Sign-In
Cart
Largeness in Literature
Paperback
Literary CriticismPoetry Criticism
ISBN13: 9781025776088
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 20
Weight: 0.10
Height: 0.04 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
Largeness in Literature is a profound exploration of the qualities that define enduring literary greatness. Written by the esteemed classical scholar and former Oxford Professor of Poetry, J. W. Mackail, this work delves into the concept of largeness-the inherent grandeur, breadth of vision, and spiritual scale that elevates certain writings to the status of classics. Mackail examines how this quality manifests across different eras and genres, from the epic poetry of antiquity to the masterpieces of the modern age.
Through a series of insightful reflections, the author considers the relationship between style, substance, and the human condition. He argues that true largeness is not merely a matter of physical length or ambitious subject matter, but an internal resonance that speaks to the universal experience. Mackail's prose is both scholarly and accessible, offering readers a window into the aesthetic principles that have shaped the Western literary canon.
Largeness in Literature remains a vital resource for students of literary theory, classical studies, and anyone interested in the philosophical foundations of storytelling and poetic expression. It serves as a testament to the power of the written word to transcend its immediate context and achieve a lasting, monumental significance.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Also from
Mackail, J. W.
Love in Idleness: A Volume of Poems. [By H. C. Beeching, J. W. Mackail and J. B. B. Nichols.]
Beeching, Henry Charles
Mackail, J. W.
Hardcover
Love in Idleness: A Volume of Poems. [By H. C. Beeching, J. W. Mackail and J. B. B. Nichols.]
Beeching, Henry Charles
Mackail, J. W.
Paperback
Love's Looking Glass: A Volume Of Poems (1891)
Beeching, Henry Charles
Mackail, J. W.
Nichols, J. B. B.
Paperback
The Springs Of Helicon: A Study In The Progress Of English Poetry From Chaucer To Milton (1909)
Mackail, J. W.
Paperback
Love's Looking Glass: A Volume Of Poems (1891)
Mackail, J. W.
Nichols, J. B. B.
Beeching, Henry Charles
Paperback
The Springs Of Helicon: A Study In The Progress Of English Poetry From Chaucer To Milton (1909)
Mackail, J. W.
Paperback
Bibila Innocentium: Being the Story of God's Chosen People Before the Coming
Mackail, J. W.
Paperback
Also in
Literary Criticism
Up from the Depths: Herman Melville, Lewis Mumford, and Rediscovery in Dark Times
Sachs, Aaron
Hardcover
Queer Faith: Reading Promiscuity and Race in the Secular Love Tradition
Sanchez, Melissa E.
Paperback
Ancient Rome at the Cinema: Story and Spectacle in Hollywood and Rome
Theodorakopoulos, Elena
Paperback
How to Be a Cat: (Cat Books for Kids, Cat Gifts for Kids, Cat Picture Book)
Swerling, Lisa
Lazar, Ralph
Hardcover
Hidden Hemingway: Inside the Ernest Hemingway Archives of Oak Park
Vetch, Aaron
Cirino, Mark
Elder
Hardcover
Dante's Vita Nuova, New Edition: A Translation and an Essay
Pitavy, Francois
Alighieri, Dante
Paperback
How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines (Large Print Edition)
Foster, Thomas C.
Paperback
Much ADO about Nothing: No Fear Shakespeare Side-By-Side Plain English
Sparknotes
Shakespeare, William
Paperback
Twelfth Night: No Fear Shakespeare Side-By-Side Plain English
Shakespeare, William
Sparknotes
Paperback
Penelope's Bones: A New History of Homer's World Through the Women Written Out of It
Hauser, Emily
Paperback
Romeo and Juliet: No Fear Shakespeare Side-By-Side Plain English
Shakespeare, William
Sparknotes
Paperback
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life
Saunders, George
Paperback
Mythology (75th Anniversary Illustrated Edition): Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
Hamilton, Edith
Hardcover
Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise
Rundell, Katherine
Hardcover
Mean Dads for a Better America: The Generous Rewards of an Old-Fashioned Childhood
Shillue, Tom
Paperback
But Have You Read the Book? Romance Edition: 40 Love Stories That Inspired Our Favorite Films
Lopez, Kristen
Hardcover
The Language of the Night: Essays on Writing, Science Fiction, and Fantasy
Le Guin, Ursula K.
Paperback
Jane Austen's Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend
Romney, Rebecca
Paperback
Women of the Fairy Tale Resistance: The Forgotten Founding Mothers of the Fairy Tale and the Stories That They Spun
Harrington, Jane
Hardcover
Somewhere, a Boy and a Bear: A. A. Milne and the Creation of Winnie-The-Pooh
Brandreth, Gyles
Hardcover
A Midsummer Night's Dream: No Fear Shakespeare Side-By-Side Plain English
Sparknotes
Shakespeare, William
Paperback
Julius Caesar: No Fear Shakespeare Side-By-Side Plain English
Sparknotes
Shakespeare, William
Paperback
The Odyssey: An Illustrated Guide: A Character-By-Character Guide to the Story of Odysseus
Metzger, Doug
Hardcover
The Jane Austen Insult Guide for Well-Bred Women: Serving Tea with a Side of Scorn
Reed, Emily
Hardcover
The Dream Factory: London's First Playhouse and the Making of William Shakespeare
Swift, Daniel
Hardcover
The New Lifetime Reading Plan: The Classical Guide to World Literature, Revised and Expanded
Fadiman, Clifton
Major, John S.
Paperback
The Greek Tragedies: Seventeen Plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides
Sophocles
Euripides
Aeschylus
Paperback
Darkness Becomes Bright: On the Brief Life and Immortal Art of Edgar Allan Poe
Ogden, Emily
Hardcover
Trace Elements: Conversations on the Project of Science Fiction and Fantasy
Walton, Jo
Palmer, Ada
Hardcover
A Treacherous Secret Agent: How Literature Spoke Truth to Power During the Red Scare
Garber, Marjorie
Hardcover