Characteristics of The Pre Raphaelite Poetry

         The Victorian period is remarkable because of its various trends. The Pre Raphaelite movement was started by D. G. Rossetti in mid ninetieth century. It was originally not a literary but an artistic movement. Rossetti himself was a painter. He felt that contemporary painting has become a formal and unrealistic. He wanted to go back to the realism, sensuousness and devotion to detail. There were features of art of Indian painter before a Raphael. Rossetti and other member of the group were both the poet and painter. Thus the Pre Raphaelite poetry came in to existence in poetry. The movement was against contemporary poetry of Tennyson and others. According to him contemporary poetry is deals with the problems of society. The wanted to write poetry based on aesthetic pleasure.

       Pre Raphaelite poetry was influenced by several poets of thirteenth century of Italy. The group of poet was inspired by Spencer’s symbolism and sensuousness of Keats and mysticism of Shelly in the Pre Raphaelite poetry.

Let us discuss the remarkable feature of the Pre Raphaelite Poetry.

Break With Tradition:

       Pre Raphaelite poetry was revolt against the set tradition of the poet like Tennyson. The Pre Raphaelites opposed the over concern of poets like Tennyson and those poets were depicting contemporary social and political problems. The Pre Raphaelite poets escaped from the realism of such poetry. They took shelter in a dream world of their own.

Medievalism:

        The middle age influenced many poets before Raphael. The Romantic poet like Keats, Coleridge, and Scott under such influenced. D. G. Rossetti and Morris has special urge for medievalism. They were attracted to the Romantic chivalry, mystery and supernaturalism of the Middle Ages. Rossetti’s poem ‘The Blessed Damozel’ and ‘Sister Hallen’ are full of spirit of Middle Ages. Most work of Morris like the ‘Earthly Paradise’ and so connected with the spirit.

Devotion to Detail:

            The Pre Raphaelites were connected more about particular in their painting and in their poetry. The devotion to detail purely visual in both painting and poetry. The detail of poetry was both auditory as well as visual. Every Pre Raphaelite poet had this tendency. D. G. Rossetti’s ‘The Blessed Damozel’ is devoted to detail.

Sensuousness:

           Like Rossetti most Pre Raphaelite poets were painter as well as poet. We find the element of sensuousness in their poetry. The poets of group were more devoted to detail. Whenever he described human body or physical passion, they deal it in detail. The result was the poetry becomes sensuous. The poem ‘Silent Moon’, and ‘The Blessed Damozel’ have a quality. Because of the sensuousness the Poetry of The Pre Raphaelite is also blamed to the flaccid.  

Art for Art’s sake:

           The Pre Raphaelites were the advocate of the theory of art for art’s sake. They aimed to give perfect and finish to their poetry. Like Dryden and Pope the movement was artistic. It revolted against didacticism and philosophy of Tennyson and Morris. Morris himself calls him – ‘an idle singer of an empty day’. He advised to the moral and spiritual issues from the poetry.

Music and Melody:

        The Pre Raphaelite poetry is rich in music. The Pre Raphaelite poet cultivated it with special efforts. The poetry has the quality of the wave of the Melody. The poetry of Swinburne is indeed musical and melodious. His ‘The Garden of Proserpine’ is musical having electoral and rhyme.

Picturesqueness:

        The Pre Raphaelite poetry was strongly pictorial because of those writes who wrote a natural work. They were mostly a painter also. The aim of those poets was to create the landscape painting in poetry. This poetry is notable for its word picture like –

“The blessed damozel leaned out,

From the gold bar of heaven”.

Love of Symbolism:

          Another remarkable characteristic of movement was its love of symbolism. This is Medieval note and Rossetti learnt it from Dante. William Morris and A C Swinburne  also obediently used symbolism.

