"Definitions: Essays in Contemporary Criticism" is a set of informative articles written by means of Henry Seidel Canby. Canby's paintings, published inside the early twentieth century, dives into literary complaint with a modern attitude. The portions within the anthology present Canby's severe feedback on numerous literary and cultural issues of the day. In "Definitions," Canby makes use of his sharp mind to study and describe most important components of literature, way of life, and society. The articles cowl a wide range of topics, from the complexities of language and style to broader analyses of cultural norms and values. Canby's prose is clear and deep, making complicated topics understandable to a broad audience. As a literary critic, Canby examines the works of his contemporaries, supplying nuanced viewpoints on the converting nature of literature and its feature in reflecting and growing society. "Definitions" demonstrates Canby's highbrow prowess and ability to traverse the problems of current culture using literary evaluation.
Henry Seidel Canby was a critic, editor, and Yale University professor. Henry Seidel Canby was the son of Edward T. Canby, a Quaker who arrived in Wilmington, Delaware, circa 1740 and rose to prominence in the region through milling and business. Canby was born in Wilmington and attended the Wilmington Friends School. He graduated from Yale in 1899 and taught there until 1922, when he was appointed professor. Following a four-year term as editor of the New York Evening Post's literary review, Canby co-founded and served as editor of the Saturday Review of Literature, the last until 1936. The Yelping Hill Association was founded in 1922 by Canby, his wife Marion Ponsonby Gause Canby, Mason and Helen Fox Trowbridge, Beverly Waugh and Caroline (Lena) Jennings Kunkel, Henry Noble and Marjorie Dodd MacCracken, Lee Wilson and Marion Roberts Canby Dodd, and David Stanley and Cora Deming Welch Smith. A summer colony modeled after the Pocono Lake Preserve Quaker community in Pennsylvania, where some of the families had spent previous summers. Canby worked for the Saturday Review of Literature and the Book of the Month Club primarily from his office, The Writer's Cramp, on Yelping Hill.
