"Excelsior": Poetry Guide and Free Edition
"Excelsior": author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
"Excelsior" is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Harte, Bret (1836–1902).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"Excelsior" by Bret Harte is a light-hearted poem written in the late 19th century. This poem captures a whimsical and satirical examination of advertising and ambition, presenting a humorous take on societal values surrounding cleanliness and commercialism. The work is characterized by its playful tone and reflects the era's fascination with consumer goods. The poem narrates the journey of a young man carrying a stencil-plate advertising "SAPOLIO," a cleaning product. As he travels through an Eastern village, he encounters various characters who express both annoyance and curiosity about his relentless promotion of the product. Despite their protests and the challenges he faces, the young man remains undeterred, highlighting an absurd dedication to the notion of cleanliness through incessant advertising. The poem cleverly critiques the commercialization of society, as the young man's commitment to his task symbolizes larger themes of ambition and consumer culture.
Book and edition facts
- Title: "Excelsior"
- Author credits: Harte, Bret (1836–1902)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Advertising -- Poetry
- Advertising -- Soap
- Humorous poetry
- Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 1807-1882 -- Parodies, imitations, etc.
Gutenberg collections
- Category: American Literature
- Category: Humour
- Category: Poetry
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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