"The Mirror and the Lamp: Romantic Theory and the Critical Tradition" by M.H. Abrams is one of the most influential works in literary criticism. Published in 1953, it explores the shift in literary theory from the neoclassical to the Romantic era. Below is a detailed explanation of the book, chapter by chapter, with key ideas and analysis.
📘 Overview and Central Metaphors
Abrams uses two central metaphors:
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Mirror: Represents neoclassical theory — literature reflects the external world (objective reality).
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Lamp: Represents Romantic theory — literature shines from within the author, expressing internal feelings, imagination, and creativity.
🧠 Main Argument
Literary criticism evolved from objective imitation (classical thought) to subjective expression (Romanticism). Abrams traces this transformation, showing how the poet's inner world became central in Romantic literature.
🧩 Chapter-Wise Detailed Summary
Chapter 1: Orientation of Critical Theories
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Abrams classifies all literary theories based on four elements:
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Work (the poem or literary text)
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Artist (the author)
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Audience (the reader)
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Universe (the world or reality)
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Neoclassical criticism focused on the universe and audience (how well a text imitates nature or affects the reader).
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Romantic criticism emphasizes the artist — the poet’s mind, feelings, and imagination.
Quote:
“The mirror held up to nature became the lamp illuminating the world from within.”
Chapter 2: The Expressive Theory
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Discusses how Romanticism prioritized originality, emotion, and individual genius.
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Poetry is seen as a spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings (Wordsworth).
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The poet is not just copying the world but creating from their emotional and spiritual experience.
Chapter 3: The Growth of the Expressive Theory
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Examines how Romantic thinkers like Coleridge, Shelley, and Wordsworth developed expressive theory.
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Focus on imagination as a divine or transformative power.
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Literature becomes a reflection of inner truth, not outer facts.
Chapter 4: Coleridge and the Imaginative Mind
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Abrams gives special importance to Coleridge.
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Coleridge believed imagination was a god-like creative power, different from mere fancy (which just rearranges).
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Poets, through imagination, create new realities, not just representations.
Chapter 5: The Romantic Image of the Poet
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The poet becomes a prophet, seer, or visionary.
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Romantic poets saw themselves as spiritual leaders who reveal deeper truths.
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Poetry is thus an expression of the soul.
Chapter 6: The Decline of Neoclassicism
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Abrams explains how 18th-century criticism gave way to Romanticism.
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Earlier, writers followed rules (e.g., Aristotle’s Poetics), imitated classical models, and emphasized reason.
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Romanticism rejected this, celebrating emotion, freedom, and nature.
🌟 Key Contributions of the Book
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Shows how critical focus shifted from objective to subjective.
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Introduced the now-common classification of literary theories by their focus: mimetic, pragmatic, expressive, and objective.
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Gave us the now-famous mirror vs. lamp metaphor.
📚 Important Quotes with Analysis
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“The romantic theory of poetry is the theory of the poem as the expression of a poet’s feelings.”
➤ Emphasizes the internal, emotional origin of poetry in Romanticism. -
“The mirror is passive, the lamp active.”
➤ Symbolizes the shift from copying reality to illuminating it with creativity. -
“Imagination... dissolves, diffuses, dissipates in order to recreate.” – Coleridge
➤ Creativity is not reproduction, but transformation.🖋
Final Thoughts
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Abrams's book marks a revolution in literary criticism, helping us understand how and why literature moved from classical restraint to Romantic freedom.
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The lamp remains a powerful symbol of personal expression, still influencing modern views on art and literature.
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