:40:19 text/html 49913 2020-12-31T12:40:19 text/html application/zip 139333 2025-08-01T08:56:31.948571 application/epub+zip 139711 2025-08-01T08:56:29.243560 application/epub+zip 114820 2025-08-01T08:56:28.044598 application/epub+zip 303860 2025-08-01T08:56:33.926600 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 293653 2025-08-01T08:56:31.198577 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 257600 2022-09-01T09:58:58.603532 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 119798 2025-08-01T08:56:25.762565 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 119470 2020-12-31T12:40:19 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 48607 2020-12-31T12:40:19 text/plain; charset=us-ascii application/zip 18311 2025-08-01T08:56:34.087553 application/rdf+xml 18893 2025-08-01T08:56:28.549573 image/jpeg 4072 2025-08-01T08:56:28.298562 image/jpeg 137995 2025-08-01T08:56:26.041573 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia