Summary:
"English Poets of the Eighteenth Century" by Ernest Bernbaum is a comprehensive anthology curated during the early 20th century. This collection presents a wide array of poems from notable poets of the 18th century, featuring both celebrated classics and lesser-known works that reflect the poetry and sentiments of the time. The anthology emphasizes the transition and development of poetic forms and themes within the context of the sociopolitical landscape of 18th-century England. The opening of the anthology includes a preface where Bernbaum outlines his objectives and methodologies in compiling the collection, stressing the intent to provide authentic texts free from excessive scholarly apparatus. He conveys his aim to represent not only what has endured through time but also pieces that captured contemporary thought and feeling, even if they have fallen into obscurity. Bernbaum discusses the varying influences and tonal shifts among the poets, from the unambitious yet popular verses of John Pomfret to the more stable, serene presence of renowned writers like Alexander Pope and Isaac Watts, hinting at themes of moderation, human virtue, and the evolving nature of English literature during the period. (This is an automatically generated summary.)