The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism - Volume 4 - The Eighteenth Century

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Noah

A reference work providing a comprehensive historical account of Western literary criticism from classical antiquity to the present, with Volume IV focusing on the eighteenth century. The volume is structured as an independent unit for study alongside the series, combining authoritative historical exposition with literary-theoretical and critical-practice analysis. Substantial bibliographical material supports further research, and the editors address debated issues of contemporary critical scholarship while maintaining a broadly non-partisan stance.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages970

Reading Time24 h 54 min

AccessFree to download

INTRODUCTION: CRITICISM AND TRADITION

The institution of criticism in the eighteenth century

Ancients and Moderns

GENRES

Poetry, 1660–1740

Poetry, after 1740

Drama, 1660–1740

Drama, after 1740

Prose fiction: France

Prose fiction: Great Britain

Prose fiction: Germany and the Netherlands

Historiography

Biography and autobiography

Criticism and the rise of periodical literature

LANGUAGE AND STYLE

Theories of language

The contributions of rhetoric to literary criticism

Theories of style

Generality and particularity

The sublime

THEMES AND MOVEMENTS

Sensibility and literary criticism

Women and literary criticism

Primitivism

Medieval revival and the Gothic

Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau and the Encyclopédie

German literary theory from Gottsched to Goethe

The Scottish Enlightenment

Canons and canon formation

LITERATURE AND OTHER DISCIPLINES

Literature and philosophy

The psychology of literary creation and literary response

Taste and aesthetics

THE CAMBRIDGEHISTORY OF LITERARYCRITICISM VOLUME IVThe Eighteenth Century EDITED BY H.B.NISBET AND CLAUDE RAWSON The Cambridge History ofLiterary Criticism VOLUME 4The Eighteenth Century The Cambridge History ofLiterary Criticism GENERAL EDITORSProfessor H.B.NisbetUniversity of CambridgeProfessor Claude RawsonYale University The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism will provide a com-prehensive historical account of Western literary criticism from class-ical antiquity to the present day,dealing with both literary theoryand critical practice.The History is intended as an authoritativework of reference and exposition,but more than a mere chronicleof facts.While remaining broadly non-partisan it will,where ap-propriate,address controversial issues of current critical debatewithout evasion or false pretences of neutrality.Each volume is aself-contained unit designed to be used independently as well as inconjunction with the others in the series.Substantial bibliographicalmaterial in each volume will provide the foundation for furtherstudy of the subjects in question. VOLUMES PUBLISHED Volume I:Classical Criticism,edited by George A.KennedyVolume 2:The Middle Ages,edited by Alastair Minnis and lan JohnsonVolume 3:The Renaissance,edited by Glyn Norton Volume 4:The Eighteenth Century,edited by H.B.Nisbet and Claude RawsonVolume s:Romanticism,edited by Marshall Brown Volume 7:Modernism and the New Criticism,edited by A.Walton Litz,Louis Menand,and Lawrence Rainey Volume 8:From Formalism to Poststructuralism,edited by Raman SeldenVolume 9:Twentieth-Century Historical,Philosophical and PsychologicalPerspectives,edited by Christa Knellwolf and Christopher Norris The Cambridge History ofLiterary Criticism VOLUME 4The Eighteenth Century Edited by H.B.NISBET ANDCLAUDE RAWSON CAMBRIDGEUNIVERSITY PRESS CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge,New York,Melbourne,Madrid,Cape Town,Singapore,São PauloCambridge University PressThe Edinburgh Building,Cambridge CB22RU,UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press,New York www.cambridge.orgInformation on this title:www.cambridge.org/978052I300094 ◎ Cambridge University Press 2o05 This book is in copyright.Subject to statutory exceptionand to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements,no reproduction of any part may take place withoutthe written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published I997Repinted 2003First paperback edition 2005 Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press,Cambridge A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN-I3978-0-52I-300094-hardback ISBN-IO o-52I-300096-hardback ISBN-I3978-0-52I-3I7207-paperback ISBN-IO o-52I-3I7207-paperback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy ofURLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book,and does notguarantee that any content on such websites is,or will remain,accurate or appropriate. Contents Notes on contributors viiiEditors'preface xiv INTRODUCTION:CRITICISM AND TRADITION I The institution of criticism in the eighteenth century3DoUGLAS LANE PATEY 2 Ancients and Moderns32DoUGLAS LANE PATEY GENRES 3 Poetry,I660-I74075JAMES SAMBROOK 4 Poetry,after I740II7WILLIAM KEACH 5 Drama,I660-I740I67MAXIMILLIAN E.NovAK 6 Drama,after I740I84JoHN OsBORNE 7 Prose fiction:France2IOENGLISH SHOWALTER 8 Prose fiction:Great Britain238MICHAEL McKEON 9 Prose fiction:Germany and the Netherlands264 C.W.SCHONEVELD Io Historiography282MICHEL BARIDON II Biography and autobiography302FELICITY A.NuSSBAUM I2 Criticism and the rise of periodical literature316JAMES BASKER LANGUAGE AND STYLE I3 Theories of language335NICHOLAS HUDSON I4 The contributions of rhetoric to literary criticism349GEORGE A.KENNEDY I5 Theories of style365PAT RoGERS 16 Generality and particularity38ILEO DAMROSCH 17 The sublime394JoNAT

FAQs

What is the scope of The Cambridge History of Literary Criticism?

It offers a historical account of Western literary criticism from classical antiquity onward, combining theory and critical practice in an authoritative, reference-style format.

What does Volume IV focus on?

Volume IV is devoted to the eighteenth century, covering topics across institutions of criticism, genres, language and style, themes and movements, and literature alongside other disciplines.

How is the volume intended to be used?

Each volume is designed to work independently and together with the other volumes in the series, supported by substantial bibliographical material for further study.

Sep 20, 2026

Uploaded by Noah