Project Gutenberg 2021-08-17 Public domain in the USA. 116 Wilson, Woodrow 1856 1924 United States President (1913-1921) Wilson, Thomas Woodrow Wilson, T. W. (Thomas Woodrow) Mere literature, and other essays Mere literature -- The author himself -- On an author's choice of company -- A literary politician [Walter Bagehot] -- The interpreter of English liberty [Edmund Burke] -- The truth of the matter -- A calendar of great Americans -- The course of American history. Charlene Taylor, Charlie Howard, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) "Mere Literature, and Other Essays" by Woodrow Wilson is a collection of essays written in the late 19th century. This work critically examines the relationship between literature and the more scientific and empirical approaches dominating the intellectual landscape of the time. Wilson's essays explore themes like the value of literature in education, the essence of true literature beyond mere technical prowess, and the influence of individualism in writing. The opening portion of the collection introduces the concept of "mere literature" and serves as a critique of the mentality that undervalues literary works as mere trivial pursuits compared to scientific knowledge. Wilson reflects on the disconnection between the study of literature and its intrinsic value, arguing that true literary appreciation must come from personal, first-hand engagement with works. He eloquently discusses the challenges faced in teaching literature within a scientific framework, emphasizing that genuine literature represents the spirit of its time and reflects the complexities of human experience, transcending mere technical analysis. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 62.7 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en Literature Authors United States -- History PS Text Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches 373948 2025-06-26T07:28:10.675171 text/html 349814 2024-10-18T15:35:50 text/html 463682 2025-06-26T07:28:15.794117 application/epub+zip 462380 2025-06-26T07:28:11.978151 application/epub+zip 248108 2025-06-26T07:28:11.310169 application/epub+zip 488451 2025-06-26T07:28:18.988107 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 462038 2025-06-26T07:28:15.232142 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 371683 2022-09-29T18:01:28.761803 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 343081 2025-06-26T07:28:10.358144 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 323118 2024-10-18T15:35:50 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 17128 2025-06-26T07:28:19.113160 application/rdf+xml 7064 2025-06-26T07:28:11.493141 image/jpeg 1685 2025-06-26T07:28:11.400136 image/jpeg 450164 2025-06-26T07:28:10.711133 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