"Our antiquaries abandon time for distance;"

February 16, 2015 6:12 PM

Marilynne Robinson: On Edgar Allan Poe

The Literary Criticism of Edgar Allen Poe

CRITICISM
by Edgar Allan Poe

IT HAS been said that a good critique on a poem may be written by one who is no poet himself. This, according to your idea and mine of poetry, I feel to be false- the less poetical the critic, the less just the critique, and the converse. On this account, and because the world's good opinion as proud of your own. Another than yourself might here observe, "Shakespeare is in possession of the world's good opinion, and yet Shakespeare is the greatest of poets. It appears then that as the world judges correctly, why should you be ashamed of their favourable judgment?" The difficulty lies in the interpretation of the word "judgment" or "opinion." The opinion is the world's, truly, but it may be called theirs as a man would call a book his, having bought it; he did not write the book, but it is his; they did not originate the opinion, but it is theirs.

posted by the man of twists and turns (0 comments total)