History of English Humour, Vol. 2
is a schol arly examinationofhumorinEnglish literaturewritteninthe late19th century. TheworkdelvesintovariousaspectsofEnglishhumorthroughde tailedanalysisofprominentwriters, theirstyles, andtheevolutionofcomedic forms such as parody and burlesque. The author's intent is to shed light on how humor has been reflected across different eras and genres, show casing a wide range of works and their implications within society. The opening of this volume introduces the concept of burlesque and parody, explaining their roles in humor through the lens of notable figures like John Philips, Alexander Pope, and Ambrose Philips. L'Estrange discusses signifi cantparodiessuchasthe"SplendidShilling,"highlightinghowtheseliterary forms have created connections between societal observations and personal grievances. He sets the stage for exploring additional chapters dedicated to the works of other humorists, emphasizing how humor can serve both as entertainment and as a mirror to societal norms and conditions Moore considered that the original genius of Byron was for satire, and he certainly first became known by his "English Bards and Scotch Reviewers." Nevertheless, his humorous productions are very small compared with his sentimental. It might perhaps have been expected that his mind would as sumeagloomyandcynicalcomplexion. Hispersonalinfirmity, withwhich, in his childhood, even his mother was wont to taunt him, might well have begotten a severity similar to that of Pope. Thepressureoffriends andcred itors led him, while a mere stripling, to form an uncongenial alliance with a stern puritan, who, while enjoying his renown, sought to force his soaring genius into the trammels of commonplace conventionalities. On his refus ing, a clamour was raised against him, and those who were too dull to criti cise his writings were fully equal to the task of finding fault with his morals. It may be said that he might have smiled at these attacks, and conscious of his power, have replied to his social as well as literary critics
Customer Reviews
ThriftBooks ® and the ThriftBooks ® logo are registered trademarks of Thrift Books Global, LLC
