ABSTRACT
One of the best and earliest attempts in England to naturalize the sonnet is to be found in the pages of the gallant Surrey, whose compositions in this department, making due allowance for the imperfect state of the language in which he wrote, have a simplicity and chastity in their style and thought which merit every encomium. Our romantic Spenser, likewise, has endeavoured to transfuse the ease and amenity of the Petrarchian stanza. It is scarcely necessary to say that he has completely failed. In his long series of sonnets the critic will recognise many of the trifling conceits of the Italian, but find little to recompense the trouble of research.
