Problems of the Victorian Age as reflected in the poetry of Matthew Arnold, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Alfred Tennyson

Examensarbeit , 2003 , 106 Seiten , Note: 1,0

Anglistik - Komparatistik

The Victorian age was a time of change, and of a change as far-reaching and comprehensive as it had hardly ever been encountered before. This change rang in Britain’s heyday, it led the country straight into modernity and transformed virtually every area of life. On the Victorians, it had a twofold effect: Regarding themselves as the vanguard of progress, they celebrated their achievements with an almost evangelical optimism, while at the same time, the loss of traditional values and beliefs triggered new fears and insecurities as well. This thesis tries to approach the ambivalent nature of the age by studying the poetry.of Matthew Arnold, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and the poet laureate Alfred (Lord) Tennyson. Though naturally not intended as a compendium of all the difficulties of Victorian Britain, it traces the predominant predicaments of the age – namely socio-economic and political issues and the effects of “progress” on the inner consciousness of the individual human being – and analyses the way they are presented by the three poets, be it overtly or covertly. An interdisciplinary approach is taken where it seems appropriate, although generally, the poems themselves provide the basis for comment and analysis. They are individual, but also exemplary reactions to the historical environment from which they emerged, and as such, they can contribute to a better understanding of both this environment and the interrelation between man and the forces of history in general.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• High Hopes? – The Ambivalence of Victorian Optimism
  • The New Queen
  • Trade and Industry - Roads to Utopia?
  • An Imperial Vision
  • "To Strive, to Seek,...and not to Yield"?
• Dangers to the Nation
  • Dangers from Within
    • The Social Disease
      • People in Their Place
      • Capitalist Jungles
    • Searching for a Cure
      • Raising Bodies and Souls - The Message of “Aurora Leigh”
      • "Not Swift nor Slow to Change, but Firm” – Tennyson's Policy of Gradation
  • Dangers from Without
• Fears of the Individual
  • The Religious Crisis
    • The Advancement of Victorian Science
    • Between Faith and Doubt
  • "Wandering Between Two Worlds" - Patterns of Nostalgia and Retreat
    • Nostalgia
    • Retreat
  • The Identity Crisis
    • The Buried Self
    • Breakdown of Communications
    • Disintegration of the Individual

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This essay aims to explore the complexities of the Victorian era through the lens of poetry, focusing on the works of Matthew Arnold, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Alfred Tennyson. By analyzing their poems, the essay seeks to understand the predominant challenges faced by Victorian Britain, including the social, economic, political, and personal anxieties of the time. The essay will delve into the ways in which these poets addressed and reflected upon these issues, providing insights into the Victorian Zeitgeist and the relationship between individuals and historical forces. Key themes explored include: * **The Ambivalence of Victorian Optimism:** The essay examines the contradictions inherent in Victorian optimism, highlighting the anxieties and fears that co-existed with the belief in progress and advancement. * **Social and Political Challenges:** The analysis will focus on the social and political problems of the era, including issues like poverty, inequality, and the rise of industrial capitalism. * **The Religious Crisis:** The essay will explore the impact of scientific advancements on Victorian religious beliefs, examining the tensions between faith and doubt. * **The Individual in a Changing World:** The essay will investigate how the changing social and cultural landscape impacted the individual, focusing on themes of identity, nostalgia, and retreat.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

* **Introduction:** This chapter introduces the Victorian era as a period of significant change and transition, highlighting the key developments that shaped the time, including the Industrial Revolution, the rise of capitalism, and the expansion of the British Empire. It argues that while the Victorian era is often associated with progress and optimism, it was also a time of complexity and ambivalence. * **High Hopes? – The Ambivalence of Victorian Optimism:** This chapter examines the Victorian belief in progress and optimism, focusing on the works of Alfred Tennyson, who as poet laureate, often promoted the official doctrine of the age. It explores how this optimism was tempered by anxieties about social and political challenges, as well as the potential dangers of rapid change. * **Dangers to the Nation:** This chapter delves into the social and political problems faced by Victorian Britain, focusing on the works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Alfred Tennyson. It examines the dangers posed by social inequality, the rise of industrial capitalism, and the threat of external forces to the nation's stability. * **Fears of the Individual:** This chapter explores the impact of the changing world on the individual, focusing on the works of Alfred Tennyson and Matthew Arnold. It examines the religious crisis brought about by scientific advancements, the rise of nostalgia and retreat as coping mechanisms, and the challenges to individual identity in a rapidly changing society.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

Victorian era, poetry, Matthew Arnold, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Alfred Tennyson, optimism, progress, social challenges, political challenges, industrial capitalism, religious crisis, faith, doubt, identity, nostalgia, retreat, individual, society, Zeitgeist.

• Hochschule: Universität Trier
• Note: 1,0
• Autor: Antje Wulff (Autor:in)
• Erscheinungsjahr: 2003
• Seiten: 106
• Katalognummer: V118027
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640215041
• ISBN (Buch): 9783640215140
• Sprache: Englisch
• Schlagworte: Problems, Poetry, Matthew, Arnold, Elizabeth, Barrett, Browning, Alfred, Tennyson, Victorian, Industrial Revolution