List of literary critics

The following list of literary critics includes literary critics who have written in the English language, irrespective of country or time period. When known, the critic's birth and death dates and country are given.

A

 * 1) Lascelles Abercrombie (1881-1938), England
 * 2) Arthur Henry Adams (1872-1936), Australia / New Zealand
 * 3) John Aikin (1747-1822), England
 * 4) James Arbuckle (1700-1742?), Ireland
 * 5) Matthew Arnold (1822-1888), England
 * 6) Thomas Arnold (1823-1900), England
 * 7) Dorothy Auchterlonie (1915-1991), Australia
 * 8) W.H. Auden (1907-1973), England / United States

B

 * 1) Paul Batchelor (born 1977), England
 * 2) James Bannister (?1750-1816 fl.), England
 * 3) Edward Baugh (born 1936), Jamaica
 * 4) Joseph Warren Beach (1880-1957), United States
 * 5) Patricia Beer (1919-1999), England
 * 6) Ambrose Bierce (1842-1913), United States
 * 7) John Peale Bishop (1892-1944), United States
 * 8) R.P. Blackmur (1904-1965), United States
 * 9) E.D. Blodgett (born 1935), Canada
 * 10) Harold Bloom (born 1930), United States
 * 11) Di Brandt (born 1952), Canada
 * 12) John Le Gay Brereton (1871-1933), Australia
 * 13) John Malcolm Brinnin (1916-1998), United States
 * 14) Stopford A. Brooke (1832-1916), Ireland
 * 15) Cleanth Brooks (1906-1994), United States
 * 16) E.K. Brown (1905-1951), Canada
 * 17) Sterling A. Brown (1901-1989), United States
 * 18) Francis Fisher Browne (1843-1913), United States
 * 19) Howard Buck (1894-1947), United States
 * 20) Stephen Burt (born 1971), United States

C

 * 1) Hayden Carruth (1921-2008), United States
 * 2) Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834), England
 * 3) W.E. Collin (1893-1984), Canada
 * 4) Charles Cowden Clarke (1787-1877), England
 * 5) John Churton Collins (1848-1908), England
 * 6) William John Courthope (1842-1917), England
 * 7) Malcolm Cowley (1898-1989), United States

D

 * 1) Richard Henry Dana, Sr. (1787-1879), United States
 * 2) George Darley (1795-1846), Ireland
 * 3) Frank Davey (born 1940), Canada
 * 4) Edward L. Davison (1898-1970), Scotland / United States
 * 5) John Dennis (1657-1734), England
 * 6) Aubrey Thomas de Vere (1814-1902), Ireland
 * 7) Wentworth Dillon (?1633-1685), England
 * 8) Sandra Djwa (born 1939), Canada
 * 9) K.V. Dominic (born 1956), India
 * 10) Edward Dowden (1843-1913), Ireland
 * 11) Nathan Drake (1766-1836), England
 * 12) John Drinkwater (1882-1937), England
 * 13) John Dryden (1631-1700), England
 * 14) Douglas Dunn (born 1942), Scotland
 * 15) Rachel Blau DuPlessis (born 1941), United States
 * 16) Alexander Dyce (1798-1869), Scotland

E

 * 1) Leon Edel (1907-1997), Canada / United States
 * 2) Pelham Edgar (1871-1948), Canada
 * 3) David Eggleton (born 1952), New Zealand
 * 4) T.S. Eliot (1888-1965), United States / England
 * 5) William Empson (1906-1984), England
 * 6) Paul Engle (1908-1991), United States
 * 7) D.J. Enright (1920-2002), England

F

 * 1) James Fenton (born 1949), England
 * 2) Ford Madox Ford (1873-1939), England
 * 3) Northrop Frye (1912-1991), Canada

