SOURCE: Parrinder, Patrick. “Victorian Criticism: The Republic of Letters.” In Authors and Authority: English and American Criticism 1750-1990, pp. 117-206. London: Macmillan, 1991.

In the following excerpt, originally published in 1977, Parrinder examines the writings of several major Victorian literary critics.

The Definition of Literary Culture

In Shelley's poem ‘Julian and Maddalo’, the poet's friendship with Byron is recaptured at certain moments with supreme naturalness. Arriving before Maddalo is up one morning, Julian observes the Count's baby daughter, whose eyes gleam

With such deep meaning, as we never see But in the human countenance: 

He then starts to play with the child, and so

                    after her first shyness was worn out We sate there, rolling billiard balls about, When the Count entered … 

In romantic criticism, as well as poetry, we are able to meet the creative genius face to face. Romantic egotism, even while it exalts the poet and puts...