|
Philosophy and Values of the
Victorians/
Characteristics of Victorian
Literature
|
Values
|
Major
Ideas
|
Literary
Form/
Structure
|
Literary
Content/ Themes
|
Literary
Genres/ Styles
|
Key
Authors
|
|
Earnestness
|
Expansion
of Empire
|
Narrative over Lyric
|
Isolation/
Alienation
|
Dramatic
Monologue
|
Lord
Tennyson
|
|
Respectability
|
Glorification
of War
|
Meter
and Rhythm over Imagery
|
Lack of communication
|
Novel
Elegy
magazines
|
The
Brontes
Oscar Wilde
|
|
Evangelism
|
Industrialism
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Objective;
reflective
|
Pessimism and despair
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Drama:
Comedy of Manners
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Elizabeth
Barrett and Robert Browning
|
|
Evolution and Progress
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Economic
Prosperity
|
Melancholy
or meditative, even in love poems
|
Loss of faith
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Rigid
standards of personal behavior
|
Charles
Dickens
|
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Hypocrisy?
|
Reform
|
Moral
issues, didactic
|
Didactic
|
High
moral tone
|
Thomas
Carlyle
|
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Protestant work ethic
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Contemporary
subjects
|
|
|
Charles
Darwin
|
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Restraint
|
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Longer
over shorter forms
|
|
|
Matthew
Arnold
|
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Utilitarianism
Strong emphasis on duty
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More
common expressions
|
|
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Dante
Gabriel and Christina Rosetti
|
|
|
|
Medieval
subjects and forms
|
|
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Rudyard
Kipling
|
Romantic/Victorian
Contrasts
|
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Romantic
Era
|
Victorian
Era
|
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Idealism
|
Visionary/Utopian
|
Sober/Utilitarian
|
|
View
of Nature
|
Kind/Harmonious
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Harsh/Cruel
|
|
Focus
|
Inward/Individual
Common man
Imagination
Introspection
|
Outward/Nation
Middle class
Reality
Work
|
|
Philosophy
|
Transcendentalism
|
Utilitarianism
|
More
Victoriana
|
Key
Metaphor
|
Struggle
or strife
|
|
Key
Theme
|
Theory
of evolution leads to crisis of faith
Intellectual
and spiritual doubt – antidote is work
|
|
Growing
social
consciousness
|
Reform
movements – child labour, safety, hours
Women – demand emancipation, enfranchisement, evolution
|
|
Victorian
Trinity
|
Religion,
science, morality
|
|
Nationalism
|
Britain
–
first great modern industrial nation
|
|
Poets
|
Feel
alienated, betrayed – estranged from life and love – so isolate
themselves no groups or friends
|
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