+ Boston Transcript p11 D 8 ’20 1400w
“After a careful reading we remain of our old opinion that the leading poem, ‘The vigil-at-arms,’ is Mr Low’s best effort. Elsewhere Mr Low’s work lacks freshness and individuality.”
+ − N Y Evening Post p22 D 4 ’20 130w
LOWELL, JAMES RUSSELL. Function of the poet; and other essays. *$5 (10c) Houghton 814
20–26550
The essays and reviews in this volume have here for the first time been collected into book form and are edited with a preface by Albert Mordell. According to this preface they sustain Lowell’s reputation as one of our great American critics and are in nowise inferior in literary merit to the volumes collected by himself. The essays on poetry and belles-lettres in the volume are: The function of the poet; Humor, wit, fun, and satire; The five indispensable authors (Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Goethe, Shakespeare); The imagination: Critical fragments. Among the reviews of contemporary writers are: Henry James: James’s tales and sketches; Poetry and nationality; W. D. Howells: Venetian life; Edgar A. Poe; Thackeray; Roundabout papers; and the three last essays are: Forster’s life of Swift; Plutarch’s morals; A plea for freedom from speech and figures of speech-makers.
“Especially interesting will be his criticisms of contemporaries—Henry James, Longfellow, Whittier, Howells, Poe and Thackeray.”
+ Booklist 16:337 Jl ’20
“They are pleasant, scholarly, informal; they polish off literary subjects gracefully, even if not dazzlingly.”