Kinship with the Romantic Literature:

       The Pre Raphaelite poetry is very close to Romantic Poetry. It has some characteristics which Romanticism have. They derived the love of aesthetic pleasure by Scott, Coleridge and Keats. Pictorial quality and melody by Keats and Coleridge, supernaturalism from Coleridge. Of all Romantic Poets Keats made great input on Pre Raphaelites. Rossetti and Morris called the worshiper of beauty. It was truly called by Rickets. The Pre Raphael movement was the logical development of Romanticism.

Conclusion:

         In short, The Pre Raphaelite movement was entirely a new one. It may be considered to be direct and legitimate development of Romantic Revival in England.

The Victorian age as the age of Compromise.

      The Victorian age does not begin to year in which Queen Victoria Ruled in England, but Victorianism means an attitude to life and things. . This age was also called as the age of Tennyson, because its limit concedes with the limit of his creative life. He is the most representative writer of his time and the mirror of his age. The Victorian Age was the age of compromise or an age that looked for balance among conflicting forces and divergent tendencies. The Victorians Found a compromise between the employer and employees, between Monarchy and Democracy, between Science and religion and between Romanticism and Classicism

      When the queen Victoria became Queen in 1837, English Literature seemed to have external upon the period of leap years. It lacked the poetic fruitfulness of the Romantic Age. Coleridge, Shelly, Keats, Byron and Scott have passed away and Wordsworth complained:

“How fast brother has followed brother,

From sunshine to the sunless cloud.”

       Tennyson found so much glory and beauty in this age while Carlyle, Ruskin and Mathew Arnold found everything dark and hopeless. But there were some optimist like Browning who declared – 

“God’s in his heaven,

And all right with the world”

       A number of critics like G. K. Chesterton and Lytton were ironical in their assessment of the Victorians. The literary as well as social scene of the age can be described as an era of progress and unrest; and therefore what strikes most in the literature of this period is a search for balance. 

Let’s discuss this age as an age of compromise in detail.

(A) Compromise between Monarchy and Democracy:

       The steady advantage of Democratic ideals greatly influenced the literature of the people for personal liberty resulted in the establishment of democratic and the kings and the lords were left only figureheads. The Industrial Revolution of eighteenth century changed whole structure of the society. The passing of Reform Act and ne factory laws made education available to all people. The class walls were removed and the house commons became ruling power.

(B) Compromise between Science and Religion:

     The Victorian age was an age of scientific advancement and material progress.  The publication of Darwin’s ‘The Origin of Human Species’ changed man’s attitude, religion and life. Old views of religion and old faith had to justify themselves on new grounds. Literature caw to the aid of religion in upholding of idealistic view of life. Thomas Carlyle, Ruskin, Newman, Matthew Arnold and others made serious effects to revive the religious tradition and criticized the growing materialism. Whereas Tennyson and Browning did not lose faith in human virtues. They show in this new development, the birth of grater age. Tennyson’s ‘The Princess’ and ‘In Memoriam’ contain lines which show Tennyson’s faith in the theory of evolution. Again it is this scientific pamper which made the literature of this period critical of this age. Everywhere in the poetry of the Tennyson and Arnold, in the novels of Dickens and Thackeray, in the prose of Carlyle and Ruskin, we get the same note of social criticism. The Oxford Movement was an attempt to recover the lost tradition. From 1530 onwards the struggle between Science and Theology becomes more apparent. But ultimately the practical Victorian mind adjusted itself to the new changes and came to terms with reality.

(C) Compromise between the Romanticism and Classicism or        Between Idealism and Realism

       Side by side with the development of the democratic ideals, scientific advertisement, industrial development, social unrest, religious tolerance and growing brotherhood, the Victorian Age and its literature reflected human interest. The Romantic Revival had shown interest in nature and art as the subject matter of the art. Therefore the Victorian Age displays a very interesting and complex mixture of two opposing elements – Classicism and Romanticism. Basically it was inclined towards classicism on account of its rational approach to the problems of life, a search for balance and stability and a deeply moral attitude. But on the account of its close proximity to the Romantic Revival which had not completely exhausted itself. But it had came to a sudden end of account pre mature death of Byron, Shelly and Keats, the social economic unrest, the disillusionment caused by the industrialization and material prosperity. The spirit of Romanticism also survived and produced counter currents.

