Page images
PDF
EPUB

Definitions-Origin of the Drama-Greek Drama-Mysteries and Mira-

cles-The Play of St. Catherine-The Blessed Sacrament-The Har-

rowing of Hell-The Townley, Coventry, and Chester Collections

-Morality Plays-John Skelton's Magnificence-Interludes--John

Heywood-Ralph Roister Doister, by Nicholas Udall-Gorboduc, by

Norton and Sackville-Damon and Pythias-Theatres in London-

George Peele-Robert Greene-Christopher Marlowe-Doctor Faus-

tus-John Lyly-Thomas Kyd-Thomas Nash-William Shakspeare

-His Plays-Classification-Merchant of Venice-King Lear-Corio-

lanus Hamlet--The Genius of Shakspeare-Ben Jonson-Cynthia's

Revels-Masques-The Masque of Beauty-The Sad Shepherd-

Beaumont and Fletcher-Philip Massinger—John Ford-John Web-

ster-Minor Dramatists of the Elizabethan Age-Puritan Influence-

Prynne's Histrio-Mastix-Milton's Comus-Suppression of the Thea-

tres-Drama of the Restoration-Dryden's Comedies and Tragedies

-Rhyming Tragedies-William Davenant-The Rehearsal, by the

Duke of Buckingham-Milton's Samson Agonistes-Wycherly, Con-

greve, Vanbrugh, and Farquhar-Thomas Otway-The Orphan

-Venice Preserved-Nicholas Rowe-The Fair Penitent-Thomas

Southern-Oroonoko-Dryden's Essay on Dramatic Poesy-Rymer

on Tragedy―Jeremy Collier-Gradual Improvement of the Drama-

Steele's The Conscious Lovers-Arthur Bedford vs. the Drama-The

Beggar's Opera-Polly-Political Comedies-The Shakspearian Re-

vival-David Garrick-Goldsmith's She Stoops to Conquer-R. B.

Sheridan-Addison's Cato-Irene, by Dr. Johnson-Home's Douglas

-Byron's Tragedies-Shelley's Prometheus and The Cenci--Bulwer

Lytton-Robert Browning-Tennyson-Swinburne's Tragedies. . . 203

Definitions-Classification-Ballads-Ballads of Robin Hood-The Bal-

lad of Chevy Chase-Scotch Ballads-Waly, Waly!-The Braes of

Yarrow Noteworthy Collections of Ballads-Hymns and Religious

Poems-Hymns not always Poetry-George Herbert's Temple-

Crashaw's Steps to the Temple-Henry Vaughan-Milton's Hymn

on the Nativity-A Christmas Hymn, by Alfred Dommet-Christ's

Victory and Triumph, by Giles Fletcher-The Hymns of Dr. Isaac

Watts-Pope's Messiah, Dying Christian, and Universal Prayer-

Charles Wesley-Moore's Sacred Songs—Byron's Hebrew Melodies—

Henry Hart Milman's Hymns for Church Service-John Keble-The

Christian Year-Love-Lyrics-The Songs of the Troubadours-The

Sonnet-Wyatt, Spenser, Sidney, Shakspeare, Drayton, Drummond,

Milton, Wordsworth--Mrs. Browning's Sonnets from the Portuguese-

Wyatt's Love-Songs-Marlowe's Passionate Shepherd-The Nymph's

Reply, by Raleigh England's Helicon-Sir John Suckling-Robert

Herrick―The Mistress, by Cowley—The Love-Lyrics of Robert Burns

-A Fond Kiss and then We Part-Moore's Love-Lyrics-Genevieve,

and Love, by Coleridge-Songs of Patriotism-Rule Britannia!-

Smollett's Poems-Scott on Patriotism-Burns-Scots Wha hae wi'

Wallace Bled-James Hogg-Moore's Irish Melodies-Ye Mariners

of England-Gray's Bard-Byron and Shelley-American Patriot-

ism-Montgomery and Goldsmith on Patriotism-Battle-Songs—Lau-

rence Minot-Scott's Battle-Scenes-Macaulay-Tennyson and Dray-

ton-Odes-Dryden and Pope on St. Cecilia's Day-Other Famous

Odes — Elegies—Spenser's Astrophel - Milton's Lycidas-Shelley's

Adonais-Tennyson's In Memoriam-Ode on the Death of the Duke

of Wellington-Gray's Elegy-Pope's Elegy on an Unfortunate Lady

-The Dirge in Cymbeline-Collins's Dirge in Cymbeline-Other

Elegies-Miscellaneous Lyrics-Drummond's Poems-Ramsay-Fer-

gusson-Burns-William Blake-Songs of Innocence- Whittier-

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors][merged small]

ENGLISH LITERATURE.

INTRODUCTION.

THE word Literature is used, in its broadest sense, to designate all of the written productions of every age and every people. Properly restricted, however, it refers only to those writings which are, or have been, of general interest to man, and which are the results of labor and the offspring of genius. The literature of a country is, from the very nature of its production, the reflection of the character and the inner life of the people of that country. It acquaints us with matters pertaining to their social and moral condition, and gives us an insight into their modes of action and their manner of thought. Bringing us, as it does, into contact with the master-minds of past ages, and making us familiar with the best thoughts of the greatest thinkers, its study can scarcely fail to exert a powerful influence towards strengthening and refining our own intellectual faculties.

English literature includes all that has been written in the English language,-whether by Englishmen or by Americans, and which from the excellence of its character has been deemed worthy of preservation. The literature of no other people is so interesting or so complete; none have written on such a variety of subjects or with greater care and skill. "It is rare to find," says M. Taine, "a people with a literature so grand. There are few nations

« PreviousContinue »