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.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. High Hopes? – The Ambivalence of Victorian Optimism
2.1 The New Queen
2.2 Trade and Industry – Roads to Utopia?
2.3 An Imperial Vision
2.4 “To Strive, to Seek,…and not to Yield”?
3. Dangers to the Nation
3.1 Dangers from Within
3.1.1 The Social Disease
3.1.1.1 People in Their Place
3.1.1.2 Capitalist Jungles
3.1.2 Searching for a Cure
3.1.2.1 Raising Bodies and Souls – The Message of “Aurora Leigh”
3.1.2.2 “Not Swift nor Slow to Change, but Firm” – Tennyson’s Policy of Gradation
3.2 Dangers from Without
4. Fears of the Individual
4.1 The Religious Crisis
4.1.1 The Advancement of Victorian Science
4.1.2 Between Faith and Doubt
4.2 “Wandering Between Two Worlds” – Patterns of Nostalgia and Retreat
4.2.1 Nostalgia
4.2.2 Retreat
4.3 The Identity Crisis
4.3.1 The Buried Self
4.3.2 Breakdown of Communications
4.3.3 Disintegration of the Individual
5. Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this study is to examine the "split nature" of the Victorian age by analyzing the poetry of Matthew Arnold, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Alfred Tennyson. It investigates how these poets navigated the complex tension between the era's widespread optimism and the underlying fears and social anxieties emerging from rapid industrialization, political changes, and scientific advancements.
- The ambivalence of Victorian optimism and the ideological role of the poet laureate.
- Socio-economic and political threats to national stability, including class struggle and capitalist excesses.
- The individual's crisis of faith precipitated by the rise of evolutionary science and rationalism.
- The psychological impact of rapid modernization on identity and the prevalence of nostalgia and retreat.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1 The New Queen
When Victoria ascended the throne in 1837, at the age of eighteen, the historical situation of her country did not really seem to justify any excessive outbursts of optimism at first sight. The loss of the USA in 1776 had meant the beginning of the end of the old mercantile system, the French Revolution and the Napoleonic wars had profoundly shaken the social and political landscape in Europe, and revolutionary forces remained a constant threat. Moreover, Britain had become the leading nation with regard to the Industrial Revolution, which rapidly transformed the old social order into a capitalist society with all its positive and negative consequences. Those were not the natural preconditions for an age of stability, prosperity, and progress. However, it is for qualities such as these that the 64-year long reign of Queen Victoria is commonly remembered (if the memory is not still suppressed altogether, that is). In her, all the hopes and expectations of the age seem to have found an adequate expression.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the Victorian era as a period of unprecedented transition, characterized by both technological progress and deep-seated social anxiety, suggesting that poetry serves as a vital medium for understanding this complex "split nature."
2. High Hopes? – The Ambivalence of Victorian Optimism: The analysis focuses on how the spirit of progress and empire was cultivated and promoted, primarily through the figure of Queen Victoria and the industrial boom, while also tracing the undercurrents of doubt present even in this "optimistic" era.
3. Dangers to the Nation: This section investigates the socio-economic and political instabilities, specifically the rigid class structure and the harsh realities of capitalist competition, which posed significant threats to the nation's fabric.
4. Fears of the Individual: This chapter shifts the focus to the inner consciousness, discussing how scientific advancements and the subsequent religious crisis affected the individual's sense of faith, identity, and mental stability.
5. Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the findings, arguing that the Victorian poets effectively captured the multi-layered and ambivalent reality of their age and that their struggle to reconcile progress with existential fear remains highly relevant to the modern world.
Keywords
Victorian Age, Poetry, Matthew Arnold, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Alfred Tennyson, Progress, Industrial Revolution, Social Anxiety, Religious Crisis, Identity, Nostalgia, Capitalism, Imperialism, Darwinism, Modernity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental theme of this research?
The work explores the inherent contradictions of the Victorian era, specifically the contrast between the era's overt optimism regarding industrial and imperial progress and the hidden fears and anxieties about social disintegration and loss of faith.
Which key thematic areas are addressed?
The study covers the social and political consequences of the Industrial Revolution, the rise of scientific skepticism, the crisis of religious faith, the rigid class structure, and the resulting existential instability of the individual.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to analyze how three prominent Victorian poets—Arnold, Barrett Browning, and Tennyson—reflected the period's complexities and social predicaments within their work.
Which scientific approach does the author use?
The author employs an interdisciplinary approach, using poetry as a primary source for cultural analysis while integrating historical context and biographical details to interpret the poets' responses to their environment.
What does the main body of the text cover?
The main body examines the "official" optimistic ideology of the age, the socio-economic threats from within and without, the impact of scientific discovery on religious belief, and the internal struggle for identity amidst a rapidly changing society.
What terms best characterize the research?
Keywords such as Victorian optimism, social disease, identity crisis, religious doubt, and capitalist malaise characterize the research focus.
How does the author characterize Queen Victoria in the context of Victorian optimism?
The author argues that Queen Victoria was transformed into an icon of national myth, representing a "benign" and "human" figure that unified the country’s values and provided a stabilizing foundation for the optimistic Victorian ideology.
How does Tennyson’s portrayal of the "Ulysses" hero reflect the era’s ambiguities?
The author highlights how Tennyson’s "Ulysses" embodies the Victorian spirit of progress and striving, yet simultaneously reveals the underlying emptiness, narcissism, and escapism that result from a relentless, aimless compulsion for movement.
- Citation du texte
- Antje Wulff (Auteur), 2003, Problems of the Victorian Age as reflected in the poetry of Matthew Arnold, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and Alfred Tennyson, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/118027
