num_pages: 592
description: Here is a substantial selection of Samuel Johnson's magisterial and unforgettable portraits of the lives of the English poets of the 17th and 18th centuries. Originally covering the lives of 52 poets with the primary focus on Milton Dryden Swift and Pope Johnson's Lives was described by Thomas Gray as a compendious story of a whole important age in English literature told by a great man and in a performance which is itself a piece of English literature of the first class. Unsentimental opinionated and quotable The Lives of the Poets continues to influence the reputations of the writers concerned. This selection - featuring the lives of eleven of the most important poets - draws from Roger Lonsdale's authoritative complete edition. It includes an engaging introduction helpful notes and an up-to-date bibliography. Its publication coincides with the 300th anniversary of Johnson's birth in September 1709.
language: English
title: The Lives of the Poets
publisher: Oxford University Press