G

 * 1) H.W. Garrod (1878-1960), England
 * 2) Sandra M. Gilbert (born 1936), United States
 * 3) Susan Glickman (born 1953), Canada
 * 4) Michael Gnarowski (born 1934), Canada
 * 5) Sir Edmund Gosse (1849-1928), England
 * 6) Robert Graves (1895-1985), England
 * 7) Richard Greene (born 1961), Canada
 * 8) Horace Gregory (1898-1982), United States
 * 9) Rufus Wilmot Griswold (1812-1857), United States
 * 10) Allen Grossman (1932-2014), United States
 * 11) Charles Guenther (1920-2008), United States
 * 12) Jason Guriel (born 1978), Canada

H

 * 1) John Wesley Hales (1836-1914), England
 * 2) Michael Hamburger (1924-2007), England
 * 3) Robert Bernard Hass (born 1962), United States
 * 4) Kevin Hart (born 1954), Australia
 * 5) Brooks Haxton (born 1950), United States
 * 6) Paul Hamilton Hayne (1830-1886), United States
 * 7) William Hazlitt (1778-1830), England
 * 8) Henry Headley (1765-1788), England
 * 9) John Heath-Stubbs (1918-2006), England
 * 10) William Ernest Henley (1849-1903), England
 * 11) Edward Hirsch (born 1950), United States
 * 12) Allen Hoey (1952-2010), United States
 * 13) John Hollander (1929-2013), United States
 * 14) John Holloway (1920-1999), England
 * 15) Jeremy Hooker (born 1941), Wales
 * 16) A.D. Hope (1907-2000), Australia
 * 17) Richard Henry Horne (1802-1884), England / Australia
 * 18) Michael Hulse (born 1955), England
 * 19) Leigh Hunt (1784-1856), England

J

 * 1) Clive James (born 1939), England
 * 2) Randall Jarrell (1914-1965), United States
 * 3) Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), England
 * 4) D.G. Jones (1929-2016), Canads
 * 5) John Jones (1924-2016), England

K

 * 1) Smaro Kamboureli (born 1955), Canada
 * 2) W.J. Keith (born 1934), Canada
 * 3) Tim Kendall (born 1970), England
 * 4) Hugh Kenner (1923-2003), Canada
 * 5) W.P. Ker (1825-1923), Scotland
 * 6) Adam Kirsch (born 1976), United States

L

 * 1) Andrew Lang (1844-1912), Scotland
 * 2) F.R. Leavis (1895-1978), England
 * 3) John Gibson Lockhart (1794-1854), Scotland
 * 4) William Logan (born 1950), United States

M

 * 1) Nathaniel Mackey (born 1947), United States
 * 2) Archibald MacMechan (1862-1933), Canada
 * 3) Edmond Malone (1741-1812), Ireland
 * 4) Tom Marshall (1938-1993), Canada
 * 5) James McAuley (1917-1976), Australia
 * 6) J.D. McClatchy (born 1945), United States
 * 7) H.L. Mencken (1880-1956), United States
 * 8) Francis Meres (1565-1647), England
 * 9) William Minto (1845-1893), Scotland
 * 10) Marion Montgomery (1925-2011), United States
 * 11) Elizabeth Moody (1737-1814), England
 * 12) Howard Moss (1982-1987), United States
 * 13) Edwin Muir (1887-1959), Orkney Islands
 * 14) John Middleton Murry (1889-1957), England
 * 15) Frederic W.H. Myers (1843-1901), England

N

 * 1) Howard Nemerov (1920-1991), United States
 * 2) John Neal (1793-1876), United States
 * 3) W.H. New (born 1938), Canada
 * 4) Yone Noguchi (1875-1947), Japan, United States
 * 5) Christopher North (1785-1854), Scotland

O

 * 1) Geoffrey O'Brien (born 1948), United States
 * 2) Sean O'Brien (born 1952), England
 * 3) David Orr (born 1974), United States
 * 4) Thomas O'Hagan (1855-1939), Canada
 * 5) Fintan O’Toole (born 1958), Ireland

