The collected works of William Hazlitt, Vol. 05 (of 12)

About this book

The volume is the fifth in a twelve‑part collected edition of William Hazlitt’s writings, gathering his 1818–1819 lectures on English poetry delivered at the Surrey Institution. The opening pages present the bibliographic details of the original 8vo publication, a brief advertisement for Hazlitt’s Characters of Shakespeare’s Plays, and a contents list that outlines eight lectures ranging from Chaucer and Spenser to the living poets of his day. The text begins with an expansive introductory lecture in which Hazlitt defines poetry as a “natural impression of any object or event,” arguing that it is the language of imagination and feeling, capable of turning ordinary experience into a universal, emotional resonance. This opening sets the tone for a systematic exploration of poetic form, subject‑matter, and the moral significance Hazlitt attributes to the poetic imagination.

Hazlitt’s voice is vigorous and rhetorical, steeped in the early‑19th‑century essay tradition. His prose blends philosophical speculation with vivid metaphor, employing frequent allusions to classical and contemporary literature while maintaining a conversational cadence that seeks to persuade as much as to inform. Readers who relish dense, argument‑driven criticism, particularly those interested in Romantic-era aesthetics, the history of literary criticism, or the cultural context of early Victorian England, will find this work rewarding. It appeals to scholars and general readers alike who appreciate a passionate, almost theatrical defense of poetry’s role in shaping human experience.