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The Annotated Edition

FOR SCHOOL USE. by James Russell Lowell

Summary, meaning, line-by-line analysis & FAQ.

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This text isn’t a poem; it’s a publisher's catalogue for school editions of James Russell Lowell's works, part of the Riverside Literature Series.

Poet
James Russell Lowell
Themes
art, home, identity
The PoemFull text

FOR SCHOOL USE.

James Russell Lowell

Riverside Literature Series: No. 15. Under the Old Elm, and Other Poems. With a Biographical Sketch and Notes. Paper, 15 cents, _net_. No. 30. The Vision of Sir Launfal, and Other Poems. With a Biographical Sketch, Notes, and Illustrations. Paper, 15 cents, _net_, cloth, 25 cents, _net_. (Nos. 15 and 30 also bound together in one volume, cloth, 40 cents, _net_.) No. 39. Books and Libraries, and Other Papers. With Notes. Paper, 15 cents, _net_. Extra Double No.

Public domain

Sourced from Project Gutenberg

§01Quick summary

What this poem is about

This text isn’t a poem; it’s a publisher's catalogue for school editions of James Russell Lowell's works, part of the Riverside Literature Series. It provides titles, formats, and prices for classroom use. There’s nothing poetic to analyze here.

§02Themes

Recurring themes

§03Line by line

Stanza by stanza, with notes

  1. Riverside Literature Series: No. 15. Under the Old Elm...

    Editor's note

    This opening entry showcases *Under the Old Elm, and Other Poems* as No. 15 in the Riverside Literature Series, a well-known school-edition imprint from Houghton Mifflin. The price (15 cents, net) and format (paper) are typical catalog details rather than poetic expressions.

  2. No. 30. The Vision of Sir Launfal, and Other Poems...

    Editor's note

    *The Vision of Sir Launfal* was Lowell's most popular poem in American schools during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its inclusion in both paper and cloth editions, complete with illustrations, shows how essential it was in classrooms. The option to purchase the combined volume (Nos. 15 and 30 together) helped schools save on costs.

  3. No. 39. Books and Libraries, and Other Papers...

    Editor's note

    This entry transitions from poetry to prose essays, demonstrating that the Riverside series encompassed Lowell's complete work — including critical and civic writing alongside his poems. The shortened text ('Extra Double No.') implies that the catalogue page extends further than what is provided.

§04Tone & mood

How this poem feels

The text lacks any literary tone. It's written in a straightforward, commercial style — dry and functional, resembling a catalog meant for school purchasing departments and teachers.

§05Symbols & metaphors

Symbols & metaphors

Net price
The term 'net' indicates a set trade price that won't be discounted further—this was a publishing standard back then to help shield booksellers from being undercut.
Paper vs. cloth binding
The two binding options highlight a class distinction in educational publishing: lower-cost paper copies for individual students and more durable cloth copies for school libraries or awards.
The Riverside Literature Series
The series represents the late-Victorian effort to create a standardized literary canon for American schoolchildren, putting Lowell in the same league as Shakespeare and other recognized authors.

§06Historical context

Historical context

The Riverside Literature Series was started by Houghton Mifflin in the 1880s to provide affordable, annotated texts for the growing American public school system. James Russell Lowell (1819–1891) was one of the most renowned New England poets of his time — a Harvard professor, editor of the *Atlantic Monthly*, and U.S. Ambassador to Britain. By the time these catalogues were distributed, his work had become an essential part of the school curriculum, especially *The Vision of Sir Launfal* (1848), a narrative poem that explores the true meaning of charity. The 'For School Use' label found on these catalogue pages was a typical Houghton Mifflin marketing term, not something Lowell chose himself. The text provided here is back-matter from the publisher, not an actual poem.

§07FAQ

Questions readers ask

No. This is a publisher's catalogue listing—essentially an ad for school editions of Lowell's works. It was printed in the back pages of Riverside Literature Series booklets and lacks poetic form, meter, or literary content.

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Themes in this poem

Poems about artPoems about homePoems about identityPoems about memory