Poems and Ballads (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Algernon Charles Swinburne
- First Published: 1866
- Genres: Poetry, Lyric poetry, Ballad
- Subjects: Sex or sexuality, Nineteenth century, Poetry or poets, Beauty, England or English people, Death or dying, Victorian era or Victorianism, Evil
Critical Evaluation:
Poems and Ballads, published in three series, contains the major part of Algernon Charles Swinburne’s great lyric poetry. Whether the first series of these remarkable poems brought him fame or notoriety is a debatable question. One critic has called him the most immoral of all English poets and has pointed to Poems and Ballads: First Series as the most obscene book of poetry in the English language. Other critics, like George Meredith and John Ruskin, were fascinated by Swinburne’s rich melodies and technical virtuosity. These two opinions...
[The entire page is 2014 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
See Also
