Edward Dowden

Edward Dowden
Edward Dowden (1843–1913) was an Irish critic, poet, and literary scholar, known for his contributions to the study of English literature. He is particularly noted for his works on Shakespeare, including "Shakespeare: A Critical Study of His Mind and Art" (1875), which gained him considerable recognition. Dowden also wrote an influential biography titled "Life of Percy Bysshe Shelley" (1886), showcasing his interest in Romantic poetry. Additionally, he published several volumes of poetry, blending his academic pursuits with his own creative writing.

Author's Books:


PREFACE French prose and French poetry had interested me during so many years that when Mr. Gosse invited me to write this book I knew that I was qualified in one particular—the love of my subject. Qualified in knowledge I was not, and could not be. No one can pretend to know the whole of a vast literature. He may have opened many books and turned many pages; he cannot have penetrated to the soul of... more...

Chapter I The ancestry of Robert Browning has been traced to an earlier Robert who lived in the service of Sir John Bankes of Corfe Castle, and died in 1746. His eldest son, Thomas, "was granted a lease for three lives of the little inn, in the little hamlet of East Woodyates and parish of Pentridge, nine miles south-west of Salisbury on the road to Exeter." Robert, born in 1749, the son of... more...