M. H. Abrams Professions : Literary critic Born : July 23, 1912 Died : April 21, 2015 Browse All Authors Top 25 quotes by M. H. Abrams We believed that to understand literature, you had to understand its place in history and culture. M. H. Abrams place you culture history The Romantics were whipping boys of the New Criticism, but they appealed to me anyway. I was recalcitrant. It was clear to me that they had thought innovatively. M. H. Abrams new thought me criticism Jews had an outsider's eye on a lot of Western tradition. M. H. Abrams jews outsider tradition eye I was never a monist - always a diversitarian. M. H. Abrams never always The first test any poem must pass is no longer, 'Is it true to nature?' but a criterion looking in a different direction: namely, 'Is it sincere? Is it genuine?' M. H. Abrams direction true looking nature Similar Authors Bliss Perry literary-critic Irving Howe literary-critic Diana Trilling literary-critic Daphne Merkin literary-critic Henry Louis Gates literary-critic Harold Bloom literary-critic All Authors