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Haney, John Louis

"Early Reviews of English Poets"


69) on _Men and Women_ (1855) published fifteen years after _Sordello_.
The critic reverted to the earlier style, and produced one of the most
readable reviews of Browning. Whatever may be the final verdict yet to
be passed upon Browning's poetic achievement, the fact remains that the
contemporary reviews from first to last deplored in his work a
deliberate obscurity which was wholly unwarranted and which precluded
the universal appeal that is essential to a poet's greatness.
189. _Della Crusca of Sentimentalism_. Robert Merry (1755-1798) under
the name Della Crusca became the leader of a set of poetasters who
flourished during the poetic dearth at the end of the eighteenth century
and poured forth their rubbish until William Gifford exposed their
follies in his satires _The Baviad_ (1794) and _The Maeviad_ (1795).
189. _Alexander Smith_. A Scotch poet (1830-1867).
189. _Mystic of Bailey_. Philip James Bailey (1816-1902), best known as
the author of _Festus_, published _The Mystic_ in 1855.
192. _Hudibras Butler, etc._ Samuel Butler, author of _Hudibras_
(1663-78); Richard H.


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