Trends in Victorian Poetry

Introduction:

       The poetic material of the Victorian age is not materially different from that of early ninetieth century.

       There is a contribution of Romantic Tradition. They are individualism, play of imagination, love of picaresque, and interact in past and love of nature. It is little different from Romantic temper, in its response to the changed political, social, economic, religious and moral condition.

 

Ethical and Spiritual:

      The Victorian poetry is characterized by its ethical and spiritual tone. Tennyson, Browning, Clough and Arnold are deeply moral and didactic in their verses. Prof. O. Elton rightly remarked that the remarkable quality of literature between 1830 and 1880 in ‘the quality of nobleness’ the poets of the age were concern with the grave and serious issues of the life and conduct. As compared to these the Romantics were not so concerned with these issues. The Victorian poetry abounds in passages showing the nobility of spirit and temper. Thus in Tennyson we have –

“Not unbecoming men that strove in God

Say not the struggle naught availed”

Such passages may be easily multiplied. They are the example of poetry written in ‘grand style’. The Victorians might have been confused bewildered at places but they did fix their gaze on what was noble and beautiful. They shaped their art for ‘life sake’ and not for arts sake.

 

Revolt:

      The Victorian poetry struck the note of revolt. It was against deadening effect and cramping inertia cased by the growing material and mechanical affluence (richness) of the age. It also raised its voice against effete conventions. However their voice was louder and stronger in fiction. Some of poet fed up with the atmosphere around adopted an escapist tendency. They look refuge in cozy beliefs of Middle Ages. It is particularly true of the Pre-Raphaelites. D. G. Rossetti delved (searched) in the folklores (the traditional beliefs) of the medieval age. Unlike the Arnold stood all for “art for art’s sake’. They were true possessors of aesthetes of the 1890s.

Individuality:

        The poetry of the Victorian Age is also marked by a touch of individuality. Though it is not much original in theme, it is yet distinctly individual in its voice. Tennyson loved to sing songs in praise of sturdy independence in England. His Princess (1847) is a forceful statement of woman’s liberty. Browning cultivated a poetic mode full of eccentricity and whimsicality. In that lies his striking individuality and inimitable originality. Arnold was concern with the best ideas.

Pessimism and Optimism:

       A note of pessimism and optimism is runs through the age in poetry. The poetry of Arnold, Clough, Fitzgerald and Tennyson is deeply coloured with pessimism and scepticism. Even Tennyson ‘In Memoriam’ is so. This was all the direct result of Darwin’s evolutionary theory. The Bad conditions prevailing in mills and factories seems to be strengthening the people’s disbelief in God. But Browning was glorying exception. He was an optimist to the core of his heart. His ideal belief in life hereafter might be questionable, but his spirit remains still unquestionable in all circumstances. His poems ‘Rabbi Ben Ezra’, ‘Prospice’, and  ‘Epilogue To Asolando’ are good examples.

A Sense of Patriotism:

       Another feature of the Victorian poetry is a sense of patriotism. Like Dickens. Thackeray in Fiction, Tennyson felt sense of national pride in his countries superiority over the countries. His Patriotic Emotions (insights) are clear in the following lines:

“…. A land of settled government,

A land of just an old renown….”

Different from the Romantic Poetry:

        A Contrasted to the Romantic Poetry, it written largely for the delight of the poets himself only, while the Victorian poetry was written for the enjoyment of the reader. The poets of Romantic Revival were interested in nature, in past and lesser degree of art, but had not interest in men and women of the world at the large. The Victorian poetry came to be related human beings with the same warmth and glow that the Romantics given to the nature. The Victorian Poets and novelist added humanity to nature and art as a subject matter of literature.

Two Groups of Poets:

       The Scientific and Romantic trends run parallel in most of the poetry of the Victorian age. There were two distinct groups of poets writing at the same time. One was influenced by the Contemporary Scientific movement like Tennyson and Arnold. The other was motivated by a desire for idealistic scope. This group being represented by Beddoes, Hood, Eliot, Rossetti, Morris and Fitzgerald.

