 A.W. Schlegel’s writings show a great preoccupation and interest in the perspective of the ‘other’: women, children, and, above all, other cultures. He constantly reminds the reader about the necessity, in critical thought, of creating a link between theory and practical experience or historical knowledge. This enables him to defend the idea that two totally different works of art can be great and admirable, not only in spite of their differences, but because of them. It was indeed this affirmation of difference that enabled him to use the notion ‘Romantic’ in the way that he did. In fact, although Schlegel’s Lectures on Dramatic Art can be seen as a plea for modern or Romantic poetry and culture in general (“the feeling of the moderns is, upon the whole, more intense, their fancy more incorporeal, and their thoughts more contemplative”, LDA: 9), in contrast to other authors, he is always very careful not to judge modern works of art according to their similarities or dissimilarities with ancient ones. It was not by chance that Schlegel should be the first to introduce the idea of a comparative literature.