《文艺复兴时期文学批评史》以英文原文加中文导读的形式出版，它提出了西方现代批评诞生于文艺复兴的观点，并按该时期文学批评产生的时间顺序呈现了意大利、法国及英国的文学批评状况和成就，着意强调了贺拉斯所代表的古典主义在现代批评产生过程中发挥的不可或缺的作用。1899年出版的这本厚重的专著为今天的读者了解和体认一百多年前的文学理论状态，认识文学批评的本质和发展轨迹提供了一个价值独特的样本。

《文艺复兴时期文学批评史》是外国文学研究文库系列的一本。该系列旨在将国外的文学学界的学术成果及时引进和介绍给我国外国文学学者、学生及爱好者，反映外国文学研究领域在世界范围的发展趋势与前沿探索。
*该系列英文书以原版的形式、非英文书以译本的形式出版，并辅之以国内这一领域的资深学者撰写的导读，帮助读者把握作品的脉络，掌握其思想要点，更全面、更深入地理解作品要义。

乔尔·伊莱亚斯·斯平加恩（Joel Elias Spingarn）是美国教育家和文学批评家，他曾任哥伦比亚大学比较文学教授，是美国比较文学的先驱，著有多部影响深远的作品。

PART FIRST
LITERARY CRITICISM IN ITALY
I. THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM OF RENAISSANCE
CRITICISM
i. Medi?val Conceptions of Poetry.
ii. The Moral Justification of Poetry.
iii. The Final Justification of Poetry.
II. THE GENERAL THEORY OF POETRY IN THE ITALIAN
RENAISSANCE
i. Poetry as a Form of Scholastic Philosophy.
ii. Poetry as an Imitation of Life.
iii. The Function of Poetry.
III. THE THEORY OF THE DRAMA
i. The Subject of Tragedy.
ii. The Function of Tragedy.
iii. The Characters of Tragedy.
iv. The Dramatic Unities.
v. Comedy.
IV. THE THEORY OF EPIC POETRY
i. The Theory of the Epic Poem.
ii. Epic and Romance.
V. THE GROWTH OF THE CLASSIC SPIRIT IN ITALIAN
CRITICISM
i. Humanism.
ii. Aristotelianism.
iii. Rationalism.
VI. ROMANTIC ELEMENTS IN ITALIAN CRITICISM
i. The Ancient Romantic Element.
ii. Medi?val Elements.
iii. Modern Elements.

PART SECOND
LITERARY CRITICISM IN FRANCE
I. THE CHARACTER AND DEVELOPMENT OF FRENCH CRITICISM IN
THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY
i. Character.
ii. Development.II. THE THEORY OF POETRY IN THE FRENCH RENAISSANCE
i. The Poetic Art.
ii. The Drama.
iii. Heroic Poetry.
III. CLASSIC AND ROMANTIC ELEMENTS IN FRENCH CRITICISM
DURING THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY
i. Classical Elements.
ii. Romantic Elements.
IV. THE FORMATION OF THE CLASSIC IDEAL IN THE
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
i. The Romantic Revolt.
ii. The Reaction against the Pléiade.
iii. The Second Influx of Italian Ideas.
iv. The Influence of Rationalistic Philosophy.

PART THIRD
LITERARY CRITICISM IN ENGLAND
I. THE EVOLUTION OF ENGLISH CRITICISM FROM ASCHAM T0
MILTON
II. THE GENERAL THEORY OF POETRY IN THE
ELIZABETHAN AGE
III. THE THEORY OF DRAMATIC AND HEROIC POETRY
i. Tragedy.
ii. Comedy.
iii. The Dramatic Unities.
iv. Epic Poetry.
IV. CLASSICAL ELEMENTS IN ELIZABETHAN CRITICISM
i. Introductory: Romantic Elements.
ii. Classical Metres.
iii. Other Evidences of Classicism.

CONCLUSION

APPENDICES
A. Chronological Table of the Chief Critical
Works of the Sixteenth Century.
B. Salviatis Account of the Commentators on
Aristotles Poetics.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
PART FIRST
LITERARY CRITICISM IN ITALY
I. THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM OF RENAISSANCE
CRITICISM
i. Medi?val Conceptions of Poetry.
ii. The Moral Justification of Poetry.
iii. The Final Justification of Poetry.
II. THE GENERAL THEORY OF POETRY IN THE ITALIAN
RENAISSANCE
i. Poetry as a Form of Scholastic Philosophy.
ii. Poetry as an Imitation of Life.
iii. The Function of Poetry.
III. THE THEORY OF THE DRAMA
i. The Subject of Tragedy.
ii. The Function of Tragedy.
iii. The Characters of Tragedy.
iv. The Dramatic Unities.
v. Comedy.
IV. THE THEORY OF EPIC POETRY
i. The Theory of the Epic Poem.
ii. Epic and Romance.
V. THE GROWTH OF THE CLASSIC SPIRIT IN ITALIAN
CRITICISM
i. Humanism.
ii. Aristotelianism.
iii. Rationalism.
VI. ROMANTIC ELEMENTS IN ITALIAN CRITICISM
i. The Ancient Romantic Element.
ii. Medi?val Elements.
iii. Modern Elements.

PART SECOND
LITERARY CRITICISM IN FRANCE
I. THE CHARACTER AND DEVELOPMENT OF FRENCH CRITICISM IN
THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY
i. Character.
ii. Development.
II. THE THEORY OF POETRY IN THE FRENCH RENAISSANCE
i. The Poetic Art.
ii. The Drama.
iii. Heroic Poetry.
III. CLASSIC AND ROMANTIC ELEMENTS IN FRENCH CRITICISM
DURING THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY
i. Classical Elements.
ii. Romantic Elements.
IV. THE FORMATION OF THE CLASSIC IDEAL IN THE
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
i. The Romantic Revolt.
ii. The Reaction against the Pléiade.
iii. The Second Influx of Italian Ideas.
iv. The Influence of Rationalistic Philosophy.

PART THIRD
LITERARY CRITICISM IN ENGLAND
I. THE EVOLUTION OF ENGLISH CRITICISM FROM ASCHAM T0
MILTON
II. THE GENERAL THEORY OF POETRY IN THE
ELIZABETHAN AGE
III. THE THEORY OF DRAMATIC AND HEROIC POETRY
i. Tragedy.
ii. Comedy.
iii. The Dramatic Unities.
iv. Epic Poetry.
IV. CLASSICAL ELEMENTS IN ELIZABETHAN CRITICISM
i. Introductory: Romantic Elements.
ii. Classical Metres.
iii. Other Evidences of Classicism.

CONCLUSION

APPENDICES
A. Chronological Table of the Chief Critical
Works of the Sixteenth Century.
B. Salviatis Account of the Commentators on
Aristotles Poetics.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX