Matthew Arnold's Essays on the Study of Poetry and a Guide to English Literature is a groundbreaking work on literary criticism that explores the nature of poetry and its role in society. This book provides an overview of British literature from Chaucer to the Victorian period, and analyzes the works of major poets such as Shakespeare, Milton, and Wordsworth. Arnold's insights into the relationship between poetry and cultural values continue to be relevant today, making this book essential reading for anyone interested in the study of literature. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.