The word "romantic" has so many varied meanings that C. S. Lewis quipped it should be deleted from our vocabulary. Yet, from the perspective of English literature, "romantic" is associated, first and foremost, with the poetry of Romanticism, the movement that accentuated the aesthetic value of emotion, human experience, and the majesty of nature.

In this volume, the finest works of the second generation of Romantic Poets – Byron, Shelley and Keats – are assembled in an accessible and yet scholarly manner, together with a selection of contemporary criticism by tradition-oriented experts, in order to introduce these poets to a new generation of readers. This second work follows the initial volume featuring the first generation of Romantic Poets: Blake, Wordsworth, and Coleridge.

While the first generation of Romantic Poets were sympathetic to Christianity, this group of Byron, Shelley and Keats were largely hostile to the Christian Faith. And yet, in spite of this, much of their finest work shines forth the goodness, truth and beauty which is itself a manifestation of the Divine.

Every lover of English literature should know the Romantic Poets, and why this 28th volume in the Ignatius Critical Editions should be a part of every literature lover's library.

The ICE Series

The Ignatius Critical Editions represent a tradition-oriented alternative to popular textbook series, and are designed to concentrate on traditional readings of the Classics of world literature. While many modern critical editions have succumbed to the fads of modernism and postmodernism, this series will concentrate on tradition-oriented criticism of these great works. The series is ideal for anyone wishing to understand the great works of Western Civilization, enabling the modern reader to enjoy these classics in the company of some of the finest literature professors alive today. This book is the 28th volume in the ICE series.