A contemporary of the great poets Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Wordsworth, Robert Southey (1774-1843) is one of the best known of the unread poets; that is, his name is better known than the wo...
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Robert Southey (Byron correctly, if scathingly, rhymed the name with "mouthey") presents a paradox. Arguably the most prolific, inventive, and diversified of the English Romantics, he was early regard...
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Unlike most of the English Romantics, who wrote predominantly either in verse or in prose, Robert Southey--like his friend and brother-in-law Samuel Taylor Coleridge and, to some extent, Walter Scott-...
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Robert Southey, today the least known of the Romantic "Lake Poets," was originally the most prominent. He was also among the most prolific figures of his generation. Having written five major epics an...
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In the following essay, Harris explains Southey's social and political beliefs, their evolution, and how they are reflected in his epic poems, histories, biographies, and essays.
Of all the ...
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In the following essay, Bruce traces the history of Southey's famous children's story and how it metamorphosed over time from a story of three brother bears and a villainous old woman in...
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In the following essay, Misenheimer notes that, although Southey is not considered a major author of the Romantic period, he contributed important works, including his children's story “...
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In the following essay, Saglia compares the text of Southey's last epic poem Roderick, the Last of the Goths with actual historical events, and discusses how the poem reflects Southey's ...
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In the following essay, Madden discusses Southey's critical reputation from his own time through the twentieth century.
Imagine me in this great study of mine from breakfast till dinner, fro...
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In the following essay, Bernhardt-Kabisch discusses one of Southey's least-known poems, A Tale of Paraguay, and explains how this unromantic verse narrative expresses the poet's central ...
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In the following essay, Hoffpauir investigates Southey's epic poetry and points out the three major themes that run through them: the necessity to eliminate evil in the world, the importance of...
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In the following essay, Bernhardt-Kabisch discusses Southey's prose writings, contending that these works are superior to Southey's poetry.
By common opinion, Southey's prose i...
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In the following essay, Meachen analyzes Southey's epic poems in terms of how they reflect the poet's and contemporary society's moral, political, and social ideas. The critic als...
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In the following essay, Meachen discusses Southey's role as a “romanticist” historian and compares his work to that of his contemporary Sharon Turner.
In one of his imaginary c...
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In the following essay, Shortland investigates several explanations for why Southey published The Doctor anonymously, including the idea that the author wished to protect his status as a poet.
Ever...
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Robert Southey
Robert Southey
Critical Essay by R. W. Harris
