The Bridling of Pegasus: Prose Papers on Poetry

"The Bridling of Pegasus: Prose Papers on Poetry" by Alfred Austin is a collection of essays exploring the principles of poetry, written in the early 20th century. The author, who served as Poet Laureate of England, analyzes various elements of poetry, arguing for the adherence to established canons of literary criticism, emphasizing the necessity of musicality and clarity in poetic works. Through his writings, Austin seeks to clarify the confusion that contemporary literary criticism has created in the public perception of poetry. The opening of the book introduces the central premise that the decline of authoritative literary standards has led to a diluted understanding of what constitutes great poetry. Austin vividly argues that true poetry must possess both melodiousness and lucidity, suggesting that the essential qualities of great poets and their works have been overshadowed by an influx of lesser talents. He sets out to restore the concept of enduring standards in poetry, illustrating his points with references to historical poets and their lasting influence, emphasizing the need for clarity in understanding poetic texts without the obscurity that has unfortunately emerged in modern literary critique. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Alfred Austin was an English poet who was appointed Poet Laureate in 1896, after an interval following the death of Tennyson, when the other candidates had either caused controversy or refused the honour. It was claimed that he was being rewarded for his support for the Conservative leader Lord Salisbury in the General Election of 1895. Austin's poems are little remembered today, his most popular work being prose idylls celebrating nature. Wilfred Scawen Blunt wrote of him, “He is an acute and ready reasoner, and is well read in theology and science. It is strange his poetry should be such poor stuff, and stranger still that he should imagine it immortal.”