Victorian age-Literature of this age tends to come closer to daily life

Victorian age-Literature of this age tends to come closer to daily life

This paper focuses on The Victorian age. Literature of this age tends to come closer to daily life and reflects its practical problems and interests. It becomes a powerful instrument for human progress.

The Victorian age-Literature of this age tends to come closer to daily life

The text book we are using is The Norton Anthology of English Literature 10th Edition Volume D The Victorian Age. The literature of this era expressed the fusion of pure romance with gross realism. Though the Victorian Age produced great poets, the age is also remarkable for the excellence of its prose. The discoveries of science have particular effects upon the literature of the age. Four general characteristics can be identified:

1. Literature of this age tends to come closer to daily life and reflects its practical problems and interests. It becomes a powerful instrument for human progress. Socially & economically, industrialism was on the rise as well as various reform movements such as emancipation, child labour, women’s rights, and evolution.

2. Moral Purpose: The Victorian literature seems to deviate from “art for art’s sake” and asserts its moral purpose. Tennyson, Browning, Carlyle, Ruskin – all were the teachers of England with the faith in their moral message‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‍ to instruct the world.

3. Idealism:

It is often consider ed as an age of doubt and pessimism. Additionally, The influence of science is felt here. Further, The whole age seems to be caught in the conception of man in relation to the universe with the idea of evolution.

4. Though the age is characterize d as practical and materialistic, most of the writers exalt a purely ideal life. It is an idealistic age in which the great ideals such as truth, justice, love, and brotherhood are emphasize by poets, essayists and novelists.

Note: Items 3 and 4 are not necessarily contradictory. There is a paradox in action.Also, You may wish to explore that paradox as an additional option and call it characteristic no.
5. Choose one of the above and write a three-page (3 page) essay using selections from the texts that demonstrate the characteristic. Remember it takes more than 2 data points to indicate a trend. Finally, You will need to choose 3 different writers to show there was a prevailing tendency toward the characteristic you choose. Lastly, Explain fully how the characteristic shown in explication of the works you choose.