M. H. Abrams is a leading authority on the 18th- and 19th-century literature, literary criticism, and European Romanticism. Now in his 65th year as a Cornell professor, Abrams has made substantial contributions to the field of English. He was founding editor of The Norton Anthology of English Literature and served as its general editor for 40 years. Abrams’ numerous publications include The Mirror and the Lamp: Romantic Theory and the Critical Tradition (1953), which is ranked twenty-fifth on the Modern Library’s list of “The 100 Best Nonfiction Books Written in English during the 20th Century.