Over and above his luminous talents Arnold remains very much alive as an influence; he is the great transmitter of the humanist tradition. His was a profound and active humanism, rooted in his love for society and his idea of social wholeness. His writings shine with intelligence, amenity, and tolerance. As a poet he speaks to us more intimately than most of the other poets of his age. As a critic he speaks as a man to men. In this volume are the...