Charles Edwyn Vaughan – författare

Published in 1907, this comprehensive history of the Romantic movement in Europe from the late eighteenth through the early nineteenth centuries discusses philosophy and political economy in great detail. While Vaughan’s definition of “romantic” (as opposed to “romanticism”) —a “craving for the unfamiliar, the marvellous, the supernatural”— is controversial, his treatment of the romantic movement in France and Germany is straightforward and interesting. He also brings unlikely figures such as William Cowper, Thomas Paine, and Edmund Burke into his discussion of the movement, though they are not technically considered romantic writers.

English literary criticism presents a structured examination of how critical thought in England developed alongside creative writing and gradually shaped literary understanding. The book explores criticism as an evolving discipline, emerging later than imaginative literature yet becoming essential to interpreting poetry and drama. Early foundations reveal tentative judgments rooted in tradition, while later periods show growing confidence in analysis and evaluation. Attention is given to the tension between classical standards and innovative expression, illustrating how critics responded to changing artistic ambitions. The discussion highlights criticism as both a guide for readers and a dialogue with writers, influencing taste, form, and interpretation. By tracing shifts in judgment and method, the book emphasizes criticism as a living practice shaped by cultural change, intellectual debate, and artistic progress. Overall, it offers an insightful account of how literary evaluation matured into a disciplined framework that deepened engagement with literature and refined the relationship between creative genius and thoughtful assessment.