author
Charlton M. (Charlton Miner) Lewis
1866–1923
A Yale scholar who moved from practicing law into the study of English literature, he wrote clearly and deeply about verse, literary history, and medieval poetry. His work also left a mark on American literary culture as the first judge of the Yale Series of Younger Poets.
1 Audiobook
Gawayne and the Green Knight: A Fairy Tale
by Charlton M. (Charlton Miner) Lewis
About the author
Born in Brooklyn on March 4, 1866, Charlton Miner Lewis studied at Yale, trained in law, and worked for several years as a lawyer before returning to the university to teach English. He went on to earn a Ph.D. and became a leading Yale professor, eventually holding the Sanford Professorship of English.
Lewis wrote on a wide range of literary subjects, with books including The Principles of English Verse, The Foreign Sources of Modern English Versification, The Beginnings of English Literature, The Genesis of Hamlet, and Gawayne and the Green Knight. His scholarship is often remembered for making difficult questions about poetry and form feel organized and readable.
He was also the first judge of the Yale Series of Younger Poets, linking him to one of the best-known poetry prizes in the United States. Lewis died on March 12, 1923, but he remains an interesting figure for readers who enjoy the meeting point of criticism, poetry, and literary history.