Aspects of Literature

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Murry, John Middleton, 1889-1957

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Aspects of Literature" by John Middleton Murry is a collection of essays on literary criticism written in the early 20th century. The book encompasses various topics, focusing on the function of criticism itself, the poetry of specific authors, and significant literary figures, including Edward Thomas and John Keats, among others. Murry aims to explore the evolving nature of literature and criticism, providing a thoughtful analysis of what makes literature valuable, and how criticism can help illuminate these qualities. The opening of "Aspects of Literature" begins with a preface outlining the organization and intent behind the essays, explaining that they reflect Murry's personal growth as a critic. He discusses his approach to literary criticism, emphasizing the importance of understanding literature beyond mere review and the necessity of establishing standards that critics can depend upon. At the start, Murry reflects on the uncertainty in literary criticism of his time. This serves as a foundation for the essays that follow, in which he navigates topics such as the role of authors in society, the essence of aesthetic judgment, and the transformative power of literature, particularly the works of esteemed poets and philosophers. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

The function of criticism

The religion of Rousseau

The poetry of Edward Thomas

Mr. Yeat's swan song

The wisdom of Anatole France

Gerard Manley Hopkins

The problem of Keats

Thoughts on Tchehov

American poetry

Ronsard

Samuel Butler

The poetry of Thomas Hardy

The present condition of English poetry

The nostalgia of Mr. Masefield

The lost legions

The cry in the wilderness

Poetry and criticism

Coleridge's criticism

Shakespeare criticism.

Credits:

Produced by Ted Garvin, Amy Cunningham and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team

Notes:

Reading ease score: 64.1 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Release date is 2005-01-08