In the following essay, De Selincourt describes the central theme in Bridges's poetry as the beauty of nature and compares Bridges's treatment of this theme with that of other poets such as Keats, Browning, and Swinburne.

In the following excerpt, Stanford examines Bridges's shorter poems, sonnets, and philosophical poems, and concludes that these works display a complexity and attention to poetic craft that is missing in the works of other poets of his era.

In the following essay, Stanford suggests that while Bridges was actively interested in the free verse movement of much younger poets such as Amy Lowell and Ezra Pound, the older poet nevertheless held to the traditional belief that the subjects of poems should be weighty matters rather than “trivial” items, such as a wheelbarrow, which interested the younger poets.

In the following excerpt, Williams praises Bridges's lyric poetry, asserting that it succeeds in communicating both the ideals and physical existence of such abstractions as beauty and joy.

In the following excerpt, Weygandt describes Bridges as a talented but nevertheless minor poet whose works can best be understood and appreciated after four or more readings.

In the following essay, Beum argues against the modern opinion that Bridges's poetry is merely concerned with “flowers” and meter rather than with serious and complicated ideas.

In the following excerpt, Fairchild characterizes Bridges as a “noble bore” whose poetry reflects a central concern for preserving Victorian values and beliefs.

In the following review of The Testament of Beauty, Walton describes the poem as Bridges's attempt to reevaluate his beliefs in beauty and human spirituality in the face of a society that has changed dramatically since his youth.

In the following excerpt, Beach observes that Bridges's poetry reflects his training as a physician as well as his conservative Victorian background.

In the following review of the Poetical Works of Robert Bridges, the poet's verse is positively described as “slow-moving” and underscored with a “dreamy languor.”

In the following review of The Testament of Beauty, Porter asserts that the poem reflects Bridges's belief that humanity and nature are “interdependent” and that they are “linked” together by beauty.

In the following review of The Shorter Poems of Robert Bridges, Walton contends that while Bridges was not an innovative poet, he was in fact “a marvelous technician,” especially in regard to the short, lyric form.