Critical Approval of Samuel Jonson's Works

Critical Approval of Samuel Jonson's Works

Samuel Johnson, a prominent English writer of the early eighteenth

century, brought vivid life to the literary realm of that era. He is

known by many to be a writer of great intellect, thought, and positive

influence in the writings of literary to follow. Johnson has been

hailed as a literary giant in his day, as well as in present times.

Samuel Johnson is a great writer because of the critical approval of

specific elements, namely his intellectual perspective, his broad

knowledge, and his biographical interest.

The first element for which the critics have praised Johnson is his

broad knowledge. He had once opened a school named Edial at

Staffordshire as was said by John Wain in his book Johnson on Johnson.

It was opened on December 1735 or early 1736, but then on 1737 The

Edial School is closed.[1] Though the school was closed, Johnson did

not disappoint. His knowledge is not limited only to his period of

time. He knew the history before his decade, for example the

metaphysical writers very well. His work for instance the Dictionary

absorbed a lot of his knowledge. As M. J. C. Hodgart in his book

Samuel Johnson and his Times says, "The quotations in the Dictionary

show how widely and carefully Johnson had read in the

seventeenth-century scientist, from Bacon to Newton, and specially in

those of the great age of the Royal Society, which had ended before

his birth, in Boylem Glanvill, and Ray. It is certain that he had an

excellence understanding of what he read …"[2] Started in 1757 and

finished in 1764, Samuel Johnson did the edition of William

Shakespeare. A marvelous work was done ...

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12. Ibid., p.531

13. Wain, Johnson on Johnson, 116

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1. John Wain, E. P. Dutton &Co., Inc. NY 1976 Johnson on Johnson, 236

2. M.J.C. Hoidgart, Samuel HJohnson and his Times, B. T. Batsford Ltd.

London 1962, p.43

3.W. Fackson Bate, Samuel Johnson, Counter point D.C. 1998, p.395

4. Ibid., p 401.

5. Ibid., 396.

6. The library of Literary Criticism of English and American Authors,

Volume III, 1730-1784, edited by Charles Well s Moulton Gloucester,

Mass !959. 720

7. Ibid., 763

8. Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800 , James P. Draper, James E.

Person, Gale Research, Inc. Detroit London, 1991, 176.

9. Samuel Johnson and his times, p62.

10.

11. Bate, p.525

12. Ibid., p.531

13. Wain, p116