The Lives of the Poets
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Author Description
'if A Man Is To Write A Panegyrick, He May Keep Vices Out Of Sight; But If He Professes To Write A Life, He Must Represent It Really As It Was.' In The Last Of His Major Writings, Samuel Johnson Looked Back Over The Previous Two Centuries Of English Literature In Order To Describe The Personalities As Well As The Achievements Of The Leading English Poets. The Major Lives - Of Milton, Dryden, Swift, And Pope - Are Memorable Cameos Of The Life Of Writing In Which Johnson Is As Attentive To Human Frailty As To Literary Prowess. The Shorter Lives Preserve Some Of Johnson's Most Piercing, Critical Judgements. Unsentimental, Opinionated, And Quotable, The Lives Of The Poets Continues To Influence The Reputations Of The Writers Concerned. It Is One Of The Greatest Works Of English Criticism, But Also One Of The Most Humanly Diverting. This Selection Of The Lives Of Ten Of The Most Important Poets Draws Its Text From Roger Lonsdale's Authoritative Complete Edition. About The Series: For Over 100 Years Oxford World's Classics Has Made Available The Widest Range Of Literature From Around The Globe. Each Affordable Volume Reflects Oxford's Commitment To Scholarship, Providing The Most Accurate Text Plus A Wealth Of Other Valuable Features, Including Expert Introductions By Leading Authorities, Helpful Notes To Clarify The Text, Up-to-date Bibliographies For Further Study, And Much More.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
Samuel Johnson investigates the intersection of personal character and artistic achievement to determine how a writer's life informs their literary output. As a preeminent critic of the 18th century, Johnson utilizes his extensive knowledge of English letters to evaluate the reputations of poets from the preceding two centuries. He argues that a biographer must present a subject's life with unflinching honesty, documenting both their professional prowess and their inherent human frailties.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Biographical accounts of major English poets including Milton, Dryden, Swift, and Pope.
- Critical evaluations of poetic works spanning two centuries of English literature.
- A methodology prioritizing the moral and personal character of the author alongside their creative output.
Scope Limits
- The text does not provide a comprehensive history of all English poets, focusing instead on a curated selection of significant figures.
- The analysis is limited by the critical standards and personal biases of the 18th-century Enlightenment perspective.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and critics recognize this work as a foundational text in the history of English literary criticism. Readers frequently note the sharp, opinionated nature of Johnson's prose, which remains influential in shaping the reputations of the poets discussed.
Page Count:
560
Publication Date:
2009-01-01
Publisher:
Oup Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191568163
ISBN-13:
9780191568169
Non-Fiction
Biography
Literary Criticism
English literature
Essays
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