A History of Literary Criticism in the Renaissance: With special reference to the influence of Italy in the formation and development of modern classicism

Description

Trace the intellectual revolution that shaped modern literature in Joel Elias Spingarn's comprehensive study of Renaissance literary criticism. The Renaissance was not just a period of artistic production but a transformation of how literature was understood, evaluated, and canonized. Spingarn examines the critical movements that defined the era, from the early humanist revivals to the formalized neoclassicism that dominated the seventeenth century.\n\nWith special focus on the profound influence of Italian humanism on northern European thought, the book maps how Italian theories of poetic form and classical imitation migrated across the Alps to form the bedrock of modern literary theory. Spingarn demonstrates that the contemporary understanding of what makes a text great is rooted in these centuries-old debates. Essential reading for students of literary history, classicists, and anyone interested in the genealogy of modern criticism.