The Vagabond in Literature

"The Vagabond in Literature" by Arthur Compton-Rickett is a study of authors seen as literary wanderers from the 20th century. It looks at the idea of the "Vagabond" as a specific type of character in literature. Compton-Rickett focuses on writers who have a restless soul and a love for the world, challenging societal norms in their works. The book covers the lives and writings of famous people like William Hazlitt, Thomas De Quincey, and Walt Whitman, demonstrating how their vagabond qualities show up in what they wrote. He explains that a "vagabond" is not necessarily a bad thing but a way to examine writers who enjoy exploring, both physically and mentally. The author points out key traits of this kind of person: being restless, a deep love for nature, and a sense of detachment from society showing how these personal qualities affected their writing and what they added to literature.