P

 * 1) Desmond Pacey (1917-1975), Canada
 * 2) Francis Turner Palgrave (1824-1897), England
 * 3) Herbert Edward Palmer (1880-1961), England
 * 4) Dorothy Parker (1893-1967), United States
 * 5) Walter Pater (1839-1894), England
 * 6) Coventry Patmore (1823-1896), England
 * 7) Tom Paulin (born 1949), England
 * 8) Marjorie Perloff (born 1931), United States
 * 9) Robert Peters (1924-2014), United States
 * 10) Lorne Pierce (1890-1961), Canada
 * 11) Vivian de Sola Pinto (1895-1969), England
 * 12) Robert Polito (born 1951), United States
 * 13) John Cowper Powys (1872-1963), Wales
 * 14) Kevin Prufer (born 1969), United States
 * 15) George Puttenham (1529-1590), England

Q

 * 1) Arthur Quiller-Couch (1863-1944), England

R

 * 1) Ernest Radford (1857-1919), England
 * 2) Kathleen Raine (1908-2003), England
 * 3) John Crowe Ransom (1888-1974), United States
 * 4) Henry Hope Reed (1808-1854), United States
 * 5) Joseph Ritson (1752-1803), England
 * 6) William Caldwell Roscoe (1823-1859), England
 * 7) Malcolm Ross (1911-2002), Canada
 * 8) John Ruskin (1819-1900), England
 * 9) Thomas Rymer (1641-1713), England

S

 * 1) Peter Sanger (born 1943), Canada
 * 2) Dan Schneider (born 1965), United States
 * 3) Stephen Scobie (born 1943), Canada
 * 4) F.R. Scott (1899-1985), Canada
 * 5) John Campbell Shairp (1819-1885), Scotland
 * 6) Iain Sharp (born 1953), New Zealand
 * 7) Eli Siegel (1902-1978), United States
 * 8) Dame Edith Sitwell (1887–1964), England
 * 9) Vivian Smith (born 1933), Australia
 * 10) David Solway (born 1941), Canada
 * 11) Gilbert Sorrentino (1929-2006), United States
 * 12) Joseph Spence (1699-1768), England
 * 13) Carmine Starnino (born 1970), Canada
 * 14) Jon Stallworthy (born 1935), England
 * 15) C.K. Stead (born 1932), New Zealand
 * 16) Edmund Clarence Stedman (1833-1908), United States
 * 17) Sir Richard Steele (1672-1729), England
 * 18) Susan Stewart (born 1952), United States
 * 19) Richard Henry Stoddard (1825-1903), United States
 * 20) Marion Strobel (1895-1967), United States
 * 21) John Sutherland (1919-1956), Canada
 * 22) Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909), England
 * 23) Arthur Symons (1865-1945), England

T

 * 1) Bayard Taylor (1825-1878), United States
 * 2) William Taylor (1765-1836), England
 * 3) William Roscoe Thayer (1859-1923), United States
 * 4) Angela Topping (born 1954), England
 * 5) Richard Marggraf Turley (born 1970), Wales

U

 * 1) Louis Untermeyer (1885-1977), United States

V

 * 1) Mark Van Doren (1894-1972), United States
 * 2) Pasquale Verdicchio (born 1954), Canada

W

 * 1) John Wain (1925-1994), England
 * 2) William Sidney Walker (1795-1846), England
 * 3) Adolphus William Ward (1837-1924), England
 * 4) Joseph Warton (1722-1800), England
 * 5) Thomas Warton (1728-1790), England
 * 6) Theodore Watts-Dunton (1832-1914), England
 * 7) William Webbe (1568-1591 fl.), England
 * 8) Edmund Wilson (1895-1972), United States
 * 9) John Wilson (1785-1854), Scotland
 * 10) Yvor Winters (1900-1968), United States
 * 11) George Woodcock (1912-1995), Canada

Y

 * 1) Stephen Yenser (born 1941), United States