M. H. Abrams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids M. H. Abrams
Born	Meyer Howard Abrams (1912-07-23)July 23, 1912 Long Branch, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	April 21, 2015(2015-04-21) (aged 102) Ithaca, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Other names	Mike Abrams
Education	Harvard University Magdalene College, Cambridge
Alma mater	Harvard University
Occupation	Literary critic
Known for	The Norton Anthology of English Literature, The Mirror and the Lamp

Meyer Howard Abrams (July 23, 1912 – April 21, 2015), often called M. H. Abrams, was an important American literary critic. He was known for his work on romanticism in literature. His famous book, The Mirror and the Lamp, explored these ideas. Abrams also helped edit The Norton Anthology of English Literature. This book became a very popular textbook for college students studying English literature. It also helped decide which literary works were important.

Growing Up and School

Meyer Howard Abrams was born in Long Branch, New Jersey. His parents were immigrants from Eastern Europe. His father was a house painter. M. H. Abrams was the first person in his family to go to college. He started at Harvard University in 1930. He chose to study English because there were not many jobs in other fields. He thought he might as well enjoy what he studied.

After getting his first degree in 1934, he won a special scholarship. This allowed him to study at Magdalene College, Cambridge in England. He then returned to Harvard for more studies. He earned his master's degree in 1937 and his Ph.D. in 1940.

A Career in Literature

During World War II, Abrams worked at a special lab at Harvard. He helped solve problems with voice communication for the military. This involved making military codes easy to hear. He also helped create tests to find people who were good at hearing sounds in noisy places.

In 1945, Abrams became a professor at Cornell University. Many famous writers and critics were his students. These included Harold Bloom, Gayatri Spivak, and Thomas Pynchon. He was chosen as a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1963. He also became a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1973. He taught at Cornell for many years.

Personal Life

M. H. Abrams was married to his wife, Ruth, for 71 years. She passed away in 2008. He turned 100 years old in July 2012. Abrams died on April 21, 2015, in Ithaca, New York. He was 102 years old.

The Mirror and the Lamp

This book is one of Abrams's most famous works. In it, he explains how people thought about literature. Before the Romantic period, literature was often seen as a mirror. It was thought to reflect the real world exactly. But for the Romantics, writing was more like a lamp. The writer's inner feelings and ideas shone out to light up the world.

In 1998, The Mirror and the Lamp was named one of the 100 greatest non-fiction books. This was by the Modern Library.

The Norton Anthology of English Literature

Abrams was the main editor for The Norton Anthology. He also edited the section on the Romantic Period (1798–1832). He helped decide which writers and their works were important.

For example, in his introduction to Lord Byron, he talked about Byron's ideas. He linked them to Nietzsche's idea of the "superman." About Percy Bysshe Shelley, Abrams wrote that Shelley's short life was sad. Even though he meant well, he often caused problems for himself and those he loved.

How Literary Theories Are Grouped

The classification used by Abrams

Abrams suggested that literary theories can be put into four main groups:

• Mimetic Theories: These look at how a literary work relates to the real world.
• Pragmatic Theories: These focus on how a literary work affects its audience.
• Expressive Theories: These are interested in the connection between the work and the writer.
• Objective Theories: These involve a close look at the literary work itself.

Works by M. H. Abrams

• The Mirror and the Lamp: Romantic Theory and the Critical Tradition (1953) ISBN: 978-0-19-501471-6
• The Poetry of Pope: a selection (1954) ISBN: 978-0-88295-067-9
• Literature and Belief: English Institute essays, 1957. (1957) editor ISBN: 978-0-231-02278-1
• A Glossary of Literary Terms (Geoffrey Harpham, 1957; 9th ed. 2009) ISBN: 978-1-4130-3390-8
• English Romantic Poets: modern essays in criticism (1960) ISBN: 978-0-19-501946-9
• The Norton Anthology of English Literature (1962) founding editor, many later editions
• Natural Supernaturalism: Tradition and Revolution in Romantic Literature (1971) ISBN: 978-0-393-00609-4
• The Correspondent Breeze: essays on English Romanticism (1984) ISBN: 978-0-393-30340-7
• Doing Things with Texts: essays in criticism and critical theory (1989) ISBN: 978-0-393-02713-6
• The Fourth Dimension of a Poem and Other Essays (2012) ISBN: 978-0-393-05830-7