"American Criticism: Studies in Literary Theory From Poe to the Present" provides a comprehensive examination of the development of literary standards in the United States. Author Norman Foerster explores the foundational principles that have shaped American letters, tracing the evolution of critical thought through the works of key figures such as Edgar Allan Poe, Ralph Waldo Emerson, James Russell Lowell, and Walt Whitman. By analyzing these pivotal authors, Foerster seeks to define the essential character of American aesthetic theory and its relationship to broader cultural movements.
The work delves into the transition from Romanticism to the emerging modern sensibilities of the early 20th century. Foerster evaluates how these writers balanced artistic creation with ethical and intellectual frameworks, seeking to establish a coherent American tradition in literary evaluation. Readers will find deep insights into the philosophical underpinnings of "The Poetic Principle" and the transcendentalist influences on critical judgment. "American Criticism" remains an essential resource for scholars and students of American literature, offering a rigorous look at the theories that defined a nation's literary identity during its most formative periods.
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