"Excelsior" by Bret Harte
QR code
"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. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Download for free
For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.
Kindle → Use Send-to-Kindle
- Download the EPUB3 file above
- Upload it on the Amazon site your Kindle is registered with: amazon.com/sendtokindle for the US, amazon.co.uk/sendtokindle for the UK etc.
- It appears on your Kindle and in the Kindle app
Kobo, Nook etc. → Transfer via USB
- Download the EPUB3 file on your computer
- Connect your e-reader by USB and tap "Connect" on its screen
- Drag the file onto the e-reader drive
Phone, Tablet or Computer → Online or Reading App
Easiest: read online in your browser. Nothing to install.
Or use a reading app:
- Find and install one you like, for example Apple Books, ReadEra or Thorium Reader
- Download the EPUB3 file above
- Open it in the app
More help: iPhone / iPad · Android · Computer
Other formats & older devices
There may be more files related to this item.
About this eBook
| Author | Harte, Bret, 1836-1902 |
|---|---|
| Title | "Excelsior" |
| Note | Verses advertising Sapolio soap. |
| Credits |
Produced by Anne Storer and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 73.8 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | Humorous poetry |
| Subject | Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 1807-1882 -- Parodies, imitations, etc. |
| Subject | Advertising -- Poetry |
| Subject | Advertising -- Soap |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 24019 |
| ISBN (HTML) | 979-8-238-24019-0 |
| Release Date | Dec 24, 2007 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 468 downloads in the last 30 days. |
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!