Romantic Age And Prior Essay, Research Paper
Victorian Dogmatism as a Gift from the Romantic Age and Prior
Walter E. Houghton prefaces The Victorian Frame of Mind by noting, “the
Victorian mind remains for us blurred and obscure. It appears as a bundle of various and
often paradoxical ideas and attitudes” (xiii). Houghton acknowledges the “fragmentary
and incoherent” (xiii) characteristics of the Victorian period, in contrast to general
assumptions defining the period simply as morally rigid and intellectually dogmatic, for instance. Much of The Victorian Frame of Mind is devoted to an exploration of the complexities of the age in revealing established generalities as actually being not so clearly defined in terms of what they are assumed to represent. An example of this is the characterization of Victorianism as a reaction to Romanticism, Houghton demonstrates this as an oversimplification as he notes Romanticism’s continuing, yet often subtle and paradoxical, influence over the Victorian age.
While Houghton relies on the literature of the age as a means to illustrate the
various characteristics of the “Victorian mind,” he does not limit his analysis to what is
most obviously conveyed by the writers of the time. Houghton examines the dogmatic framework behind the ideals presented by Victorian writers, as such dogmatism is often seen as one of the defining characteristics of the age. A profound difference between the Victorians and the Romantics, for instance, seems to be expressed when he writes:
Paralleling his thought in other areas, Ruskin revived the tradition of absolute “rules” which the Romantics had challenged; and though he rightly took issue with those who thought there were no standards in art, what he meant by standards was “laws of truth and right…just as fixed as those of harmony in music, or of affinity in chemistry.” (149)
Houghton goes on to clarify, however, that while the ideals presented by Victorian writers may have been quite distinct from, or even at times in direct opposition to, Romantic ideals, the philosophical basis for a Victorian writer’s staunch belief in his own views did not necessarily emerge as unique to Victorianism. He writes:
[The confidence of Victorian writers in their own sense of absolute law was founded] on the possession of an infallible power of insight: either reason or intuition. Both faculties may be used, of course, and were used by the Victorians, with modesty, but the extreme exaltation of both, which was inherited, respectfully, from eighteenth-century Rationalism and nineteenth-century Romanticism, provided an epistemological basis for dogmatism. (149-50)
While it most simply may be said that what at least in part ushered in the Victorian era was the waning power and excitement of the Romantic revolution in poetry, Houghton, however, notes that part of that power and excitement was still working for the Victorian writers. Such power comes in the form of a dogmatism that was not necessarily new to the age, but perhaps more pronounced than ever before because of its inheritance from the Romantic writers and even their predecessors. Houghton explains:
?a [Victorian] writer could hardly escape becoming a fine dogmatist, was created by the transformation, under philosophical or mystical influence, of the natural genius of the eighteenth-century – the poet who wrote spontaneously without knowledge of classical literature or the rules of art – into the Romantic Genius of the nineteenth whose imagination was an oracular organ of Truth. This heady doctrine, preached by Wordsworth and Shelley as well as by Goethe and Fichte, was adopted from those sources by the Cambridge Apostles. (152)
Houghton examines the dogmatic tone of works by Victorian writers such as Tennyson, Browning, Arnold, Newman, and especially Carlyle (151-54) and comments on its attraction during the Victorian era which may, in part, account for its seeming more-pronounced presence when compared to the Romantic or earlier periods. While the dogmatism of the Romantics may have been urging readers toward a belief in the spirituality to be found in nature, for instance, Houghton notes that Victorian dogmatism had perhaps a greater task at hand – a filling of the void left by emerging atheism and refinement of scientific thought. He indicates that dogmatic doctrine to the Victorians “was not only natural (given the climate of opinion) – it was attractive. They liked it. One might even say they asked for it. The prophets who put on the mantle of infallibility did so as much from public demand as from a personal sense of fitness” (154). Intellectual dogmatism, in a sense, became the “new religion” for many during the Victorian age. Houghton’s examination of Victorian intellectual dogmatism reveals it to be not so much a striking contrast to Romantic revolution in poetry, for example, but rather, the next step, how ever more pronounced, of that same dogmatism that was practiced by the Romantics and their predecessors.
