A Fable for Critics, by James Russell Lowell with Vignette Portraits of the Authors de Quibus Fabula Narratur

by James Russell Lowell

A book-length poem satirizing other American writers, in, as the author says in his preface, "a style that is neither good verse nor bad prose." It was rapidly written, Lowell says, "purely for my own amusement and with no thought of publication."

Michigan Historical Reprint Series and Books for Libraries Press

This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program.

Genres: Poetry

101 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1848

About the author

James Russell Lowell was an American Romantic poet, critic, editor, and diplomat. He is associated with the Fireside Poets, a group of New England writers who were among the first American poets who rivaled the popularity of British poets. These poets usually used conventional forms and meters in their poetry, making them suitable for families entertaining at their fireside.

Reviews

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ouch! One of my favorite American authors is making fun of the rest of my favorite American authors, many of whom were his friends! :D This was a really fun read. Lowell certainly has a keen sense of humor! Some of it was a little difficult to understand as he apparently assumes his readers know at least some Greek and Latin terms and there are many references to Greek mythology which I am only vaguely familiar with. There were also a few authors mentioned whose works are not well-known anymore and therefore I didn't understand what was being talked about. The passages about Emerson, Longfellow, Bryant, Whittier, Holmes, Cooper, Irving, Hawthorne and Lowell himself were very interesting though. Some of them got off very easily (in fact with mostly praise!) while others got some pretty biting criticism, but all in fun. I would really like to find a commentary on this poem.

[Illiterate · Rating 2 out of 5]

A literary satire. Fun if lacking bite.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a lyrical satire of America’s significant literary figures in the antebellum period, offering a contemporaneous meta-critical view into this period of American literature. The text is less readily accessible to readers of the 21st century than of the author’s contemporaries, (unless very well versed in 19th century American literature) , because many of the authors who were significant in their own time are obscure to today’s readers. It, therefore, takes familiar knowledge and effort to get into the entirety of Lowell’s joke. I wish that I could have appreciated it more fully.

I disliked the kindle edition,which was a scan on a library book. It had writing in the printed text and my digital copy had function problems, which caused it to repeated close on me. This wouldn't have bothered me if it had been a free ebook, but I purchased it. (This did not factor into my rating of the book's content).

[Humphrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Fable for Critics is an extended send-up of the American literary scene of the 1840s, when its validity was still much in doubt despite the presence of now-canonical authors like Hawthorne, Poe, etc. Most of the inside jokes will pass over the head of the reader lacking a thorough knowledge of the period, but for those who do there are few texts that give so vivid an idea of the rollicking world of antebellum letters.

[Humphrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lowell's extended poetic satire isn't astounding in its rhyme or meter, but it's still a grand romp for anyone with sufficient knowledge of antebellum literature and the context of some of the larger debates - like nationalism and puffery - that shaped it. That said, there are a handful of names recognizable even to readers with fair recollection of highschool English or an intro survey course at college.