Harold Bloom's The Anxiety of Influence has cast its long shadow of influence si
nce it was first published in 1973. Through an insightful study of Romantic poet
s, Bloom puts forth his central vision of the relations between precursors and t
he individual artist. His argument that all literary texts are a strong misreadi
ng of those that precede them had an enormous impact on the practice of criticis
m and post-structuralist literary theory. The book remains a central work of cri
ticism for all students of literature. Written in a moving personal style, ancho
red by concrete examples, and memorable quotations, this second edition of Bloom
's classic work maintains that the anxiety of influence cannot be evaded - neith
er by poets nor by responsible readers and critics. A new introduction, centerin
g upon Shakespeare and Marlowe explains the genesis of Bloom's thinking, and the
subsequent influence of the book on literary criticism of the past quarter of a
century.
