LATE PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH LITERATURE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA.

PARRY & MCMILLAN,

SUCCESSORS TO A. HART, LATE CAREY & HART.

THE NEW YORK
PUBLIC LIBRARY

476980

ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS. 1909

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857, by
WILLIAM B. REED,..:

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.•

STEREOTYPED BY L. JOHNSON & CO.
PHILADELPHIA.

FRINTED BY T K. & P. & COLLINS.

CONTENTS.

8780

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LECTURES ON ENGLISH POETRY.

LECTURE, X.

BURNS, (WITH NOTICES OF JOHNSON'S LIVES OF THE POETS.)

Monotony of Pope's verse-The revival of a truer spirit of

Poetry- Chatterton-Merit of Cowper-Dr. Johnson's lite-

rary dictatorship-His "Lives of the Poets"- Sir Egerton

Brydges's criticism on them-Cowper's judgraente of them

-Johnson's incapacity for poetical criticism-Johnson's

judgments on Cray-"London"-"Vanity of Human Wishes"

The

-Percy's "Reliques of Ancient English Poetry".

character of this poetry-Robert Burns- His boyhood-

Early trials-Mossgeil Farm The freshness of his poetry-

Its universality-Wordsworth's lines" The Mountain-Daisy"

-"The Field-Mouse"-" Cotter's Saturday Night"-"Tam

O'Shanter"-Mary Campbell-Morality of Burns's poetry

-The Bard's Epitaph-Wordsworth's Lines to the Sons

of Burns..........
........Page

LECTURE XI.

CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE.

The present age not an unpoetical one-Five names worthy

of distinction-Samuel Rogers-The "Pleasures of Memory"

5

-Rogers's "Italy"— Galileo and Milton-Moore's Songs-

Irish patriotism-The true question respecting poetical com-

position-Lamb's lines on the "Old Familiar Faces"-Scott's

career of authorship-Scott the second in rank of Scottish

poets-His childhood at Sandy Knowe-His early reading—

His interview with Burns-Influence of the Story of the

Rebellion of 1745 on his genius-His love of natural scenery

-The minstrelsy of the Scottish border-Hallam's remark

on the Scottish ballads-Story of "Christie's Will"—"The

Lay of the Last Minstrel"-Scott's merit as a poet-In-

fluence of the French Revolution on his mind-" Marmion"

"The Lady of the Lake"-Decline of his poetical powers-

"Bonny Dundee"-" Battle of Otterburne"- His pilgrimage

to Italy....
............. Page 48

“LECTURE XII..

COLERIDGE.

Advantage of connecting critical with historical considerations

-Spenser and his age--Spirit of the French Revolution-

Contrast between the American and the French Revolutions--

Its influence over thought and action-Coleridge's France"

-Nature of Lyrical poetry-Early developments of Cole-

ridge's genius philosophy His critical papers-His

consciousness of his own poetical. endowment His boyhood

at Christ Church Hospital-Monody on Chatterton-His love

of nature-Ode on Dejection—Translations of Schiller's trage-

dies- -"The Ancient Mariner"-" Christabel"-Its metrical

beauty-His epitaph................................
............... Page 88

LECTURE XIII.

SOUTHEY, (WITH NOTICE OF CHARLES LAMB.)

Charles Lamb, the friend of Coleridge and Southey-" The

Old Familiar Faces"-"Elia"- Robert Southey-Character

of his prose-His complete poetical works-His mental de-

rangement-Personal interest of his poems-Satirical power

"Wat Tyler"-" Joan of Arc"-The product of imagination

is often truth" Madoc"-" Roderic”. -"Thalaba" - -"The

Curse of Kehama"- Scriptural character of "Thalaaba❞—

Keble's "Christian Year"- Story of "Thalaba and Oneiza"

-Southey's Odes-"The Retreat from Moscow"-" The Tale

of Paraguay❞—His playful poetry-Ode on the Portrait of

Bishop Heber.........................
............ Page 127

LECTURE XIV.

BYRON.

66

A catholic taste in literature - Difficulties of a course of

critical lectures-Southey and Byron-The spirit of criticism

the spirit of charity-Rogers's plea for Byron's memory-

Popularity of his poetry - English Bards and Scotch

Reviewers". "Childe Harold"- His love of external nature

-Formation of his literary character-Admiration for Pope-

Success of "Childe Harold"- His Oriental tales - Literature

of the last century-Story of Byron's marriage - Noctes

Ambrosianæ - Contrast between the "Corsair" and the

"Prisoner of Chillon". "The Dream"- Materialism in his

poetry-Manfred -Venice -The Dying Gladiator —

-

- Strains

for liberty-Beauty of womanly humanity-" Sardanapalus"

-Byron's selfishness-His infidelity.....

.....Page 163

LECTURE XV.

WORDSWORTH.

Difficulties in the way of a proper appreciation of contem-

porary genius-Candour rare in criticism-Controversy in

regard to Wordsworth's school of poetry-Comparative criti-

cism between the poetry of Wordsworth and Byron-Cor-

respondence of Wordsworth's life with the spirit of true

poetry-Continuity of his moral life-Recollections of his

childhood-His love of nature and of man-His sympathy

with the French Revolution-His seclusion-Communion

with his brother-poets-Aim of his career of authorship-