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M.H. Abrams

The Mirror and the Lamp: Romantic Theory and the Critical Tradition

"The Mirror and the Lamp: Romantic Theory and the Critical Tradition" by M.H. Abrams is a seminal work in the field of literary criticism and theory. First published in 1953, the book offers a comprehensive examination of the romantic movement in literature and its impact on the critical tradition. Abrams, a renowned scholar of romantic literature, provides a detailed analysis of the major romantic writers, including Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, and Keats, and their theories of poetry and criticism. The book's title, "The Mirror and the Lamp," refers to the two dominant metaphors that have been used to describe the function of literature and the role of the artist. The mirror metaphor suggests that art should accurately reflect the world as it is, while the lamp metaphor emphasizes the artist's creative role in shaping and interpreting reality. Abrams argues that the romantic movement marked a shift from the mirror to the lamp, as writers began to emphasize the subjective, imaginative, and emotional aspects of literature. The first part of the book traces the development of the mirror metaphor in classical and neoclassical criticism, while the second part examines the emergence of the lamp metaphor in romantic theory. Abrams shows how the romantic writers rejected the objective, rational, and universal standards of neoclassical criticism and instead embraced a more subjective, personal, and particular approach to literature. He also explores the implications of this shift for the critical tradition, arguing that romantic theory has profoundly influenced the way we think about literature, art, and culture. "The Mirror and the Lamp" is not only a work of scholarship but also a work of literature. Abrams writes with clarity, grace, and wit, making complex ideas accessible and engaging. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in romantic literature, literary theory, or the history of criticism. It offers a rich and nuanced account of the romantic movement and its legacy, and it invites readers to reflect on the nature of literature, art, and the human experience...