Meyer Howard Abrams American literary critic Date of Birth: 23.07.1912 Country: USA

1. Biography of Meyer Howard Abrams
2. Early Life and Education
3. Contributions during World War II
4. Academic Career and Influence

Biography of Meyer Howard Abrams

Meyer Howard Abrams was an American literary critic, known for his work on the Romantic era, specifically as the author of "The Mirror and the Lamp: Romantic Theory and the Critical Tradition," published in 1953. In this book, Abrams argues that while literature was traditionally understood as a mirror reflecting the real world, for Romantic writers, creating books was more like a lamp: shedding light on the writer's inner world to illuminate the world around them.

Early Life and Education

Mike Abrams was born on July 23, 1912, in Long Branch, New Jersey, into a Jewish family. He was the son of a painter and became the first in his family to attend college. Abrams enrolled at Harvard University in 1930, choosing to study English language and literature because, in his own words, there were no job prospects in any other profession, and he thought it was better to starve while enjoying what he loved rather than starving while doing something that didn't bring him joy. In 1934, Abrams earned his bachelor's degree and won the Henry Fellowship, which allowed him to continue his studies at the University of Cambridge, where his mentor was Ivor Armstrong Richards, an influential English literary critic and rhetoric specialist. Abrams returned to Harvard in 1935 for his master's program and received his master's degree in 1937. He defended his doctoral degree in literature in 1940.

Contributions during World War II

During World War II, Abrams served in the Psycho-Acoustics Laboratory at Harvard. He described his work as solving the problem of voice communication in a noisy military environment by creating military codes that were easily decipherable and inventing screening tests for personnel with exceptional sound recognition abilities amidst background noise.

Academic Career and Influence

In 1945, Abrams became a professor at Cornell University. He taught literary criticism, and among his students were renowned literary critics Harold Bloom and E. D. Hirsch, Jr. Abrams' six-volume "The Norton Anthology of English Literature," which he edited, became a standard textbook for American college students and a defining influence in shaping literary criteria. In 1963, Abrams was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, further solidifying his reputation as a distinguished scholar.

Meyer Howard Abrams's groundbreaking work on Romantic theory and his influential contributions to literary criticism have left an indelible mark on the field, making him a revered figure in American literary scholarship.