Treatment of nature:

      Under the impact of science, the general attitude of the Victorian poets toward nature has somewhat challenged. Nature was no longer invested with divinity or with philosophical significance. It was what the science had revealed to men – matter in motion, tracking an inconceivable variety of form, but always in it variety of acting rigidly according to certain ways, which for want of wiser term, we call law.

Poetic Form:

       Much attention was paid to finish of form and polish of technique in the poetry of period. There was an attempt at the technical excellence and the poetical variety. Browning and Hopkins took immense library with English language almost to the point of obscurity and unintelligibility. As for the variety of form lyric, elegy, song, ballad and so on were written by poets.

Treatment of Nature in Romantic Poetry OR Contribution of Romantic Poets in Nature Poetry.

        The growth of love of Nature is the most remarkable and interesting general feature of the Romantic Age. No doubt there was a movement in favor of poetry dealing with the nature. In the later period with the eighteenth century, the Pre-Raphaelite poets begun this movement with the publication of Lyrical Ballads in 1798 the new era in English poetry will begin. In the collection of Wordsworth and Coleridge decided to write poetry in simple language and about the natural and supernatural element. Really, it was William Wordsworth who gave to nature a separate life and soul. He is mostly known as a ‘high priest of nature.’ Wordsworth spiritualized nature and made her a moral teacher.

      Let’s discuss the contribution of Romantic Poets who have written nature poetry.

Wordsworth:

         As we know that Wordsworth was a true lover of nature. Each and every poems of Wordsworth one or other way connected connecte with nature. Nature was the true source of his poetry. His conception of nature is developed as he grows in year. His attitude for nature may be classified in to three parts:

i. The period of blood

ii. The period of scenes

iii. The period if Imagination and Soul

       In the first stage poets love for nature is simple like a boy. His love for nature was without any mystical and spiritual touch. W. H. Hudson remarks that – “His love for nature was highly boy’s open love of open airs and freedom of field.” He was attracted by physical beauties of nature.  His poems ‘The Rainbow’, ‘To the Cuckoo’, and so on expresses the love of child toward the nature.

         In the second stage his love for nature is with the passion which was all physical without any tinge or intellectual or philosophical association. It was the age of sweet sentences. He enchanted by the sound and sight of nature. We find this in his ‘Tintern  Abby’.

      In the third stage his attitude toward nature change from physical to spiritual. He feels mystical touched him. Now a great mission starts. Now he begins to find in object of nature a soul, a living spirit. In the later years of his life. He interested in inner spirit of nature.

         Wordsworth made nature a teacher of man. According to him – “Men is able to communicate with the nature easily.” The reason is keenship between two. In the poem ‘Table Turn’. He tells to the scholar that books are dull, he should leave them and let nature to be teacher. Wordsworth advocated that the nature is the mother of men. He say that, when you are unhappy and lonely go to Mother Nature’s lap. You will be full of company and happiness. The poem ‘Daffodils’ is good example Wordsworth as poet of nature believe that each and every object is connected with nature and it can be subject of his poetry, includes the birds, the rainbow, the flowers, the woods, the solitary reaper and so on.

P. B. Shelly:

           Like Wordsworth, Shelly finds joy in nature. His hearts dance with the joy and hear music of skylark. Like Keats was also sensuous to beauty of nature. His picture of nature is colorful. Shelly could love all object of nature. It was with the passion of lover. Infect his love is wider and waster. He loved rocks and caves, furry of storms, thunders, dancing waves and so on

          Shelly as a poet of nature, is a different from Wordsworth. Wordsworth loved static, the quiet and the fixed nature. On the other hand Shelly’s attitude was changing and dynamic. He was more  interested in her doing then in her form. Words word wrote nature poetry to convey his feeling and ideas. Shelly’s ‘Ode to West Wind’, ‘To the Skylark’, ‘Adonis’ are highly symbolic poems Shelly was also a kin observer of nature. He expresses some philosophical ideas through the nature.

