The Cambridge Companion to English Literature, 1740}}}1830 [Hardcover]

This 2004 volume offers an introduction to British literature that challenges the traditional divide between eighteenth-century and Romantic studies.This volume offers an introduction to British literature that challenges the traditional divide between eighteenth-century and Romantic studies. Contributors explore the development of literary genres and modes through a period of rapid change. They show how literature was shaped by historical factors including the development of the book trade, the rise of literary criticism and the expansion of commercial society and empire. The wide scope of the collection, juxtaposing canonical authors with those now gaining new attention from scholars, makes it essential reading for students of eighteenth-century literature and Romanticism.This volume offers an introduction to British literature that challenges the traditional divide between eighteenth-century and Romantic studies. Contributors explore the development of literary genres and modes through a period of rapid change. They show how literature was shaped by historical factors including the development of the book trade, the rise of literary criticism and the expansion of commercial society and empire. The wide scope of the collection, juxtaposing canonical authors with those now gaining new attention from scholars, makes it essential reading for students of eighteenth-century literature and Romanticism.Offering an introduction to British literature challenging traditional eighteenth-century and Romantic studies, this Companion explores the development of literary genres and modes in a period of rapid change. Its contributors demonstrate how literature was influenced by such historical factors as the development of the book trade, the rise of literary criticism and the expansion of commercial society and empire. Linking established authors with those gaining new attention from scholars, the collection's broad scope makes it essential reading for students of eighteenth-cenl'