My Thoughts
This short story focuses on one Thingum Bob, a son of a brilliant and successful businessman. One day after reading an ingenious poem Thingum decides that he wants to become an editor and a poet. Thingum is portrayed as a spoiled brat. When he sends his first poem to four different publishers he demands immediate publication and prompt pay. This, of course, vexes the publishers and they write responses severely criticizing Thingums poem and request for payment. It seems as though his father gets involved for upon his next submission, a poem simply made up of a single couplet, is an instant success. In reality, it is quite terrible:
To pen an Ode upon the 'Oil-of-Bob'
Is all sorts of a job.
Obviously the poem is no good, but Thingum receives false praise. This praise quickly goes to his head and he begins attacking other publications. Eventually, he becomes so bullheaded that he attacks a publication for a compliment describing him as "a gentleman of high genius and a scholar". He becomes so filled with hubris that he even starts attacking the original masterpiece in which he penned his poem after, "Oil-of-Bob".
My Rating
I rate this article a 3.5 out of 5. Poe likely wrote this short story as a way of criticizing editors that he believed held no real talent. I happen to agree with him and would also state that this holds true for many high-level positions in art fields.
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