dr mohit k ray

oparative Study of the Indian Poetics and the Western Poetics . New Delhi : Sarup & Sons, 2008.

George Saintsbury's A History of English Criticism . New Delhi : Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, 2004.

Preface:

This volume is intended to serve the current needs of the students of English literature. Any compilation of this kind is invariably fraught with various problems. The most difficult problem is the problem of selection of the entries. The vast expanse of English literature spreading over fifteen centuries - from Beowulf to the present time – with so many eminent makers of the English literature, and the huge, significant body of literature produced during the period form almost an insurmountable problem in mapping them out within the limited space of a companion.

The problem is further aggravated by the rise of New Literatures in English, or literatures originally written in English in different countries outside the British Isles In fact, it is an incontrovertible fact now that more literature in English is produced outside the United Kingdom than within it. That these literatures are of no less significance in the richness if content, experimentations with form and language, and perception of life. would be evident from the list of Nobel Laureates ,Booker winners and winners of many other literary awards.

In view of the above, and in recognition of the significance of the New Literatures in English, a special emphasis has been given on the writers of these literatures in general and the Indian English literature in particular.

Another important feature of this companion is to devote some reasonable attention to the ‘minor' authors who are often marginalized if not completely left out in most companions. Many a neglected author may have the potentiality to become a major author with the passage of time. John Donne (1571/1572 -1631) is a typical example. Even in the Victorian period, in Palgrave's famous anthology, The Golden Treasury of Songs and Lyrics (1861) running to five books, there is no place for Donne. But, thanks to Grierson ,and later Eliot's essay on the metaphysical poets, Donne is now considered as major poet with modern sensibility. In this companion efforts have been made to avoid such critical myopia

Another significant departure from the prevalent norm is to give a broad outline of the story while the general practice is to give a short account of the plot structure of a literary work. The purpose is to make it a pleasant reading and ensure that the student has a fairly good idea of the story which he /she cannot have from a brief plot structure.

A very distinctive feature of this companion is to give a biographical note before getting down to the writings of an author. Knowledge of the basics of an author's biography often helps in better understanding his/her works though, we must hasten to add, it does not affect the evaluation of a work.

A companion should be judged not by omissions but by commissions, because the left outs will always far outnumber the entries, and there is no end to the questions like ‘Why not this author?' and ‘Why not that book?'. However, a very special care has been taken to meet the needs of students and the curiosity of all those who love literature in English in its infinitely varied forms.

In compiling this volume Mr D.S.Paul, Ms Sudha Prasad and Ms Najmussehar have taken great pains for a number of years, with alert attention to minutest details, to make it as fault-free as possible. I am grateful to them. For the mistakes that might have escaped their notice I alone am responsible.

Since information used in this volume has been gleaned from innumerable sources it is not possible to acknowledge them individually; we acknowledge our debts to all of them.

Special thanks are due to Dr K.R.Gupta, Chairman, Atlantic Publishers and Distributors (P) Ltd for feeling the need of the students and for seeing the book through the press to meet their need..

I am sure that the students of English literature as well as the general readers of English literature will find this volume a very dependable and useful companion

Mohit K. Ray