"Excelsior" by Bret Harte

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Author Harte, Bret, 1836-1902
Title "Excelsior"
Note Reading ease score: 73.8 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
Note Verses advertising Sapolio soap.
Credits Produced by Anne Storer and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Summary "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.)
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
Release Date
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
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