Text: Edgar Allan Poe (?), Literary, Broadway Journal (New York), December 27, 1845, vol. 2, no. 25, p. ???, col. ?

[page 387, column 1, continued:]

Hyperion, a Romance. By HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW. Second Edition, Cambridge: John Owen.

This is one of the most tastefully printed books we have seen for many a year: — a thick duodecimo of 370 pages — delightful type, unusually good paper — well bound. The work itself is sufficiently well known. It has all Mr. Longfellow's distinctiveness [column 2:] of thought and manner — is graceful, scholar-like, at times pointed, and always artistical, but neither original, nor very inter-estiing. Its tone is a palpable imitation of the German spirit. One of its marked peculiarities — and an idiosyncrasy, in fact, appertaining to all that the author does — is its entire want of suggestiveness. The book does not go beyond itself. Mr. Longfellow's works seem to some minds greater than they are, on account of their perfection of finish — on account of the thoroughness with which their designs are carried out. They exhaust limited subjects. His books are books and no more. Those of men of genius are books and a dream to boot. These men do not exhaust their subjects, because their subjects expn.nd with every touch.

The volume is for sale in New York by D. Appleton & Co.