A History of Literary Criticism in the Renaissance by Joel Elias Spingarn

"A History of Literary Criticism in the Renaissance" by Joel Elias Spingarn is a scholarly exploration of literary criticism as it developed during the Renaissance, written in the late 19th century. The work primarily examines the influence of Italian criticism on the formation and evolution of modern classicism, with a detailed focus on the critical activities from Dante to Tasso, Du Bellay to Boileau, and Ascham to Milton. The central theme of the book seeks to address how the Renaissance redefined the appreciation of imaginative literature, stressing the importance of beauty and aesthetic consciousness in the evolution of literary criticism. The opening of the essay outlines its intention to trace the history of literary criticism in the Renaissance, dividing it into three main sects: Italian, French, and English criticism. It begins by discussing the mediæval distrust of literature and the necessity for the Renaissance to validate imaginative works. Spingarn articulates the philosophical debates surrounding poetry's justification, establishing the groundwork for modern critical thought by contrasting it with medieval perspectives. Additionally, he emphasizes the return to ancient ideals and the role of Italian humanism as pivotal to the development of the classic spirit in modern literature. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Download for free

For your e-reader or reading app — Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Calibre etc.

Other formats & older devices

About this eBook

Author Spingarn, Joel Elias, 1875-1939
Title A History of Literary Criticism in the Renaissance
With special reference to the influence of Italy in the formation and development of modern classicism
Credits Produced by Siobhan Hillman, Eleni Christofaki and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net
Reading Level Reading ease score: 57.0 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.
Language English
LoC Class PN: Language and Literatures: Literature: General, Criticism, Collections
Subject Criticism
Subject Renaissance
Category Text
eBook-No. 36245
Release Date
Copyright Public domain in the USA.
Downloads 826 downloads in the last 30 days.

Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!