Rufus Wilmot Griswold (1815–57) was an American anthologist, editor, poet, and literary critic, known for his influential poetry anthologies and contentious relationship with Edgar Allan Poe.
Born in Benson, Vermont, he left home at 15, working as a journalist and editor in Philadelphia and New York City. His anthology, The Poets and Poetry of America (1842,) was then the most comprehensive collection of American poetry, shaping literary tastes and establishing poets’ reputations. He followed with The Prose Writers of America (1847) and The Female Poets of America (1849,) further cementing his role as a literary gatekeeper.
Griswold’s rivalry with Poe intensified when he succeeded him as editor of Graham’s Magazine. After Poe’s death (1849,) Griswold falsely claimed to be his literary executor, publishing a damaging obituary and an edited collection of Poe’s works (1850,) portraying him as unstable and immoral. His final major work, The Republican Court, or American Society in the Days of Washington (1855,) examined early American social life.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Rufus Wilmot Griswold
It is a barren kind of criticism which tells you what a thing is not.
—Rufus Wilmot Griswold
Topics: Criticism, Critics
Leave a Reply