Joseph Warton

Joseph Warton was an English clergyman, educator, poet, and literary critic whose work helped broaden eighteenth-century ideas about poetry beyond strict classical models. His major critical study, An Essay on the Writings and Genius of Pope, examined Alexander Pope’s achievement while arguing for the importance of imagination and passion. He also edited Pope’s works and wrote poems including The Enthusiast, while serving as headmaster of Winchester College from 1766 to 1793.