Project Gutenberg 2021-09-03 Public domain in the USA. 180 Lowell, James Russell 1819 1891 Wilbur, Homer Meliboeus-Hipponax A Fable for Critics Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Fable_for_Critics Charlene Taylor, Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) "A Fable for Critics" by James Russell Lowell is a satirical poem written in the mid-19th century. This work critiques American poets and writers of his time, offering humorous and poignant commentary on their strengths and weaknesses through the device of a fable. The poem features a variety of literary figures, examining their styles and impact on literature, revealing Lowell's own perspectives and biases as a critic. The opening portion of the poem introduces Apollo, the Greek god of poetry, who is reflecting on the state of contemporary American literature while seeking inspiration. He expresses frustration with poets and critics alike, lamenting the challenges they present to genuine creativity. As he muses, he encounters various characters who embody different aspects of the literary landscape. Throughout this introductory section, Lowell sets a playful tone and establishes his purpose: to provide a candid and often entertaining evaluation of the artistic efforts of his fellow writers. This blend of humor and incisive critique suggests a work that invites readers to reflect on the nature of literature itself. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 49.0 (College-level). Difficult to read. en American poetry -- 19th century American literature -- 19th century -- Anecdotes, facetiae, satire, etc. PS Text Category: Poetry Category: Humour Category: American Literature 209756 2025-07-26T08:27:17.698342 text/html 192009 2024-10-18T15:54:20 text/html 496508 2025-07-26T08:27:25.430289 application/epub+zip 498653 2025-07-26T08:27:19.468347 application/epub+zip 122889 2025-07-26T08:27:18.622322 application/epub+zip 555156 2025-07-26T08:27:28.295285 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 530364 2025-07-26T08:27:23.990310 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 181021 2022-09-29T19:08:58.488848 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 142203 2025-07-26T08:27:16.733325 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 122312 2024-10-18T15:54:20 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 16874 2025-07-26T08:27:28.446266 application/rdf+xml 18366 2025-07-26T08:27:18.723298 image/jpeg 3323 2025-07-26T08:27:18.673315 image/jpeg 478391 2025-07-26T08:27:17.732343 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