Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein, a story she wrote at the age of 19, is still a popular tale to this day. The novel is studied here in terms of its Romantic elements. Other works examined include Mathilda and The Last Man.
Walt Whitman transcended the conventional sentiments and romanticized morality of his era with a body of work that incorporated new poetic forms and controversial subject matter. This volume examines Whitman’s innovations with an introduction by Professor Harold Bloom, an extensive biography of Whitman, and a critical analysis of his work, including "Leaves of Grass."
Ralph Waldo Emerson (Bloom's Classic Critical Views)
Ralph Waldo Emerson was a key figure of the American Renaissance of the mid-19th century. His essay "Nature" is considered one of the most influential works in American history, and he inspired the likes of Whitman, Thoreau, and Dickinson. This volume from the new Bloom's "Classic Critical Views" series features compelling essays from the 19th and early 20th centuries that offer students unique historical insights into a visionary whose works have remained relevant for generations.
A key figure in the development of American literature, nineteenth-century novelist and short-story writer Nathaniel Hawthorne is perhaps best known for his novels The Scarlet Letter, The Marble Faun, and The House of the Seven Gables. Also among his major achievements are numerous stories including "My Kinsman, Major Molineux," "Young Goodman Brown," and "The Minister's Black Veil." Hawthorne, perhaps more so than any other writer of his time, continued in the English literary tradition while taking as his subject the early history of New England.
Fourteenth-century author, poet, and civil servant Geoffrey Chaucer has delighted readers through the ages with his colorful tales filled with humanity, grace, and strength. He is best known for "The Canterbury Tales", a vibrant account of life in England during his own day. This volume from the new "Bloom's Classic Critical Views" series offers students essays from the 14th to the early 20th centuries that present a historical look at Chaucer's abiding literary influence.
