Consider Mathew Arnold as a social critic with
special reference to his “Culture and Anarchy”.
Or
Make an assessment of Mathew Arnold as a Victorian
critic and his contribution to English prose.
Answer:-
Mathew Arnold is considered one of the most
significant writer of the late Victorian period in England. He initially
established his reputation as a poet of elegiac verse and
poems like, “The scholar Gipsy” and “Dover Beach” are considered classics for their subtle, restrained style and compelling expression of spirituality. However it was through his prose Arnold asserted his greatest influence an literature. His writings on the rule of literary criticism in society, advance classical ideas and advocate the adoption of universal aesthetic standers. According to him the English literature need classical qualities in order to attain harmonious perfection in moral as well as in literature.
poems like, “The scholar Gipsy” and “Dover Beach” are considered classics for their subtle, restrained style and compelling expression of spirituality. However it was through his prose Arnold asserted his greatest influence an literature. His writings on the rule of literary criticism in society, advance classical ideas and advocate the adoption of universal aesthetic standers. According to him the English literature need classical qualities in order to attain harmonious perfection in moral as well as in literature.
Besides
being a distinguish poet Arnold was also a literary critic of his age. His literary criticism is chiefly found in his volumes of “Essay in Criticism”,
“Mixed Essay’s and Oxford lectures on translating Homer”. His “ Criticism of
Life” is found in “Culture and Anarchy” and “Friendships Garland”. His literary
criticism is mostly based on society and life in general. He did not relish the
Slogan “Art for Arts Sake” raised by thepre-rephalits. He clearly declared that
“Poetry is the Criticism of life and he was mainly concern with the moral
values of the writers.” The Victorian age witnessed a conflict between religion
and science which created much confusion in the minds of the common people. Spiritual disturbance and doubt were the natural outcome of such a predicament
and regarding this Arnold comment-
“Between two worlds, one dead,
The other powerless to be born”
Unlike the teachings of Carlyle and Ruskin which appeal to mass, Arnold’s teaching pointed mainly to the educated section of the society as a writer of prose his style is brilliant and polished. As his object was to bring home to his countrymen to certain fundamental principles of culture and intellectual life, he was the habit of repeadting of the same word and phrase. Arnold first major prose work, “on transtating Homer” and “The popular Education of French” both published in 1861 inaugurated his career as a highly controversial social and literary highly controversial social and literary critic. After same critical essays Arnold shifted his focus on theological as a crisis of religious faith in Victorian Society. Arnold attributed this crisis to the conflict between the prevailing influence of scientific rationalism and the conservative theology. His solution was liberal symbolic interetation of Biblical scripture presented in his essay “Literature and Dogma.” The publication of thirds essay caused an immediate uproar among the conservator Church leaders.
Arnold prose writings
articulate his desire to establish universal standards of taste and judgement.
In his highly regarded “essays in Criticism”, he elaborates on this key
principle defening the that is known and thought in the world and thus ideals.
For Arnold this shouldn’t be limited to literature but should embraced
theology, history, art, science, sociology and political theory. Similarly
“Culture an Anarcy, An essay in political and social Criticism” widely viewd as
one of Arnold’s most important works. In this essay Arnold rejected
provincialism an arrogance of English society. The Essay is a socio- political
analysis of England’s class structure in which Arnold identisies three(3) major
classes- Barbarians(the Aristocracy), Philistines(The Middle class) and the
Populace(the lower class). White Arnold praised the aristocracy of their
refined manners and social assurance, he also condem them for their
conservative but they couldn’t contribute for the development of the society.
The lower class, he dismiss as an ineffectual mass,. Arnold argued that the
middle class would gradually take control of English politics and they must be
transform their unpolished state into a sensitive, sophisticated, intellectual
Community.
The style of Arnold is
not easy to immediate. His choice of words and cleareness of ideas is more
remarkable. Such a style was eminently fited for the purpose of criticism. As a
writer of essay he had no superior among the writers of his time and he can
probably never been surpassed by anyone. He may not be considered as the
strongest writer of English prose but he must always hold a high rank in
English literature for his grace, elegance and calculated Charon.
Ruskin’s Prose
Style:-
Ruskin was a
great literary artist and his soul was stirred at the sights of beauty. He was
moved to ecstasy at the glams of grandurle and loveliness in nature. He
presented graphic and pictorial pictures of nature. He presented graphic and
pictorial pictures of nature which highlighted in the paintings of the nature
which highlighted in the paintings of the nature which highlighted in the
pauintings of the Raphaelites. He cultivated the qualities of truth and
sincerity in his artistic representation of nature and presented pictures which
have not been produce by other word-painters except some poet’s like Rossette
and Mooris.
Ruskin was a supermaster
of English language and he handle the language with perfect ease. He presented
a wiilding style in conflict conformity and harmony. With his needs. In his
prose works we came across super abundance of figures of speech, excessiveness
of imagery, ornateness, meloring and loftiness of expression. Ruskin provides a
nice escape for readers who seem to be bored by English Prosew written in a
dull manner which Projects only facts and information. Ruskin’s dignified
poetic prose came as a welcome relief for the readers of Victorian Period.
Ruskin’s plays as a
prose styleists is among through great masters who had given to English prose
its emotional and poetic qualities. He has been regarded as the romantic
renovator of English prose. Ruskin was by heart a prophet and prophet’s don’t
generally speak or write the language that ordinary human being employ in the
expression of their common place thought. So Ruskin’s writing also marked by
same individual identity which makes him distinct from other writers. Ruskin
increased, the reign of prose effects by adding to harmony and imagination of
his prophetic resources. His style often reflects the oriental thoughts and
imagination.
Although his social,
asthetic and economic theories were often criticized by experts in those
fields, Ruskin was the most widely read art and social critic of Victorian Era.
His ideas influence some of the most prominent figures of his time, including
Bernard Shaw, William Morris, M.K. Gandhi, who asserted that Unto-De Last
“brought about and instaneous and practical transformation in my life. Critics
today considered Ruskin one of the most percepted social and cultural observers
of his Era and praise his organic reason of art and life.