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The Mirror and the Lamp: Romantic Theory and the Critical Tradition (Galaxy Books) Later prt. Edition

by Meyer H. Abrams (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 64 ratings
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Traces the evolution of the Romantic approach to literary criticism and compares it to the other methods which prevailed in the early nineteenth century.
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  1. ISBN-10
    9780195014716
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0195014716
  3. Edition
    Later prt.
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    September 15, 1971
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    8.5 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
  8. Print length
    416 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review


"One of the five works published within the last thirty years which in the opinion of representative scholars and critics have contributed most to the understanding of literature."--Contemporary Literary Scholarship


"Abrams has written a remarkable book on the history of criticism, the most distinguished contribution of American scholarship in that field since the work of J.E. Spingarn."--Comparative Literature


"The book is so rich in thought that it is invaluable for students of the romantic movement and indeed of the whole theory of criticism. I regard it as one of the most distinguished achievements of American literary scholarship of our day."--Modern Philology


"With this book, M.H. Abrams has given us a remarkable study, admirably conceived and executed, a book of quite exceptional and no doubt lasting significance for a number of fields--for the history of ideas and comparative literature as well as for English literary history, criticism, and aesthetics."--Modern Language Journal


"The past forty years have seen many attempts at ordering our ideas about literature; The Mirror and the Lamp stands out among them as a unique combination of rich historical scholarship and hard-won clarity of thought."--The Times Literary Supplement (London)

About the Author

Meyer H. Abrams is at Cornell University.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0195014715
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; Later prt. edition (September 15, 1971)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780195014716
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0195014716
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.22 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 64 ratings

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M. H. Abrams

M. H. Abrams

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
64 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Mark A. Fitzgerald
5.0 out of 5 stars Romantic Connaseur
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2007
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I am very much an appreciator of Romantic literature, and this book communicates the impact and spirit of this type of literature very powerfully. It requires a certain amout of concentration and mental litheness to digest this material, but this makes it a fun challenge. I would definity recommend this book to anyone who enjoys or is drawn not only to Romantic literature, but literature in general (or even other arts, as well). I also write poetry, and I think this is a basic text for understanding one's own artistic output.
23 people found this helpful
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Márcia
5.0 out of 5 stars Great deal, great book shape for a classic
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2014
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Although I could have bought a translated version of this book in my Country, there's nothing better than reading than a book in its original language. I'm happy I managed to buy it for a very affordable price. Besides, the delivery was timely and all worked out just fine, in time for my trip abroad.
Thank you!
3 people found this helpful
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5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2016
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States the principle of "the mirror" in literary theory.
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Charles Ferraro
5.0 out of 5 stars English Essential.
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2015
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An essential book for anyone who wants to truly understand English.
One person found this helpful
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enigma54
2.0 out of 5 stars Not as expected
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2023
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The book was ex-library and is not acceptable for the price paid.
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Geimle Burzeen
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2016
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Classic work of literary theory on Romanticism.
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S. Pactor
5.0 out of 5 stars Super Classic Literary Theory
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2012
I'd wager that most of my artistic type friends would gladly cop to being called "Romantics." After all, you kind of have to be Romantic to get involved seriously with Art. But what does it mean to be a "Romantic?" Romanticism, after all, is nothing if not slippery, conceptually speaking. To understand the Romantic tradition you need to go back to the 18th century.

The main players are the English poets Wordsworth and Coleridge. They weren't just poets, they were critics, and it's fair to say that in terms of the conceptual development of Romanticism, understanding it requires firmly grasping three main points:

1) The state of pre-Romantic (i.e. 17th and 18th century) neo-Classic aesthetic theory.
2) Developments in German aesthetic theory in the mid 18th century.
3) The transmission of those developments into English critical theory, as adapted by Wordsworth and few other people who were writing in scholarly/popular journals in London in the mid 18th century.

First off, it's easy to forget how important an art form poetry was back in the 18th century. Before the novel, literature was either poetry or epic poetry, more or less. Thus, when people wrote about literature before the mid 18th century "rise of the novel" they wrote about poetry and prose.

