A history of English literature

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

70731

Title

A history of English literature

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Edward Albert's comprehensive text-book chronicles English literature from the Elizabethan age through the nineteenth century. Blending historical context with critical analysis, it highlights major figures like Shakespeare, Wordsworth, and Scott, emphasizing literary evolution, social conditions, and the enduring power of classic works.

Summary up to 500 words

Edward Albert's *A History of English Literature* serves as both a comprehensive historical sketch and a practical reference text for students and scholars. Albert structures the narrative to demonstrate the living nature of English literature against its historical background, covering major figures and movements from the Elizabethan era through the nineteenth century. The work is designed to be comprehensive, including nearly all first- and second-class authors, while maintaining a practical focus by stating verifiable facts, dates, and critical opinions rather than engaging in excessive theoretical discussion. The text begins with the Elizabethan age, a period defined by political and religious settlement, the expansion of geographical horizons, and the rise of new classicism and romanticism. Albert details the drama's maturity under Shakespeare and the poetry of Spenser, noting the era's abundant output across diverse genres. He examines the influence of German literature and the development of periodicals, which significantly shaped the literary landscape. Progressing into the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the narrative addresses the profound impact of the French Revolution. Albert explores the initial enthusiasm for revolutionary ideals among writers like Wordsworth and Coleridge, followed by the subsequent reaction and disillusionment as the Revolution's violence unfolded. The text highlights the flourishing of the novel, the return to nature in Romantic poetry, and the shifting political climates, including the social unrest of the Peterloo massacre and the passage of the Reform Bill. Albert dedicates significant attention to William Wordsworth, tracing his life from his early enthusiasm for the Revolution to his eventual conservatism and role as Poet Laureate. He analyzes Wordsworth's poetry, particularly *Lyrical Ballads* and *The Prelude*, and his theory of poetry which sought to elevate common life and rustic subjects. The book also covers the influence of German literature on English poets like Shelley and Byron, and the unprecedented activity of critical and miscellaneous writers. Throughout the volume, Albert utilizes tabulated summaries and a complete index to assist the reader. The text includes extensive exercises that enable students to work out literary and historical problems and provides a bibliography for further reading. By setting modern authors against a larger historical background, Albert aims to provide a clear, vivacious, and elegant account of English literary history, avoiding the pitfalls of being either too fragmentary or overly theoretical.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• History
• Literature