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Outlines of English and American Literature: An Introduction to the Chief Writers of England and America, to the Books They Wrote, and to the Times in Which They LivedLong, William J. (William Joseph)

History

Outlines of English and American Literature: An Introduction to the Chief Writers of England and America, to the Books They Wrote, and to the Times in Which They Lived

Name: Outlines of English and American Literature: An Introduction to the Chief Writers of England and America, to the Books They Wrote, and to the Times in Which They Lived
Author: Long, William J. (William Joseph)

Long, William J. (William Joseph)

American literature -- History and criticism; English literature -- History and criticism

The beauty of Ruskin's style, its musical rhythm or cadence, its wealth of
figure and allusion, its brilliant coloring, like a landscape of his
favorite artist Turner,--all this is a source of pleasure to the reader,
entirely aside from the subject matter. Read, for example, the description
of St. Mark's Cathedral in _Stones of Venice_, or the reflected
glories of nature in _Præterita_, or the contrast between Salisbury
towers and Giotto's campanile in _Seven Lamps of Architecture_, and
see there descriptive eloquence at its best. That this superb eloquence was
devoted not to personal or party ends, but to winning men to the love of
beauty and truth and right living, is the secret of Ruskin's high place in
English letters and of his enduring influence on English life.

       *       *       *       *       *

    SUMMARY. The age of Victoria (1837-1901) approaches our own so
    closely that it is still difficult to form an accurate judgment of
    its history or literature. In a review of the history of the age we
    noted three factors, democracy, science, imperialism, which have
    profoundly influenced English letters from 1850 to the present
    time.

    Our study of Victorian literature includes (1) The life and works
    of the two greater poets of the age, Tennyson and Browning. (2) The
    work of Elizabeth Barrett, Matthew Arnold, Rossetti, Morris and
    Swinburne, who were selected from the two hundred representive
    poets of the period. (3) The life and the chief works of the major
    novelists, Dickens, Thackeray and George Eliot. (4) A review of
    some other novelists of the age, the Brontë Sisters, Mrs. Gaskell,
    Anthony Trollope, Blackmore, Kingsley, Meredith, Hardy and
    Stevenson. (5) The typical essayists and historians, Macaulay,
    Carlyle, Ruskin, with a review of other typical groups of writers
    in the fields of religion, history and science.

    SELECTIONS FOR READING. Typical selections from all authors named
    in the text are found in Manly, English Poetry, English Prose;
    Pancoast, Standard English Poems, Standard English Prose; and
    several other collections, which are especially useful in a study
    of the minor writers. The works of the major authors may be read to
    much better advantage in various inexpensive editions prepared for
    school use. Only a few such editions are named below for each
    author, but a fairly complete list is given under Texts in the
    General Bibliography.

    Tennyson's selected minor poems, Idylls of the King, The Princess
    and In Memoriam, in Standard English Classics, Riverside
    Literature, Pocket Classics, Silver Classics. A good volume
    containing the best of Tennyson's poems in Athenæum Press Series.

    Browning and Mrs. Browning, selected poems in Standard English
    Classics, Lake Classics, English Readings, Belles Lettres Series.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

History

Outlines of English and American Literature: An Introduction to the Chief Writers of England and America, to the Books They Wrote, and to the Times in Which They Lived

Long, William J. (William Joseph)

American literature -- History and criticism; English literature -- History and criticism

The beauty of Ruskin's style, its musical rhythm or cadence, its wealth of
figure and allusion, its brilliant coloring, like a landscape of his
favorite artist Turner,--all this is a source of pleasure to the reader,
entirely aside from the subject matter. Read, for example, the description
of St. Mark's Cathedral in _Stones of Venice_, or the reflected
glories of nature in _Præterita_, or the contrast between Salisbury
towers and Giotto's campanile in _Seven Lamps of Architecture_, and
see there descriptive eloquence at its best. That this superb eloquence was
devoted not to personal or party ends, but to winning men to the love of
beauty and truth and right living, is the secret of Ruskin's high place in
English letters and of his enduring influence on English life.

       *       *       *       *       *

    SUMMARY. The age of Victoria (1837-1901) approaches our own so
    closely that it is still difficult to form an accurate judgment of
    its history or literature. In a review of the history of the age we
    noted three factors, democracy, science, imperialism, which have
    profoundly influenced English letters from 1850 to the present
    time.

    Our study of Victorian literature includes (1) The life and works
    of the two greater poets of the age, Tennyson and Browning. (2) The
    work of Elizabeth Barrett, Matthew Arnold, Rossetti, Morris and
    Swinburne, who were selected from the two hundred representive
    poets of the period. (3) The life and the chief works of the major
    novelists, Dickens, Thackeray and George Eliot. (4) A review of
    some other novelists of the age, the Brontë Sisters, Mrs. Gaskell,
    Anthony Trollope, Blackmore, Kingsley, Meredith, Hardy and
    Stevenson. (5) The typical essayists and historians, Macaulay,
    Carlyle, Ruskin, with a review of other typical groups of writers
    in the fields of religion, history and science.

    SELECTIONS FOR READING. Typical selections from all authors named
    in the text are found in Manly, English Poetry, English Prose;
    Pancoast, Standard English Poems, Standard English Prose; and
    several other collections, which are especially useful in a study
    of the minor writers. The works of the major authors may be read to
    much better advantage in various inexpensive editions prepared for
    school use. Only a few such editions are named below for each
    author, but a fairly complete list is given under Texts in the
    General Bibliography.

    Tennyson's selected minor poems, Idylls of the King, The Princess
    and In Memoriam, in Standard English Classics, Riverside
    Literature, Pocket Classics, Silver Classics. A good volume
    containing the best of Tennyson's poems in Athenæum Press Series.

    Browning and Mrs. Browning, selected poems in Standard English
    Classics, Lake Classics, English Readings, Belles Lettres Series.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Outlines of English and American Literature: An Introduction to the Chief Writers of England and America, to the Books They Wrote, and to the Times in Which They Lived

Outlines of English and American Literature: An Introduction to the Chief Writers of England and America, to the Books They Wrote, and to the Times in Which They Lived

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