Introduction
It is well-known that poetry groups and movements tend to find inspiration in the masterpieces of past periods. It is often possible to observe by deepening into pieces of literature how the previous centuries’ values are emerged, transformed, revised, rejected, or developed by new writers. This essay will examine the place Romantic values have in Victorian poetry by revealing works of the Romantic period’s particularities and indicating how they were re-established by the following era’s poets.
Discussion of Relation of Romantic Values to Victorian Poetry
Romantic Values
Romanticism is known for being enriched with emotions and individualism, which is considered a reaction to the Industrial Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment. In his poem, London, one of the prominent English poets, William Blake, reflected on the social, political, and religious circumstances of the 18th century describing his impression from walking through London’s streets (Black). He criticizes the church and the monarchy that made the city a dark place (Black). Black included some of the Romantic values in his poem: belief in individual and equal rights, liberation from absolutist powers, and the redefinition of childhood innocence. It is not directly indicated, but it can be assumed that the author also presents trust in emotion and passion with rising respect for women.
The other English Romantic poet, William Wordsworth, added to the mentioned above values by his poem We Are Seven. The work is a conversation with a young girl, two of whose siblings have passed away (Wordsworth). It is evident that Wordsworth emphasizes trust in passion over balance and reason while clearly promoting believing in the child as pure and open. The mentioned Romantics poets provided solid values in their works, which the next era’s writers inherited.
How Victorian Poetry Revise and Develop Romantic Values
The Victorian era significantly emphasizes the conflict between religion and science and pessimism while incorporating Romanticism’s values. Matthew Arnold, the English poet and cultural critic in his work Dover Beach, shows the loss of religious faith while grounding it on the different kinds of historical changes (Matthew). Compared to previous period’s poems, this one shows separation from religion, but not from the monarchy power, while improving such values as trust in emotions. The above-mentioned belief in equal rights is mostly achieved by the right to vote, which make the Victorian era revise such conflict.
The other Romanticism values are improved in the other poem entitled After Death by Christina Rossetti. It is possible to observe strong, although, tragic emotions filled with love for the speaker’s beloved one (Rossetti). It is unarguable that trust in emotion and passion was raised to a new level because of grounding it in the emergence of feminism. Women became respected members of society, and this improvement was reflected in the poem.
Conclusion
It is possible to observe that such an eternal value as trust in passion was incorporated entirely and improved since the Romantic era by the Victorian period’s poetry. Liberation from absolutist powers was achieved in some way, along with equal rights; thus, they were revised. The emergence of feminism happened and therefore, was improved, while the redefinition of childhood innocence was not emphasized but equally present. Therefore, Victorian poetry was not experimental but rather focused on improving and revising the previous era’s values. It is based on the change in women’s position in society, achievement of equal rights, and strengthening of the sciences’ positions while weakening faith.
Works Cited
Black, William. “London.”Poetry Foundation, Web.
Matthew, Arnold. “Dover Beach.”Poetry Foundation, Web.
Rossetti, Christina. “After Death.”Poetry Foundation, Web.
Wordsworth, William. “We Are Seven.”Poetry Foundation, Web.