Essays on English and American Literature

The late Leo Spitzer enjoyed a reputation as one of the twentieth century’s outstanding philologists and linguists. His writings in the field of the romance languages and of comparative philology have been always stimulating, often controversial. This collection presents his essays in English and American literature which appeared in various journals and other publications during his lifetime. They range from an explication de texte of three great Middle English poems, through close scrutiny of writings of Donne, Milton, Keats, to a consideration of Edgar Allan Poe and Whitman, and, finally, to one of Yeats’ poems. Each of the essays in this collection is illuminated and heightened by Professor Spitzer’s careful and imaginative exegesis. The delightful “American Advertising Explained as Popular Art” is included as a sample of Professor Spitzer’s commentary on American culture.

Originally published in 1962.

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