Literary Tendency of Victorian Literature: Special Reference to Lord Alfred Tennyson and Robert Browning

The Victorian Era was a time of wide extremes. elegant city streets, gas lamps, and in contrast grinding poverty. It was also a time of exploration and invention. With their pioneer spirit wild frontier towns were born across the world. and with their flare and ingenuity the Victorians took with them their values and elegance. (Matthew Arnold) Though Victorian period was influenced by the reform act 1832 and subsequent acts, yet this period also marked by extreme diversities with the industrial reforms, cultural progress, scientific advancement on one hand and poverty and wars on the other.

The Victorian Era is a remarkable time in history with the blooming industries, growing population, and a major turnaround in the fashion world. This era was named after Queen Victoria who ruled United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from June 1837 until she passed away 64 years later in January 1901.When Victoria received the crown, popular respect was strikingly low. The lack of respect for the position she had just come into did not diminish her confidence. Instead she won the hearts of Britain with her modesty, grace, straightforwardness, and her want to be informed on the political matters at hand even though she had no input. She changed Britain into a flourishing country. She also impacted how women interacted

Alfred Tennyson got most of his ideas for poems from things in his life such as relationships and family trouble. “I must lose myself in action, lest I wither in despair.” (Tennyson 1). Tennyson was regarded as “Chief Representative” of the Victorian age because of his influence through his works (Southam 1219).

The Victorian Era was the period of Queen Victorian’s reign in England from 1837 to 1901. England was claimed as the world’s most powerful nation during that era as the Industrial Revolution reached its climax in England. It brought changes to the nation such as the growth of population, improvement in transportation and developments in technologies. Accordingly, industrialisation brought a consumer boom which resulted in the increased competition between the marketplace sellers in England. With that, advertising industry had been expanded in Britain, which put them as a commercial center in the world. Heller and Chwast (1988, p.15) claim that Victorian style was actually the aesthetic response of a society to industrialisation. The rapid development of the nation was also associated with the Great Exhibition

The Victorian era refers to the time period in which Queen Victoria reigned in England. It is often known for having strict rules stating what is proper and what is off color. “The term Victorian morality is often used to describe the values of the period, which includes sexual proprietary, hard work, honesty, thrift, sense of duty and responsibility towards the less well off” (“Victorian Era Morality”). This standard worked well for the

Thomas Blackburn describes the two Victorian poets, Robert Browning and Alfred, Lord Tennyson as being great contemporaries (47). As such it is apt that their works should muse upon and explore similar topics and themes. Their connection is especially evident in Browning’s “My Last Duchess” and Tennyson’s “The Lady of Shalott”. The themes of entrapment and incarceration feature heavily in both of these works. Specifically, it is the entrapment and incarceration of women which pervade their respective compositions. When taking into consideration the way in which women were viewed at this juncture in history- being nothing more than “beautiful objects” (Gilbert and Gubar 54), it is quite easy to see how the literary representations of the

“The real ornament of a woman is her character, her purity” (Ghandi). The Victorian society era was an era that prolonged from 1837-1901. The era inhabited queen Victoria of England when she reigned as a monarch of Great Britain. The Victorian epoch abided to be an epoch of virtue and purity. Women in Victorianism were not permitted to be seen with a man publicly and never the less be authorized to have sexual intercourse if not married. This era of constraints for the British had one goal and that goal was to cover women up and sex was only accredited when conceiving children. Society in the outside viewed a perfect female structure but if examined cautiously society converted sex and symbols in books. Soon the society

The Victorian era refers to the sixty-three-year reign of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, from 1837-1901. From a huge population boom in Great Britain to technological improvements that changed the way people lived, to the increasingly noticeable differences between the wealthy and the working poor, the 19th Century saw more profound social and political developments than any century before.

Poetry is an effective art form used to express the many values within society. Throughout the ninetieth and twentieth centuries, poetry and the arts have been used as a significant media for communicating political propaganda, and as a means to encourage patriotism within young men to fight and die for their country. Alfred Lord Tennyson’s ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ underpins this notion, exemplifying the ‘glory’ and honour of dying in battle for one’s country, during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean war (1853 -1856). However not all war poetry signifies heroic propaganda, Wilfred Owens poem Dulce et decorum Est, provides a contrasting theme and illustrates the traumatic and distressing influence war has upon men, during the conflict

The Victorian Era was an era where the British history was under Queen Victoria’s reign for sixty-four years. The people whom were under Queen Victoria’s ruling were called the Victorians. The Queen Victoria was a huge influence on the way the Victorians’ sense was on the morality and immortality of their lives. Since era is known as the era of peace, prosperity, and appreciation for what was given to them but it included self-confidence very much in everything occurred in this era.

The Victorian Age, ruled by Queen Victoria in 1837 through 1901, was a time of great change in Britain. Becoming one of the most powerful nations in the world, Britain was well on its way to success. In addition to this achievement, writers also accomplished their own feats. The short story genre flourished, and authors such as Charles Dickens became well-known for their work. Tom Tiddler’s Ground by Charles Dickens embodies life during the Victorian era through genre, setting, characterization, and style.

The Victorian Era, was an era of etiquette, manners, clothes, money, social activity and tea parties. Etiquette, manners, clothes, and money were all the victorian era was about. Men, women, and children were all different and had different roles in Victorian society. Clothes stated who you were and how much money you had. Men and women had to dress more appropriate and social, but children were a tad bit more free clothing choices, to a certain age.

The Victorian period became one of the greatest influential times in literature. The characteristics of Victorian literature were detailed realism, social responsibility and enthusiasm for reforms. During the Victorian period, people saw the birth of industrialization. Enormous changes occurred in the political and social life in England. Nevertheless the industrial revolution was the birth of technical and scientific ideology. Europe during this time saw the increase in wealth but also the increase in poverty. In addition Factors played a big role in the wealth of Europe because of the ability of mass production. The Victorian period was also a time of transition when women and kids were allowed to work in factors because fathers were not able to provide on their own. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was a poet who was

The Victorian Period lasted from 1832 to 1901 under Queen Victoria’s reign. The culture revealed in this era was a time of rapid change, social inequality, industrialization, supernatural and religious beliefs, and was accurately reflected in the works of Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. Roles of men and women were strictly defined, as were economic statuses. The hustle and bustle of the streets led to illnesses. Working conditions were destitute and unsanitary. Children often had little to no education, unless very fortunate. New advancements in technology arose, after the industrialization of the United Kingdom began.

The Victorian Period was a great influence to the authors who composed novels at that time where distinctions between social classes as well as between men and women were strongly marked. During this period, it was precisely a woman who ruled. Alexandrina Victoria who was born on May 24, 1819 became Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from June 20, 1837 until her death on January 22, 1901. Victoria’s reign was one of the longest of a female in history. At only the age of 18, after her uncle William Henry IV died, she began a span of 63 years of reign. In spite of her independence and power, Victoria fell into a deep depression when her husband died in 1861 and ever since she wore black every day for the rest of her