Théophile Gautier was a key figure in the romantic movement in 19th century France. This volume offers a history of romanticism and a detailed analysis of the development of French poetry from 1830 onwards. Gautier's insights into the aesthetics of poetry are still relevant today, and this book is an essential read for anyone interested in the history of literature. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.