ABSTRACT
One of the most fascinating characters in English literature, it is unfortunate that with the exception of his hymns, his lyrics do not represent the different stages of his development; they do not spring from years of thought and experience, for they are sparks struck out in youth by his vigorous nature…. They were first published a few months after his death, but they had long circulated in manuscript, working as great a change in English poetry as though they had gone through edition after edition.
