Friday, February 15, 2013

Philosophy and Values of the Victorians



Philosophy and Values of the Victorians/
Characteristics of Victorian Literature 
Values
Major Ideas
Literary
Form/
Structure
Literary Content/ Themes
Literary
Genres/ Styles
Key Authors
Earnestness
Expansion of Empire
Narrative over Lyric
Isolation/ Alienation
Dramatic
Monologue
Lord Tennyson
Respectability
Glorification of War
Meter and Rhythm over Imagery
Lack of communication
Novel
Elegy
magazines


The Brontes

Oscar Wilde
Evangelism
Industrialism
Objective; reflective
Pessimism and despair
Drama: Comedy of Manners
Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning
Evolution and Progress
Economic Prosperity
Melancholy or meditative, even in love poems
Loss of faith
Rigid standards of personal behavior
Charles Dickens
Hypocrisy?
Reform
Moral issues, didactic
Didactic
High moral tone
Thomas Carlyle
Protestant work ethic
 
Contemporary subjects
 
 
Charles Darwin
Restraint
 
Longer over shorter forms
 
 
Matthew Arnold
Utilitarianism
Strong emphasis on duty
 
More common expressions
 
 
Dante Gabriel and Christina Rosetti
 
 
Medieval subjects and forms
 
 
 Rudyard Kipling
 


 
Romantic Era
Victorian Era
Idealism
Visionary/Utopian
Sober/Utilitarian
View of Nature
Kind/Harmonious
Harsh/Cruel
Focus
Inward/Individual
Common man
Imagination
Introspection
Outward/Nation
Middle class
Reality
Work
Philosophy
Transcendentalism
Utilitarianism
More Victoriana
Key Metaphor
Struggle or strife
Key Theme
Theory of evolution leads to crisis of faith
Intellectual and spiritual doubt – antidote is work
Growing social
consciousness
Reform movements – child labour, safety, hours
Women – demand emancipation, enfranchisement, evolution
Victorian Trinity
Religion, science, morality
Nationalism
Britain – first great modern industrial nation
Poets
Feel alienated, betrayed – estranged from life and love – so isolate themselves no groups or friends






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