The main metaphor that Abrams uses to describe the "neo-classical" orientation of criticism before the rise of Romanticism is "ART AS MIRROR." In the neo-classic orientation, Art reflected reality, and therefore Art was "like a mirror" in that it reflected the real. This metaphor was "neo-classic" in that it derived from Plato's theories about Art. In the words of Abrams:

The perspective afforded by more recent criticism enables us to discriminate certain tendencies common to many of those theorists between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries who looked upon art as imitation, and more or less like a mirror. For better or worse, the analogy helped focus interest on the subject matter of a work and its models in reality, to the comparative neglect of the shaping influence of artistic conventions, the inherent requirements of the single work of art, and the individuality of the author.
Romanticism evolved as a criticism of that metaphor, more or less. Where the neo-classicists saw ART AS A MIRROR, the nascent Romantic movement of the 18th century saw ART AS A LAMP- as something that came from within and shed light on the world. The essential shift that occurred was to re-focus critical attention on the Artist, and away from the Audience- as was the case in neo-classical aesthetic theory, where the question was always whether a specific work of Art had satisfied the "rules" that produced pleasure in the audience.

This shift towards the irrelevance of the audience and the central role of the Artist had the effect of creating different strands of Romantic theory that maintain adherents up until today. Specifically though, it turned criticism towards a consideration of the relationship between the Artist and his work- with some writers finding explanation for the work in biographical detail, and others claiming that the work was the Artist. The search created canons of artistic criticism that are still important, Romantic critics then began to judge not just the work but the Artist, and correspondingly disregarded the Artist.

This critical orientation has so convincingly triumphed that the focus on the Artist to the exclusion of the Audience has no competition- all critics are Romantic critics. Neo-classicism is a relic of the past, but my perspective is that this is a mistake, since neo-classic aesthetic theory is concerned with Artist/Audience relationships, what better way to consider the impact of the internet on Art and Artists.
33 people found this helpful
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penelopebond@hotmail.com
5.0 out of 5 stars The Birth of the Visionary Poet
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2000
Our way of looking at art in the year 2000 is steeped in the Romantic mentality. The idea of the true poet as lone inspired genius, starving in a garret, creating to express his (and it generally was 'his' in those days) inner turmoil or vision is so ingrained that there almost seems no other possible standard. Yet as M.H. Abrahms points out in this scholarly, yet readable work on Romantic poetry and theory, this view of art and the artist is only as old as the age of Coleridge and Wordsworth. Up until 200 odd years ago, the artist's job had been to act as a mirror, reflecting the world as accurately as possible. The Romantics sought to reverse over 2000 years of previous art criticism by pushing the artist to the forefront and insisting that he be seen as a lamp, illuminating the world with his imagination and vision. Abrahms thoroughly examines the development of Romantic philosophy through the writings of the major English poets and thinkers of the age, drawing in discussions of continental Romanticism as well. Romantic views on Nature, God, Poets and Poetry, Truth, Vision and of course the Imagination are all thoroughly researched and meticulously compiled, making this one of the most comprehensive single volume books on the subject.
118 people found this helpful
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EVANDRO ROSA DE ARAUJO
3.0 out of 5 stars Produto Regular +\-
Reviewed in Brazil on August 20, 2022
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Livro muito comprometido, mas como preciso fazer a leitura, servirá aos propósitos. Tomara que ele aguente! 😤. Achei que estivesse em melhor estado de conservação. ☹️
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EVANDRO ROSA DE ARAUJO
3.0 out of 5 stars Produto Regular +\-
Reviewed in Brazil on August 20, 2022
Livro muito comprometido, mas como preciso fazer a leitura, servirá aos propósitos. Tomara que ele aguente! 😤. Achei que estivesse em melhor estado de conservação. ☹️
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Andrea
5.0 out of 5 stars exactly what I wanted
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 15, 2019
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The book is wonderful. I've been looking for it for years and finally found it. It's a used book, so I wasn't expecting it to be in pristine condition. I'm cmpletely satisfied with the purchase.
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Lanu
5.0 out of 5 stars Good
Reviewed in India on March 11, 2019
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Good
One person found this helpful
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Debjit mondal
4.0 out of 5 stars Good.
Reviewed in India on June 29, 2022
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Good.
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Valentin S.
5.0 out of 5 stars classic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 1, 2017
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a classic of romantic studies
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