The Spirit Of The Age

The Spirit of the Age is a collection of essays written by William Hazlitt, a prominent English literary critic and essayist of the 19th century. The essays were originally published in the Edinburgh Review between 1814 and 1825, and were later compiled into a book in 1825. In this book, Hazlitt provides insightful and critical commentary on the literary and cultural figures of his time, including poets, novelists, philosophers, politicians, and artists. He offers his opinions on the works of William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, and John Keats, among others. Hazlitt's essays are known for their passionate and sometimes controversial arguments, as he often takes a contrarian stance on popular figures and ideas of his time. He also delves into broader cultural and political issues, such as the French Revolution and the role of the artist in society. Overall, The Spirit of the Age provides a fascinating glimpse into the literary and cultural landscape of early 19th century England, as seen through the eyes of one of its most influential critics.Mr. Gifford has no pretensions to be thought a man of genius, of taste, or even of general knowledge. He merely understands the mechanical and instrumental part of learning. He is a critic of the last age, when the different editions of an author, or the dates of his several performances were all that occupied the inquiries of a profound scholar, and the spirit of the writer or the beauties of his style were left to shift for themselves, or exercise the fancy of the light and superficial reader. In studying an old author, he has no notion of any thing beyond adjusting a point, proposing a different reading, or correcting, by the collation of various copies, an error of the press.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.