William Hazlitt's collection of literary criticism, The Spirit of the Age or Contemporary Portraits, is a fascinating and revealing insight into the minds of some of the most important authors of the Romantic period. With insightful and often controversial opinions on authors including Coleridge, Wordsworth, and Byron, Hazlitt's book remains a must-read for anyone interested in the literature and culture of early 19th-century Britain. 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.