Victorian Period (Sofia, Gauri)

The Victorian Period

The Victorian period follows and even coincides with the Romantic period and thus has similarities to it, for example in the romantic themes used especially in poetry. As opposed to the Romantic period, when poetry was the dominant genre, the novel becomes the most important in the Victorian period.

A timeline on some of the most important events in Victorian Britain. [1]

Features of the Period 

Literature of this 63 year long era commented on social, economic, religious, and philosophical ideas at the time. Discoveries in science influenced the literature of this age.

 

• Daily life and practical issues. [2]
  
  Literature in this period conforms more to daily life and practical issues. During the Industrial Revolution various social and economic reform movements such as child labour, women’s rights, and ideas about evolution took place. Thus, literature was used as a powerful implement for human progress and social advancement.
• Moral messages
  
  Moral messages were widely conveyed through literature. Many characters in fiction were tempted by evil but showed restraint in the end. Morally correct characters seemed to ultimately thrive despite the difficult conditions they were put in.
• Influences from new discoveries in science
  
  The Victorian age can be considered an age of skeptisism. The idea of evolution brought about new thoughts about man in relation to the universe. The is due to the influence of science.
• Idealism and the notion of a proper “Englishman” [3]
  
  Idealism and the notion of a proper “Englishman” was on a rise during the earlier years of the period. Many colonists at the time saw fit to “civilize” native populations in colonized regions. Thus it was necessary to have a model which provides a a standard as to what is “English”.
• Clashes of the classes [4]
  
  With industrialism on the rise, the middle class gained more political and financial power creating a further imbalance of the classes. Many writes criticized this.
  
  
  

  Notable writers and their works

  
  
• Brontë sisters: "Jane Eyre"(1847), "Wuthering Heights" (1847), "Agnes Grey" (1847) [5][6][7]
• Lewis Carroll: "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (1865) [8]
• Charles Dickens: "Oliver Twist"(1837-1839) [9]
• Oscar Wilde: "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1890-1891) [10] 

Matthew Arnold (1822-1888) [11]

• A critic 
  In addition to being a great poet, Arnold was also a great critic. He even influenced the likes of T.S. Eliot. He introduced a method that incorporated scientific objectivity to his evaluation where comparison and analysis were his primary tools in criticism. The following is a quote from him.
  
  'The criticism of life under the conditions fixed for such criticism by the laws of poetic truth and poetic beauty' - Matthew Arnold

• A moralist
  Matthew was a strong believer of moral ideas.  Although his did comply with Church rituals, he did not believe in the supernatural aspects of religion. 
• Supporter of classic values Arnold believed that all literature is built on the foundations of its past.

Growing Old by Matthew Arnold
First published in 1867

"Growing Old” is a poem that matches the skepticism of its era evoked by scientific discovers, but unlike many idealistic poems of its time, it does not convey a moral lesson, but a message nonetheless. It tells people that old age is not worth waiting for, and one should live in the moment. 

Sources:
1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/timeline/victorianbritain_timeline_noflash.shtml
2. http://olenglish.pbworks.com/f/Victorian+Lit.+Char.pdf
3. https://faculty.unlv.edu/kirschen/handouts/victorian.html
4. http://campuses.fortbendisd.com/campuses/documents/Teacher/2013%5Cteacher_20130225_0819.pdf
5. http://www.iblist.com/author74.htm
6. http://wutheringheights.info
7. http://agnesgrey.com
8. http://lewiscarrollsociety.org.uk/pages/aboutcharlesdodgson/works/shortlist.html
9. http://charlesdickenspage.com/twist.html
10. http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?13981
11. http://www.lsj.org/web/literature/arnold.php



Pictures:
Matthew Arnold: http://www.branchcollective.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Matthew_Arnold_-_Project_Gutenberg_eText_16745.jpg
Victorian Period: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/James_Pollard_-_The_Louth-
London_Royal_Mail_Travelling_by_Train_from_Peterborough_East,_Northamptonshire_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg