This collection investigates the evolution and distinct characteristics of American literary criticism from the nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth century. Harold Beaver, an academic and scholar of American literature, curates a selection of essays to demonstrate how American writers and critics defined their own national identity in relation to European traditions. The text argues that American critical thought is defined by a tension between democratic ideals and the formal constraints of literary art.

Scholars and students of literature frequently cite this volume as a useful, compact reference for understanding the historical trajectory of American critical thought. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which assumes a foundational knowledge of the primary literary works being discussed.