Bibliography
Houghton, Walter Edwards. The Victorian Frame of Mind 1830-1870.
Yale Univ Press. 1963
Другие работы по теме:
Mrs Dalloway
– Analysis Of The Film Essay, Research Paper Upon viewing ?Mrs. Dalloway? I was not impressed. The movie seemed to jump from the present to the past. The character Septimus didn?t appear to have any purpose in the storyline. Clarrisa also seemed to be tightly bound by the Victorian lifestyle of the day to make her interesting to me.
Victorian Jewelry Essay Research Paper The quaintness
Victorian Jewelry Essay, Research Paper ?The quaintness and eccentricity of some of the jewels, particularly from among the less expensive lines, was partly a reflection of the mood of the times but was also the result of trading conditions? (Hinks6). Jewelry makers produced new ideas every season, whether they were practical or idiot because the competition between domestic rivals was so intense.
Debt Which Is Unrepayable Essay Research Paper
In Anne Bradstreet s poem, To Her Father with Some Verses , the speaker expresses to the reader the feeling of never being able to repay her Father , God, for the gift of life He has offered to her. The feeling of never being able to repay her Father is shown through the use of repeated symbolism and the Father is represented as God through the use of diction.
What Life Is Essay Research Paper Life
What Life Is Essay, Research Paper Life is very funny. Many people think of it as a game that must be played to the end or some may think of it as a journey in search of something. I?m one of those that think of it as?. neither. I think of it as a gift. This gift that God has bestowed upon us. This gift in which WE have total control.
To Her Father With Some Verses Essay
, Research Paper In Anne Bradstreet?s poem, "To Her Father with Some Verses", the speaker expresses to the reader the feeling of never being able to repay her "Father", God, for the gift of life He has offered to her. The feeling of never being able to repay her "Father" is shown through the use of repeated symbolism and the "Father" is represented as God through the use of diction.
Alienation In Victorian Societ Essay Research Paper
Alienation in Victorian Society by Shivam Ray The Victorian period is often defined and pictured by its antique images of flowers, corsets, standard 18 inch waists and rosy-cheek children. However, Kate Chopin shatters this image in her Novel “The Awakening” published in 1899. The authors child hood experiences of tragedies in her family and a true story of a lady from New Orleans and her scandals greatly influence the matter of this novel.
The Irony Of The Short Stories
, “The Necklace” And “The Gift Of The Magi” Essay, Research Paper The irony in the short stories, “The Necklace” and “The Gift of the Magi,” ought to be further analyzed. Through examination of this element in literature the reader can derive many morals and themes that could be useful in their own lives. “The Necklace” is a perfect example of irony and sends many powerful messages to the reader.
Living By The Water Essay Research Paper
LIVING BY THE WATER If I could chose to live by the mountains or by the water, I would chose to live by the water. Almost all of my life, I have wanted to live by the water. To be able to live by the water would be the greatest gift to me. I just love to be around water.
The Awakening Of Women Essay Research Paper
The Awakening is a commentary on the restraints faced by women at the turn of the century. The novel is really all about independence and understanding. The peace that is offered in the promise of personal freedom concerning love and all else, shown in this novel, is enticing. Chopin writes about a woman who continues to reject the society around her, a notion too radical for Chopin’s peers.
Jane Eyre Essay Research Paper Caretakers had
Jane Eyre Essay, Research Paper Caretakers had an important role in the renaissance and the Victorian period. Mainly women were accepted to be a caretaker while their class was usually a low one. Their duty changed from period to period, their class was not bound to be low, but still, it was lower than the person who hired them.
