Book excerpt: Originally published in 1949, this title was written in order to help establish a better understanding of the ‘stock diction’ of eighteenth-century English poetry, and, in particular, of the diction commonly used in the description of nature. The language characteristic of so much of the poetry of this period had been severely criticized for a long time. But in the twenty or thirty years prior to publication some effort had been made to review the subject and the problem. However, several questions still remained unanswered, and more exhaustive analysis needed to be undertaken. This volume was an effort to provide answers for some of these questions and to begin the analysis that was required.