Joan Keats:

        Keats treatment of nature is much simpler, more direct and personal than that of Shelly or Wordsworth. He does not spiritualize nature. He also does not go to her to learn the lessons of morality. Infect he goes to nature for his physical and sensuous aspects. He takes childlike delight in her external beauties. He loves her as she is. His ‘Ode To Automan’ expresses the universal sensuousness. Unlike Shelly, Keats love is calm and quite nature. He loves a sleep of nature, silent of nature and so on. To Keats nature was like God and Goddess. 

S T Coleridge

        Like Wordsworth, Coleridge was Pantheist and in his early poems, we notice the presence of divine spirit with the colour of object of nature. He believed in a spiritual contact between the men and nature and in moral and educative influences of nature in mind. He has kin feeling for the Super-sensual in nature. His picture of nature are coloured by human association. He gets joy in presenting the picture of nature.

Lord Byron:

        Byron’s love of nature was intense. His attitude toward nature was little different form Wordsworth, Shelly and Keats. He attitude toward nature was not a country man but of town men. Byron presents both the calm and stormy aspect of nature. He was attracted mostly toward water in nature. His description of Rhone, Rhine and the Ocean are the fine pieces of nature.

Others:

      Poets earlier to Wordsworth, like Burns, Cowper, Crabbe and Goldsmith exhibited a fine appreciation for the beauties of nature in external aspect. In the works of Cowper, Crabbe and Gray the treatment of nature is simple chronic and sympathic observation.

Conclusion:

         In this way, Wordsworth make nature the teacher of men, Shelly creates the picture of nature, colourful and furious. Keats presents the calm and quite nature. Coleridge find divine in nature. Byron presents both the calm and storm aspect of nature. In short, we can say that nature poetry in Romantic Age is the new era in English poetry.

The Romantic Movement as – “the Renaissance of Wonder” or “the addition of strangeness of Beauty”

Introduction

         The publication of ‘Lyrical Ballads’ in 1798, proved to be landmark in the history of revival of Romantic Movement in England. It was also revolt against the Neo-Classical tendencies dominant in English literature. They were correctness, following rules and regulations, didacticism and intellectualism. Though the pope was dominating, there was a reaction against the classicism. The Pre Romantic poets paved for a full and complete revival of romantic tendencies in the early nineteenth century. Infect, the Wordsworth and Coleridge hoisted the flag of Romantic Revival.  The movement lasted for the first three decades of nineteenth century.

Definition of Romanticism:

       Certain critics have given good definition of Romanticism. They were really popular and clear.

According to Walter Pater – “Romanticism is the addition of strangeness and beauty.” And the Dunton calls it – “the Renaissance of wonder.” These simple phrases means that the element of wonder is revived in the English literature – poetry. During the Romantic Movement, it’s also means the revival of child’s vision.

Expressions of Child like Innocence:

        The romantic revival is also the revival of Child's vision. It had already dean noticed in the every poems of Blake. His Songs of innocence expresses the innocence of child like. It contains some most charming lyrics ever written in English. There is a little realistic observation of the world around us.

        Blake’s treatment of childhood found an echo of Wordsworth’s treatment of childhood. Coleridge one remarked that – “…. To carry the feeling of childhood in to the years of the manhood is the mark of genius.”

        We don’t find such a quality in the poetry of the age of the pope. The poets of the age of the pope believed that the world was “the film and familiarity”. They never tried to know the wonder and mystery which was hidden in the common object of the life. The Romantic poet found out the world through the imagination. They were struck of the newness of things and presented them in delightful colours. They opened new fields and cameras.

The Role of Imagination:

       Romanticism is also known as – “An extra ordinary development of imaginative sensibility.” [C. H. Harford]. 

