Pre-Raphaelite and other Poets

"Pre-Raphaelite and Other Poets" by Lafcadio Hearn is a carefully chosen assortment of literary talks that shines a light on significant poets from the later 1800s, especially those linked to the Pre-Raphaelite group. The book, put together by John Erskine, is made up of Hearn's thoughtful reviews given to his students in Japan, showing his great respect for poets like Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Algernon Charles Swinburne, and Robert Browning. The book seeks to give a fresh look at modern poetry using Hearn's easy-to-understand but deep comments. The beginning of the book explains the background of Hearn's lectures, stressing how important they are for literature students. Erskine talks about Hearn's special method of criticism, pointing out how his basic yet smart summaries helped explain the complicated ideas inside these poets' works. Then, Hearn's study of Rossetti starts the collection, proving the poet's special spot in Victorian literature, and comparing his old-fashioned feelings with those of his peers. Hearn's thorough looks at Rossetti's poetry show the strong feelings and lovely structure found in the works he talks about, which creates excitement for more studies of the other poets in this set.