Early Reviews of English Poets

"Early Reviews of English Poets" by John Louis Haney is a collection that showcases how English poets from the 1700s and 1800s were first seen and reviewed. The book looks at the criticisms these poets faced when their work was new, showing how different those early opinions were from how we see them now. Haney wants to show us how literary criticism can change over time and how it affected the reputations of authors like Gray and Goldsmith, whose initial reviews didn't always match the fame they'd later achieve. The collection sets the stage for understanding how opinions about these poets have changed over time, from the first reactions to today's appreciation.