Letter To Mr. B—. | Edgar Allan Poe Short Stories

The text is a detailed letter critical of contemporary poets and critiques surrounding poetry, focusing on themes like the value of audience opinion, authenticity in criticism, and the true purpose of poetry. It highlights the struggle of American writers against the established European literary tradition and debates the validity of self-assessment by poets themselves. The author expresses skepticism towards the critical and philosophical positions of poets Wordsworth and Coleridge, suggesting that poetry should incite passion rather than be subject to metaphysical dissection. The text argues that poetry’s goal should be to provide pleasure, not merely to instruct, and criticizes the notion that poetry needs to be based on profound intellectual properties. Through these reflections, the author conveys a belief that poetry should remain a heartfelt, emotive endeavor above analytical or critical constraints imposed by some schools of thought.