'Sonnets of This Century' Summary

This comprehensive anthology of English sonnets of the Nineteenth Century contains 270 poems by 126 different authors. It includes well-known poets, like Keats, Shelley and Wordsworth, as well as some obscure ones. The editor, William Sharp, outlines the purpose of the collection as follows: "For the concise expression of an isolated poetic thought an intellectual or sensuous wave keenly felt, emotionally and rhythmically the sonnet would seem to be the best medium. To bring this more clearly home to the mind of the reader unacquainted with the true scope of our sonnet-literature and of the technique of the sonnet itself, and to illustrate its development and capacity, is the aim of this collection." This is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the sonnet form or in 19th century English poetry.