        It’s this imaginative sensibility opened the new fields and sights which were the source of wonder for both the poets and the readers. There was a kind of escape. Coleridge escaped in the world of supernatural. Scott derived inspiration from The Middle Ages. Keats took shelter from the Middle Ages. Even Byron and Shelly also revolted against the realistic world and labored hard to usher in ‘the Golden ape’. When priest’s, King’s, and Tyrone’s world yield to wishes of the underdogs of the society, the poor and the down trodden.

Coleridge and his Supernatural:

        Coleridge was the greatest among the Romantic poets. He was lives in the world of dream and imagination. He was to write about the hidden imaginative and romantic subject with supernatural and superhuman power. His popular poems are – Christabel, Kubla khan, and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

     They are all the wonder of delight, feast of imagination and a height of romanticism. They contain element of supernatural among three poems. In all his poems we find the world of awe and wonder. We see the sunny domes, caves of ice, remote places like Xanadu, Depth of valleys, food of honey, dew girl   sitting on the ice place and looking for his demon lover etc. In the Ancient Mariner, we find human thought gallop, spurt of emotions, fancy flies and imagination rushed riot. We also find the circle of awe and wonder. Kubla khan is also most enchanting poems.

Supremacy of Coleridge:

Even before Coleridge, Shakespeare, Spencer and Marlowe also dealt with the supernatural elements like witches, spirit, ghosts. But the Coleridge was different and superior in treatment. His treatment of Supernatural was neither shocking nor appealing. It is highly suggestive, psychological, refined and elegant. He naturalized supernatural and made it convincing. He has deftly created atmosphere of mystery and indefiniteness by subtle suggestion like –

 Water, Water everywhere,

And all the boards did sink;

Water, Water everywhere,

Not any drop to drink.

[The Rime of the Ancient Mariner]

Wordsworth and his nature:

Wordsworth was the high priest of nature. He wrote about the simple subject and in simple diction. The subject of his poem is mostly nature. In his treatment of natural object, humble life and common object of ordinary world. We find ‘touch of wonder and curiosity.’  He does not present the photographic picture of the nature, but he creates it by imagination. Even such a common subject as – A solitary reaper, a cuckoo, the skylark, the daffodils breathe as a sense of wonder.

Medievalism and Hellenism

Among the Romantic poets Coleridge, Scott and Keats went to the Middle Ages to create an effect of wonder. According to Keats ancient Greece was full of art and beauty. Keats has great adoration of beauty both in its physical and spiritual aspects. His adoration of Hellenic way of life is glorified in his immortal odes. He went to the Romantic past to discovered beauty and mystery in unfamiliar to the gratification of scenes.

Conclusion

The beauty is worshiped by the Romantics. It has a touch of the unfamiliar, even the unconventional, remote, exotic and abnormal. There is always search of strange beauty in far off and regions. This element of strangeness added to beauty and it is the essence of Romanticism as understood Pater.

In short every romantic poet writes to make the period “The Renaissance of wonder” and the “addition of strangeness to beauty.”

Characteristics and Features of Romantic Age

        For over a century the classical convention are apply to the English poetry, but with the publication of Lyrical Ballads in 1798, there was a new trend in the English poetry. The new tendency called ‘Romanticism’. Before this the Elizabethan Age [1558-1603] was known as first Romantic Period. The age of Wordsworth [1798-1830] was known as Romantic Revival.  The word Romanticism has been defined variously by various writers –

 

“The addition of strangeness to Beauty.” – Walter Pater

“The Renaissance of wonder.” ¬– Dunton

“Liberalism in Literature.” – Victor Hugo 

“Liberty of imagination.” – Herford 

CLICK HERE to Find other Definition of Romanticism.

CLICK HERE for Romanticism as “The addition of strangeness to Beauty.” Or “The Renaissance of wonder.”

Subjectivity:

        All the romantic literature is subjective. It is an expression of the urges (feeling) of the soul of an artist. The poet does not care for the rules and regulations, but gives free expression to his emotions. It is a freedom of individual soul from bondage of custom. In Romanticism emphases is laid inspiration and intuition rather than observance of set rules. The romantic poetry is fanciful and introspective. Such tendency gives us a lot of various Romantic Poetry.

