Victorian poetry
*poetry still respected, but less read, loses position of dominating genre
Poets of the older generation:
Tennyson
R. Browning
M. Arnold
2nd generation:
G. Meredith
Ch. Swinburne
no manifestos of new sensibility
no big breakthrough when comparing with romantic poetry
no exaltation, pathos of the romantic poetry
desires of romantic poets but the public that don’t expect poetry
poets didn’t want to be prophets, didn’t want to read prophecies
A
NOTHER
DIVISION OF POETS BY INFLUENCE
J. KEATS P.B.SHELLEY
Tennyson (said to be imitative) Browning- dramatic monologue
Arnold Swinburne
Rossetti (romantic born too much late) T. Hardy
Hopkins
belongs to none of these groups, born much too early- spiritually belongs to 20th century
Browning- almost destroyed by critics
growing conflict between poets (who wants to be prophet, to write) and public (that don’t want vision, they like stories that will make them relaxed)
B
rowning
born in Romanticism (end) but adjust (firstly wrote rather romantic poetry)
Tennyson
Browning- DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE
interaction between 2 characters, one of which is silence
little poems, not great poetry
psychological, shows little things
Browning’s style:
was a happy man, had wife = love
love poems- man is to blame
Mathew ARNOLD
complainer, deeply pessimistic
worries constantly- about God, man, contemporary world, revolution, etc.
“conflict is unavoidable”, “the public don’t want us, they’ll ignore us”
suicidal decision as far as public is concerned- he wrote for himself (“forget about the public- they’ll ignore you anyway; write for yourself”)
poet is no longer authority; is only a poet from now on, is marginalized
poetry is private activity, to be read at home
SWINBURNE- sometimes he was lost in words
MEREDITH
intellectual poet
technically very skillful & good poet
author of sonnets about love
Elizabeth BARRETT
the wife of Robert Browning, a successful poet, recognized
representative of younger generation
poetry also about relation between man & woman but it doesn’t contribute anything new to Victorian poetry
good minor poetry
Thomas HARDY
unsuccessful novelist (as he believed); now considered a good novelist
poetry which made career in 20th century- regional poetry
lived in Wessex, most of his works are set there
tries to imitate the language, dialect, natural form
use of archaism, some technical words
was an architect, renovated churches (used e.g. names of tools used in his work)
his poems are not idyllic (although he writes about countryside, village); he’s very pessimistic
his contribution is quite local but is good
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PRE-RAPHAELITE BROTHERHOOD
/Bractwo Prerafalitów/ 1848-1853
Dante Gabriel Rossetti
William Morris
Christina Rossetti
* started as a group of rebellious students
* D. G. Rossetti
Holman Hunt
John E. Millais
Ford Maddox Brown
* “The Germ”- newspaper they published for a short time, combining literature with art
* their paintings were against conventions, weren’t accepted, bad reviews, were attacked
* name: started as an insult, they adopted it
John RUSKIN
art critic by profession
liked Pre-Raphaelites, thought they had sth to say
is very critical of Academic Painting
once the public opinion accepts their style, the Brotherhood collapses itself
stormy & short history of the Brotherhood
their program- “RAPHAEL” is a key-word
that’s way they’re called PRE- Raphaelites
realistic paintings
many religious paintings- but were painted against conventions
many of their works refer to literature
nature is an important theme as well
for Rossetti- women are the main theme
MANIFESTO
* be personal
* be original
* be perfect
* study nature & turn it into art
Pre- Raphaelites as POETS:
Rossetti Dante
- human body & soul is an unity
- “House of life”- Youth/ Mature Age (2 parts)
Christina Rossetti
- devoted Christian
- confession poetry
- human body & soul is an unity
~ reading their poetry you know it was written by painters- so many details, etc.
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Aestheticism
Late 1880s and beginning of 1890s
Trend in culture, literature and philosophy
Discipline of philosophical studies
What is art?
Way of dressing, interior decoration
Also a way of lifestyle
Predecessor: Pre-Raphaelite – details done very meticulously, obsessed with the vision of a painting precision, obsession with beauty of art
Art is important, art is saving, you can live for/through art. Poet is like a priest.
Poetry is sth sacred.
Matthew Arnold – theoretician of literature, poet, critics. Bible like a book of poetry. Poetry is Bible.
Substituting God with art.
Audrey Beardsley (drawing black&white) – daring illustrations of Oscar Wild’s texts
“The Yellow Book” (a literary and artistic magazine) – scandalous, official magazine of asthethics, published between 1894-97
Walter Pater – critic of art and literature,
“The study of the lustory of renaissance” –a technical book (portraits, architecture)
Our attitude to art is subjective. The criticism of art is also subjective.
Oscar Wilde – an extremely talented literary man, eccentric (e.g. for his way of clothing), wrote poems, but he was most successful as a playwright, had a wife and plenty of man lovers, bisexual (trial – in jail he wrote good works, all his works disappeared from the theatres)
Plays:
“A Woman of No Importance”
“An Ideal Husband”
“The importance of Being Earnest”
“Lady Windermere’s Fan”
His death was the end of aestheticism.
Aestheticsm:
Art was elevated to the status of religion
Thinking of art and literature in terms of form/execution (how you write not what you write)
Fiction/novel can also be art (if it is well-written)
Rudgard Kipling – 1907 – nobel prize 1st Englishman, writer, poet, patriot,
Novel “Kim” – about India
1st writer to establish copy rights
In many poems the protagonist is a a soldier
Life of simple values (love for the country, duty, responsibility)
“If” – famous poem about being loyal, faithful
Stories for children
Art for the empire sake. Not for the sake of propaganda.
What and how you write is important.
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