Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold was an English poet and cultural critic who also worked as a school inspector. He was the son of the renowned headmaster of Rugby School, Thomas Arnold. He was also the brother of the literary professor and novelist Tom Arnold and the colonial administrator William Delafield Arnold. Although he had a relatively limited literary output, he was a highly regarded figure in his time.
Culture and Anarchy
Culture and Anarchy is a collection of periodical essays written by Matthew Arnold. They were first published in Cornhill Magazine during 1867–68, and collected as a book in 1869. Arnold also added a preface. The essays were widely published and are considered classics of Victorian literature.
The essays in Culture and Anarchy were published during a turbulent period in the country. The Reform Bill had granted the vote to a large number of working-class men, but the debate had been heated. Huxley and Thomas Carlyle were hostile to the idea, while J. S. Mill supported universal suffrage.
Isolation
The first stanza of Matthew Arnold's poem, "Isolation. To Marguerite," shows a lover's awareness of their own isolation from the world. Through each stanza, the lover's devotion to the beloved intensifies. In the first stanza, the lover commands his or her heart to keep the world at bay. In subsequent stanzas, the lover is increasingly aware of his or her own isolation.
While these poems are deeply personal, they also portray the universality of loneliness. For example, 'Isolation' focuses on personal failure in love and marriage, while 'Yes! in the sea of life enisled' explores a sense of loneliness in general. Despite the fact that Arnold had been married to Fanny Wightman, Mary remained permanently isolated in the Lake District. Until her death, she lived close to Fox How.
Emptiness
Matthew Arnold's poem about the world's emptyness was written in 1848, at a time of turmoil and revolution. It depicts a world devoid of human community, cooperation, and light. It is a world in which we are alone, with no hope for help or relief from pain. Arnold may have drawn inspiration from the Book of Ecclesiastes, a Bible work that deals with despair and loss.
This is not to say that Arnold's poems lack depth. Some of them are full of slogans or cliches, and they may come off as hollow advertising idioms, resounding political discourse or management-speak. However, these are not his fault, but rather they form the foundation of his critical practice. The 1860s essays that Arnold wrote reveal possible relational modes.
Isolated sea
In Matthew Arnold's Isolated sea, the sea evokes longing and vast distances. This poem is about longing and a loss of faith. Throughout, Arnold explores human longing for love. It also highlights the importance of family and community in the author's life.
The sea is an important part of the author's life, as it reflects the speaker's inner feelings and thoughts. The speaker is a melancholic who teaches people to be kind and steadfast in their religious beliefs. He analyzes his own inner feelings and reflects on his own mortality.
The Scholar-Gipsy
"The Scholar-Gipsy" by Matthew Arnold is a poem that's based on a story in a 17th century Oxford book. It was first published in 1817 and is one of Arnold's most famous works. It's a good read that can make you think about the role of the scholar in society.
The Scholar-Gipsy by Matthew Arnold starts as a pastoral elegy, but as the poem develops, it shows off Arnold's ideology. Through the use of a simile, Arnold elevates the gipsy to the status of a god, a dream figure, and a grand vision of idealism. It's an interesting juxtaposition that Arnold pulls off.
The Strayed Reveller
The Strayed Reveller by Matthew Arnold is a poetry collection that was first published in 1849. It was Arnold's first publication of poetry, and was notable for its vivid descriptive passages. It has recently been revised by Kathleen Kuiper. Poetry is a form of writing that evokes a concentrated imaginative awareness of an experience, which is often expressed through specific emotional responses.
Arnold's poetry reflects many aspects of the Romantic and Victorian periods, and is often described as akin to the sounds of a poet taking a breath. The poet's poems draw heavily on other literary works, including the Romantic poet Senancour's Obermann.