Spontaneity:

      Romantic poetry is – “a spontaneous overflow of powerful passions.” The Romantic Poets are gifted with a strong organic sensibility. They Feels more than there are to see. Even an ordinary object or incidents excite theirs imagination. They set up in him powerful passions. Poetry for him is not a craft but inspiration. Even the form also not important for them. Wordsworth’s poetry is full of spontaneity and imagination.

Love of Nature:

       The notable feature of this movement is love of nature. We find zest for the beauties of the external world in the poetry of the period. The Romantics carry us away from the suffocating atmosphere of the cities to the fresh and beautiful world of nature. Wordsworth was a sincere devotee of nature. To him ‘nature was the teacher.’ 

Revolt against Classicism or Simplicity in theme and treatment:

    The romantic period is a strong revolt against the Neo-Classicism. The common men are the centre of interest of new poetry. The Romantic treats the common men with all sympathy. They also use his language for their purposes. They hate poetic diction or artificial style of Pope. Wordsworth believes that there is no essential difference between the language of poetry and of prose.

Emphases on Inherent dignity and nobility of Men:

     Those love of nature leads to love of those who live in her lap. The Romantics have instinct for the elemental simplicities of life. Their hearts overflow with the sympathy for the poor and downtrodden. They glorify the innocence simplicity of common men. They find divine in man. They plea for equal rights for the himself. Therefore the Romantic movement became a part of general democratic movement. Wordsworth’s ‘The solitary Reaper’ is an ideal example. Even P. B. Shelly also favors the spirit of freedom and equality.

Love of Supernatural:

       This feature is especially related with Coleridge. Before Coleridge during the Elizabethan Age Spencer, Marlowe and Shakespeare also try to deal with supernatural. The Romantics are very much alive to wonder, mystery and beauty of universe. He feels presence of unseen powers in nature. To him unseen world is more real than the world of scenes. The supernatural has a special charm for him. He is attracted by the stories of ferries, ghosts and whitchcrast. Coleridge has given us fine poems containing these elements. His ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ ‘Kubla Khan’ and ‘Christabel’ all belong to it.

Melancholy:

        A Romantic is dissatisfied individual (person).  He may be dissatisfied with:

(1) The circumstances of his own life.

(2) Literary convention and tradition of the day.

(3) The general fate of humanity.

      Therefore, romantic poetry is often pessimistic in tone. A Romantic poet may be revolt against the present conditions. He may be tried to escape in to an imaginative world of his own creation. Shelley’s ‘Ode to Westwind’ suggests the feeling. Coleridge escapes in to the Middle Ages and creates his own world of imagination. Thus, the remote and distance and unknown delight him for this very reason.

Craving for Past:

      We find the craving for the past I the poetry of Romantic poetry. It leads the poets to experiment with the meters and poetic forms. The Spenserians Stanza, the ballad meter, the blank verse, the lyric, the odes, the sonnets are all revived. Shelly, Keats, Byron wrote a beautiful lyric, odes, ballads etc.

Conclusion:

     Thus English romanticism is born as a revolt and revival. It is a revolt against eighteenth century traditions and conventions and it is revival of ancient meters and ancient masters of poetry.

Literary Features Of The Victorian Age

Introduction:

          The Victorian age was the one of the most remarkable period in the history of English literature. This age does not begin to year in which Queen Victoria Ruled in England, but Victorianism means an attitude to life and things. This age was also called as the age of Tennyson, because its limit concedes with the limit of his creative life. He is the most representative writer of his time and the mirror of his age. The age witnessed the flowery of the poetry in the hands of the most of poet. It marked the growth of English Novel. It also leads on the foundation of English prose on surer footing.

