Charles LambCharles Lamb

1.1. Some Romantic prose writers Some Romantic prose writers

2.2. Charles LambCharles Lamb

23/4/1923/4/19 11

the Romantic prose writersthe Romantic prose writers

• William HazlittWilliam Hazlitt

• Thomas De Quincey Thomas De Quincey

23/4/1923/4/19 22

William HazlittWilliam Hazlitt

a literary critic a literary critic

two major works of criticismtwo major works of criticism

Lectures on the English PoetsLectures on the English Poets

The English Comic WritersThe English Comic Writers

Less Less didactic didactic than his 18th-than his 18th-century counterparts century counterparts 23/4/1923/4/19 33

William HazlittWilliam Hazlitt

• He had a passionate He had a passionate interest in literature but was interest in literature but was not above allowing his not above allowing his radical radical political convictions and political convictions and personal bias to color his personal bias to color his criticismcriticism. What he enjoyed, he . What he enjoyed, he wrote about with enthusiasm wrote about with enthusiasm and directness; what he and directness; what he disliked, he condemned. disliked, he condemned.

• He states that the essays He states that the essays are an attempt are an attempt ““to recollect all to recollect all I have ever observed or I have ever observed or thought upon a subject and to thought upon a subject and to express it as nearly as I can.express it as nearly as I can.”” 23/4/1923/4/19 44

Thomas De Quincey Thomas De Quincey

Confessions of an English Confessions of an English Opium EaterOpium Eater

a powerful and imaginative a powerful and imaginative book book

His subjects are taken His subjects are taken from personal experience, from personal experience, politics, history, and politics, history, and literature. literature.

23/4/1923/4/19 55

Thomas De QuinceyThomas De Quincey

De Quincey advocated De Quincey advocated ““impassioned proseimpassioned prose,,”” elaborate and elaborate and musicalmusical. Attempting to penetrate . Attempting to penetrate beneath the surface of things,beneath the surface of things, he he advocated a style which would advocated a style which would extend the range of prose into the extend the range of prose into the realm of poetry.realm of poetry. The display of great The display of great learning, the sprinkling of classical learning, the sprinkling of classical allusions, the seemingly illogical allusions, the seemingly illogical digressions can, at times, make his digressions can, at times, make his writing ponderous and weighty. writing ponderous and weighty.

23/4/1923/4/19 66

Charles LambCharles Lamb

He gives He gives his own acute and his own acute and wry observationswry observations in in graceful,graceful, flowing flowing sentences which sentences which meander with the charm of fine meander with the charm of fine conversation, the result of a conversation, the result of a subtle craftsmanship subtle craftsmanship characterized by characterized by urbanity and urbanity and good taste. good taste.

23/4/1923/4/19 77

Charles LambCharles Lamb

nostalgic and wistful nostalgic and wistful

in in Dream ChildrenDream Children

lively and humorous lively and humorous

in in A Dissertation Upon Roast PigA Dissertation Upon Roast Pig

a a gentle gentle person, person, sympatheticsympathetic to to

mankind, but amused by themankind, but amused by the

contradiction and folliescontradiction and follies of of people,people,

including himselfincluding himself23/4/1923/4/19 88

Essays of EliaEssays of Elia • Under the mask of Elia, Lamb indulges in the Under the mask of Elia, Lamb indulges in the

most characteristic of most characteristic of Romantic tendencies Romantic tendencies —— personal memoirs, reminiscences of past lifepersonal memoirs, reminiscences of past life. .

• Time and again in the essays Lamb returns to Time and again in the essays Lamb returns to the the world of childhood,world of childhood, weaving weaving autobiographical details and fanciful imaginings autobiographical details and fanciful imaginings into a reality of its own. into a reality of its own.

• He is more concerned with He is more concerned with creating a mood and creating a mood and with evoking a responsewith evoking a response.. To do this he uses the To do this he uses the rambling, ornate stylerambling, ornate style more typical of the more typical of the seventeen century than of his own age. His is a seventeen century than of his own age. His is a style not often imitated well. However, his wry style not often imitated well. However, his wry observations of London and his cherished observations of London and his cherished recollections of past days are models for the recollections of past days are models for the personal essay. personal essay. 23/4/1923/4/19 99

Charles Lamb Charles Lamb Dream Children: a Dream Children: a

ReverieReverie

23/4/1923/4/19 1010