The 19th century volume demonstrates the variety of English literature in an age of social, intellectual, religious and scientific ferment. The shift to Romanticism is portrayed with extracts from major figures such as Blake, Wordsworth and Coleridge and the contribution of women writers is fully recognised, with selections from Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, and Elizabeth Gaskell. The anthology concludes with selections of Victorian poetry and extracts from Wilde and Stevenson and altogether offers a comprehensive sample of the vast treasure-house of 19th century literature.