Jane Eyre As A Typical And Atypical
Victorian Woman Essay, Research Paper The image of Jane Eyre was certainly a startling one to the Victorian public. On the surface Jane Eyre seems like a quintessential heroine of Gothic and Sentimental literature: a plane and poor girl who, having virtuously defied the temptation of being seduced, is rewarded for her outstanding morality and chastity by the crowning elements of propriety and desirability –a husband and a fortune.
Harrison Bergeron Dialogue Essay Research Paper Harrison
Harrison Bergeron Dialogue Essay, Research Paper Harrison Bergeron Dialogue Harrison’s Mother attempts to explain to Harrison why he must not try tobe better than anyone else. “Harrson, come here please, your Father and I want to talk to you for amoment.” He knew what it was about, his parents wanted to tell him why it’s not rightto be different from anyone else.
Dose Poetry Matter Essay Research Paper Does
Dose Poetry Matter Essay, Research Paper Does Poetry Matter? To me poetry does not matter. I do not like poetry because a poem is just a passage that contains a hidden meaning and I can never figure out what a poem is about. If poetry was not around then authors would just come out and say what they wanted to say . Their thoughts would not get confused and people would not miss the meaning that the author is trying to get across.
The Most Meaningful Gift Essay Research Paper
The theme for “The Gift of the Magi” is that love is more important than any material item. Della and Jim, the two main characters, demonstrated the theme. This theme also occurs in the “real world.”
Gift Of Magi And Necklace Essay Research
Paper Rob Reynolds In the short stories “The Gift of the Magi”, and “The Necklace” there are many things that can noticed that are similar. The settings of these two stories are very similar:
Description Of Mom Essay Research Paper There
Description Of Mom Essay, Research Paper There are those that come in to our lives and leave a special gift in our hearts. There are also those who are nothing but a passing memory. As for me, the person that has given me a special gift is my mother.
Victorian Literature Essay Research Paper Victorian literatureThe
Victorian Literature Essay, Research Paper Victorian literature The first decades (1830s to 1860s) of Queen Victoria’s reign produced a vigorous and varied body of literature that attempted to come to terms with the current transformations of English society, but writers in the latter decades (1870s to 1900) withdrew into AESTHETICISM, a preoccupation with sensation as an end in itself.
Theme Of Gift Of The Magi Essay
, Research Paper The theme of ?The Gift of the Magi? is that the best gifts are those that are meaningful and given out of love and sacrifice. In this story, Della?s most prized possession was her hair, while Jim?s was his gold pocket watch. Since they are poor, Della sells her hair to get Jim a fob for his pocket watch since he keeps it on a leather strap.
Jane Eyre Role Of Women Essay Research
Paper A traditional woman of Victorian Society was seen as a caring mother and a loving wife. She was born to give and to love. Often, the upper-class women were taught languages and the arts; this made them very well rounded and appealing to the gentlemen. In Jane Eyre, the women characters that are encountered have both traditional and non-traditional characteristics of the Victorian Society.
Amy LowellS Patterns Essay Research Paper On
Amy Lowell?S ?Patterns? Essay, Research Paper On the outside, the speaker in Amy Lowell’s “Patterns” acts the way Victorian society expects of her. However, on the inside, she expresses her emotions and what she
Marriage In The Victorian Essay Research Paper
Marriage in the Victorian In the Victorian, marriage was seen mainly as bringing up ones status, people didn t marry for love they married for money. In this case, Victorians kept marriage between family members to keep the wealth there. Throughout many Victorian works this trend in seen often.
The Gift Outright Essay Research Paper The
The Gift Outright Essay, Research Paper The Gift Outright In the poem The Gift Outright, Robert Frost uses a historical theme to express the feelings of Americans long ago; feelings of oppression and desperation which ultimately lead to joy and triumph. Frost connects with the many Americans today who also have these feelings when reading the poem.