A Note of Individuality:

       A Note of Individuality is the hallmark of the Victorian Literature.   The literary figures of the period had Originality in Outlook, Character and style. Tennyson loved to sing a song of Independence. In the novels of Dickens we find Originality. The Works of the Bronte Sisters were unique in style. The writing of charlotte, Browning and others were full of enthusiasm and spirit.

The Great Age of Prose and Novel:

      Indeed the Victorian was age of prose and the novel. Though the age produced many poets. It was the remarkable Age of Prose and Novel. The novel of the age enjoyed the same status as the drama of the Elizabethan age. We don’t find that in any age of language. The novel had appeared in such a number and such perfection. There was a host of such a novelist. It includes Charles Dickens, Thackeray, George Eliot, The Bronte sisters and so on.  The prose writer was Carlyle. John Ruskin, Arnold and Others.

A Deep Moral Note:

       One of the remarkable qualities of the Victorian literature is that it had a deep moral note. The responsible reason for it was the development of science. Darwin’s theory of Evolution created doubts regarding God. Both in prose and poetry there was a departing from the purely artistic standard. It was for a certain moral purpose. Tennyson, Browning, Carlyle, Ruskin were primarily interested for their country man. They were inspired by a conscious moral purpose. They wanted to uplift their fellowmen. Even Charles Dickens, Thackeray, George Eliot also wrote with the same tendency. 

The Reflection of Social and Political Life:

       The literature of the age was co-related with the social and political life of the period. The Victorian literary artists were inspired by the social zeal.  They wanted to represent the problem of their own age. The poet of the pre Raphaelite school was an exception Because of it the Victorian literature is the literature of the realism. It becomes an instrument of social reform and social propaganda. It was purposeful and deductive. 

 Art for Art’s shake:

      Mostly the literature of the period was the full of morality and socialism. There was reaction against such a tendency. A group of poet reacted against it. They were Pre-Raphaelite poets. They got inspiration from the middle ages. They wrote about the beauty and glory of past. They were in favor of the original purpose of literature – “to give aesthetic pleasure.”

A note of Pessimism and Optimism:

       A note of pessimism, doubt and despair runs through the literature. It is especially noticed in the poetry of Matthew Arnold and A. H. Clough. Newman Carlyle, Ruskin found everything dark and despaired. Though the note of pessimism runs through the literature, it cannot be pessimistic. Some writers were optimist and associated the age with the peace, progress and prosperity. A note of optimism reflected in the poetry of Browning. Ruskin’s Writings were full of optimism. Dickens, Thackeray, George Eliot inspire us with their faith and humanity. Tennyson did not lose his faith in human virtue.

The Spirit of Patriotism and Idealism:

      The note of patriotism runs through the Victorian Age. Tennyson, Dickens and others were inspired by the national pride. There was a sense of greatness of England in their work. A note of I idealism is reflected in the poetry of Browning.

Revival of Interest in Past:

       The Victorians were interested in the contemporary social and political life, yet they were fascinated by the old ages. Some of writers and poets had an effect of romanticism. They had romantic thrust for beauty, love and art. It had affected the work of Tennyson.

    The Pre Raphaelite remained unaffected toward middle ages. Oxford movement which was based on spiritual romanticism. Keble and Newman was the pioneer of the movement. Just as romanticism went back to old tradition and feeling, in same way Oxford Movement reforms and refreshed the religious life by return to past. Walter Pater and Oscar Wild were the pioneer of esthetic movement which was the reaction against utilitarianism. 

The Age of Compromise:

      The Victorian age was the age of Compromise. The Age is of the social changes. The old and new brings compromise between the divergent tendencies and conflict forces. In the field of political life there was compromise between the democracy and monarchy. The Victorian age was the age of materialism yet people did not loss their faith in religion.  So there was compromise between the religion and materialism. Romantic Revival had shown interest in nature and art as the subject matter of art. But the Victorian age exhibits very interesting and complex mixture of opposing elements. They were Romanticism and Classicism; Idealism and Imagism. 

Conclusion:

      In short we can say that, the Victorian age was full of literary activates and compromise. It was complex and the traditions of literature were really remarkable.