The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-16
A MODEL LITERATURE BOOK.

OF EnglSn PROFESSORS, THIS OefHldn Irlch VI Plh-
osophnng art and fobbing off distractions for
things at its most rampant, at its most danger
ous in your literary handbooks, which, for con-
yenience sake, obliterate al that is vital to the
work you ought to be studying, to chatter about
schools influences, 'revivals, 'Icvolts, ten
denotes, reactions
Come: shall we make such Handbook of
English Literature togetheri 1t can be done, and
completed, in five minutes or SO, as thus
"a Short History of English Literdture/
''Roman occupation Of Britain. $50 years.
Reason why no results.
~''Extirpation of colonists by sturdy Anglo
Saxon race. Beopulf Book of our origins;
sour Genesis; mot one word about England in
the poem No school of Beosrulf Surprise at this.
"Story Of CAEDMoN, a cowherd. No school OF
CAEDNoN Surprise at this.
"Rise of Anglo-Saxon Prose under AEFRED,
ORosIus BoETH1Us. Collapse of Anglo-Saxon
Prose. Surprise at this. Conjectural explanation.
Norman Conquest. Consequent applicable in
yasion of Norman French influence. LAYAMoNS
Br1t. WAGE GBoFFREY of Monmouth. Sturdy
persistence Of Anglo Saxon. Significance Of Piers
Plowmdn.
All! Chaucer! What Relief
Tendencies producing CHAUcEE's debt to Ital-
ian influences, to French influences, to other in
fuenees. CHAUUR's Infections. CHAUCR's word
endings. Influence of CHAucER Scottish Chau-
cerians. English school Of CHAUCER Decline OF
Chaucerian tradition General tendency (shared
by us) to look everywhere but in the right place.
LYpaATE and HoccIEvE writing bad poetry, but
improving Middle English editings Transition
period (which means we haven't much to say just
hereabout).
"Italianate Revival; French Plead; Influence
Producing WYATT and SURREY School Of WYATT
and SURREY The Renaissance, The New Learning:
COLUMBUS discovers America Surprise at this.
Sir THOMAS MORE at home In Chelsea. Simultane
GUS rise of the Drama. Evolution Of the Miracle
Play The Miracle Play superseded by the Moral
ity. Evolution of the Drama. Evolution of BlaRk
Verse SHAKEsPEARE-his Comedies-his TRACE
dies-his Historical plays-his Indebtedness to his
times-his many -sidedness Will-his second
best bed-his romanticism. Classicism Of BEN
JoNsoN. Reaction (metaphysical) led by DONNIE
The mystical school. The Platonical school NIL
TONS Indebtedness to the Copernican system. Ten
dency Of WALLER, DRYDEN, POPE Decline Of meta
physical school Rise of the classical school Tyran
ny Of the pamphlet, rise Of the Essay, rise of the
Novel. Tendency to write like GRAY, or COLLINS:
tendency to admire Dr. JOHNSON: tendency not to
admire DR.. JOHNSON SO much-tendency to make
up on the swings what you have lost on the round
abouts: tendency to be CowPER or CRABBE: all these
tendencies eliminating in Romantic revolt Nat
ufalism (alias WORDSWORTH mysticism (alias
CoLERDGE), deism (alias SHELLEY, the revolu-
tonary spirit (aias ByRoN), and sensuous natural
ism (alias kEATs). Exhaustion of Tendencies. Re
form Act of 1s32-its devastating influence on
English Literature, and especially on its study in
Cambridge Albeit we have heard it rumored that in
later generation TENNYsoN, BROWNING, CARLYLE,
RUsKIN, ARNOLD, MORRIS and others made spirit
ed attempt to revive the interplay of those tenden
cies and reactions which we.have been considering,
at this point We down the curtain and count the
takings."
To Come to the Point
To quote these particular Studies at this length
is unfair to one of the most delightful and salu-
tary volumes of the day. 1t gives You no taste of
the charming land whimsically entitled) opening
essay, The Commerce of Thought. It slight Sir
ARTHUR's good sense about all the pother over
WATTs-DUNToN as fatal duenna to Sw1NBURNE