The Gift Essay Research Paper The Gift
The Gift Essay, Research Paper The Gift In “The Gift” by Louise Glock, the little boy is calling oggie, oggie, at his front door. This could mean several things, first we would have to look at
My Gift Essay Research Paper My gift
My Gift Essay, Research Paper My gift to you is somewhat strange, it’s hidden and silent, alone and unheard, but it still lives beneath the darkened sun, it’s love and hope and joy and sight,
Madame Bovary Essay Research Paper Madame BovaryThe
Madame Bovary Essay, Research Paper Madame Bovary The Victorian era was a time of both beauty and elegance. Many wonderful novels were written during the period including Jane Erye by Charlotte Bronte and her sister Emily s famous work, Wuthering Heights. But in contrast there are novels that express Anti-Victorian sentiments as well.
Julia Margaret Cameron Essay Research Paper Juliet
Julia Margaret Cameron Essay, Research Paper Juliet Margaret Cameron was a Pioneer Victorian photographer during the nineteenth century. She took up photography later in life at the age forty-eight when her daughter presented her with a camera. This simple gift sparked enthusiasm in Cameron and led her to become one of the most colorful personalities in photography.Cameron was born in Calcutta in 1815 to a well to do British Family.
Jane Eyre Passion Vs Reason Essay Research
Paper Many of Jane s values are based on reason but ultimately many of her actions and decisions are driven by the heart. Discuss The character of Jane in Charlotte Bronte s novel Jane Eyre, was entirely revolutionary for the Victorian era. Whilst her values were shaped by her environs, her actions and decisions were often driven by an intense passion often contrary to societies norms.
Changes In The Victorian Age Essay Research
Paper The changes in the Victorian Age, approximately 69 years long, contributed more to the advancement of the world than the other two thousand years of it s existence. It was a time of expansion, reform, and technological advancement. Thus mark twain was essentially correct in saying that British history is two thousand years old, and yet in a good many ways the world has moved farther ahead since the queen was born than it moved in the rest of the two thousand years put together.
The Victorian Age Essay Research Paper The
The Victorian Age Essay, Research Paper The United States during the second half of the 1800s was in a stage called “The Victorian Age.” The basic style of this time was actually borrowed from the English or to be more exact Queen Victoria hence the name Victorian Age.
Romantism In Essay Research Paper Even though
Romantism In Essay, Research Paper Even though it was written in the Victorian era, Kate Chopin’s The Awakening has several romantic qualities, especially with the main character, as she struggles between society’s obligations and her own desires. Chopin writes about a woman who continues to reject the society around her, a notion too radical for Chopin’s peers.
Women In The Victorian Era Essay Research
Paper In the Victorian Era (1832-1901), women faced many challenges. Women were not treated as they are today. They were treated unfairly and not heard. There was a need for women to express their own needs as human beings, and finally overcome their hardship. But the question remained, what was their position in life? Two pieces of literature that deal with this topic are A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen and A Woman s Thoughts about Women by Dinah Maria Mulock.
Hardy
’s Use Of Jude And Sue In Jude The Obscure Essay, Research Paper Hardy?s Use of Jude and Sue in Jude the Obscure In Jude the Obscure, Thomas Hardy presents the characters Jude Fawley and Sue Bridehead, who violate the conventions of the repressive Victorian society while attempting to follow their natural instincts.
Dover Beach Vs Dover Bitch Essay Research
Paper Hecht’s parody “Dover Bitch” is a mockery of Victorian values shown in “Dover Beach”, as well as those of his own period. Hecht candidly exaggerates the speech, ideas and symbols in “Dover Beach.”.
Art Appreciation Essay Research Paper DARK ROCKS
Art Appreciation Essay, Research Paper DARK ROCKS Georgia O Keeffe ( oil in canvas) Victorian Bouquet Severin Roesen ( Oil in canvas) In this piece of art, Georgia O Keeffe transforms ordinary natural objects (rocks) into abstract things. By setting the dark rocks against the white background she magnifies the rocks.