Joseph Warton Critical Essay | Critical Essay by William Lyon Phelps

Critical Essay by William Lyon Phelps

SOURCE: Phelps, William Lyon. The Beginnings of the English Romantic Movement: A Study in Eighteenth Century Literature, pp. 89-93. Boston: Ginn and Company, 1893.

In the following excerpt, Phelps argues that Joseph Warton is amongst the earliest Romantic writers, and reads selections from his poetry.

Joseph Warton (1722-1800) is one of the most important names in the history of English Romanticism.¹

From the start his sympathy was wholly with the new movement. He sprang enthusiastically into the ranks, burning his bridges in the most reckless manner. In his prose writings he showed himself to be what few men were at that time—a Romanticist, not by accident, but with malice aforethought.

… we are concerned not with his prose, but with his poetry, which sounded some of the earliest and most distinct Romantic tones. He was a follower of Milton, and his poetry is in the Il Penseroso mood; the fondness...
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