Robert Bloomfield, Romanticism and the Poetry of Community

Until now, no modern critic has undertaken a full-length study of Robert Bloomfield in the context of the work of other Romantic poets. White's authoritative study demonstrates that Bloomfield's verse was key to the evolution of the lyric and literary ballad and was pivotal in the development of Romanticism. He also shows that, in fashioning a distinctive poetics of rural life, Bloomfield emphasized the importance of local tradition and community in the lives of labouring people.