Victorian Literature assignment

Name: Prakruti Bhatt

Roll Number: 25

Subject: Victorian Literature

Topic: Archaism in Tennyson and Browning’s poems

Abstract: Though Victorian age is usually characterized by a rapid change in terms of literature as well as society. And yet, one can observe a kind of nostalgia towards, to put it in Tennyson’s words, ‘the days that are no more’; a wish to bring back the values such as nobility and morality, which were, according to some, were fading in the Victorian time. This is clearly evident in the poems of the two major poets of the era, namely Alfred Lord Tennyson and Robert Browning. Some of the major works of these two poets reflected the theme of archaism. Needless to say that the treatment of the theme by both of them was different and significant in their own way. How far did this archaism help in the increase in the popularity of their works is still a question. Nevertheless, it is the aim of this assignment, to have a brief of this theme and its treatment by both these poets.

What is Archaism?

“In language, an archaism is a word, a sense of a word, or a style of speech or writing that belongs to a historical epoch long beyond living memory, but that has survived in a few practical settings or affairs.” (Contributors) Archaism also includes the use of archaic characters or settings. So, for instance, if a literary work includes knights and their chivalric tales, such a work can be said to have archaism as one of its central themes. “Archaic words or expressions may have distinctive emotional connotations—some can be humorous, some highly formal, and some solemn.” (Contributors). To put this in simple terms, the treatment of archaic elements would differ from time to time as well as from writer to writer. So, for example, in terms of satire, archaic characters either would be used as mediums to satirize the real life people or even the archaic characters themselves.

Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Poetry:

Tennyson’s poetry is characterized by the themes of melancholy, death, implications of time, etc. “His poems are renowned for, among other things, their bold heroic narratives, their moving evocation of deep emotions, their skilful lyricism and cadences, and their memorable imagery.” (Osborne) It is important to note here is the fact that Tennyson handled all these grave themes with such simplicity of language that it becomes easy for a reader to identify them. Apart from this, Tennyson is also a master of imagery, meter and rhyme scheme. These again are accompanied by a strong sense of rhythm. This is the reason why, Tennyson’s verses have a musical quality to them.

“Tennyson's characteristic poetic structure takes the following form: the main character progresses through a series of discrete sections or panels that may take the form of landscapes, states of mind, arguments, or tests until he has a dream, vision, or other powerful revelation that effects a conversion to new ways of life and action. What is perhaps most distinctive about Tennyson's poetic structure is the sharp separation he achieves between sections in many of his poems. In fact, even when telling a story in an apparently straightforward chronological form, Tennyson always prefers to progress through a series of parables, songs, visions, arguments, and actions.” (Landow)

Following are some of the major works by Tennyson:

1.      Poems Chiefly Lyrical [this included Mariana and Claribel, which became very popular]

2.      The Lady Of Shalott

3.      In Memoriam

4.      In The Valley Of Cauteretz

5.      Poems [a collection]

6.      Ulysses

7.      Tithonus

8.      Locksley Hall

9.      The Charge Of The Light Brigade

The characteristics mentioned above can be observed in the following lines from The Lady of Shalott:

                    “On either side the river lie 

Long fields of barley and of rye, 

That clothe the wold and meet the sky; 

And thro' the field the road runs by 

To many-tower'd Camelot;

The yellow-leaved waterlily 

The green-sheathed daffodilly 

Tremble in the water chilly 

Round about Shalott.”

Archaism in Tennyson’s Poetry:

It is often considered that the Romantics were more involved in using archaism as a theme in their poetry. However, glory of the past and its idealization is a theme which recurs from time to time in the literary works of every age of every tradition and culture. It is a common tendency of people to idealize the distant past; whereas the immediate past is not so much significant, it remains just a phenomenon to move forwards from. Similar kind of a characteristic can be observed in the poetry of Tennyson, who is considered to have been influenced by the Romantics in his use of archaism. “Like the romantic poets who preceded him, Tennyson found much inspiration in the ancient worlds of Greece and Rome. In poems such as “The Lotos-Eaters” and “Ulysses,” Tennyson retells the stories of Dante and Homer, which described the characters of Ulysses, Telemachus, and Penelope and their adventures in the ancient world. However, Tennyson slightly alters these mythic stories, shifting the time frame of some of the action and often adding more descriptive Imagery to the plot. For instance, “Ulysses,” a dramatic monologue spoken by Homer’s hero, urge readers to carry on and persevere rather than to give up and retire. Elsewhere Tennyson channels the voice of Tithonus, a legendary prince from Troy, in the eponymous poem “Tithonus” (1833, 1859). He praises the ancient poet Virgil in his Ode “To Virgil” (1882), commenting on Virgil’s choice of subject matter and lauding his ability to chronicle human history in meter. Tennyson mined the ancient world to find stories that would simultaneously enthral and inspire his readers.” (Editors, SparkNote on Tennyson's Poetry) Another important thing to note here is Tennyson’s idea of King Arthur as the ideal man. For him, Arthurian England was the best place and time to live in.

Robert Browning’s Poetry:

In contrast to Tennyson, Browning was a poet with a liberal bent of mind. For him, art and literature were meant to be enjoyed. His poetry reflects a very deep understanding of the psychology of his characters as well as an urge to free literature and art from moral preachings. He is remembered for his distinctive dramatic monologues which helped his central character s to vent out their personal feelings about the situation at hand. “A dramatic monologue by Browning typically features an incandescent moment of crisis or of self-realization in the mental life of some unusual, often morally or psychologically flawed, character.”

 Another characteristic of his writing is the reflection of his language proficiency. His knowledge of Latin, Greek, French and Italian can be observed to have been used in his poems as well. However, this led to his poems being rendered difficult for his readers. “One of the most notable features about his collections is that he does not give any importance to the chronology, just the content of the poems themselves.” (Prasad) Another important matter to consider about Browning’s poetry is the fact that he could analyze and understand a matter through various perspectives. Browning’s biographer, C.K Chesterton, stated that, “Within his work lies the mystery which belongs to the complex and within his life the much greater mystery which belongs to the simple.”

His major Works include:

1.      The Ring And The Book

2.      My Last Duchess

3.      Men and Women

4.      Sordello

5.      Rabbi Ben Ezra

6.      Fra Lippo Lippi

Archaism in Browning’s Poetry:

As is already in mentioned, Browning also portrays archaic settings and characters in his poetry. In fact, portraying the historical events and characters, is one of the many important themes in Browning’s poetry. “Browning set many of his poems in medieval and Renaissance Europe, most often in Italy. He drew on his extensive knowledge of art, architecture, and history to fictionalize actual events, including a seventeenth-century murder in The Ring and the Book, and to channel the voices of actual historical figures, including a biblical scholar in medieval Spain in “Rabbi Ben Ezra” (1864) and the Renaissance painter in the eponymous “Andrea Del Sarto.” The remoteness of the time period and location allowed Browning to critique and explore contemporary issues without fear of alienating his readers.” (Editors, SparkNote on Robert Browning's poetry)

Conclusion:

The examples and explanation given above proves that the Victorian poets were as much using archaism as were the Romantics. It is evident that both these poets, treated historical events and characters differently in their own distinct style. On one hand where we find archaic characters and settings being idealized in Tennyson’s poetry, we find Browning using them to critique contemporary issues of his time. To the reader of the modern time, Browning would seem far more convincing than Tennyson; the reason being Browning’s free play with the historical events for his purpose.

Works Cited

Contributors, Wikipedia. Archaism. Vers. 886637305. 7 March 2019. web. 2 April 2019. <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Archaism&oldid=886637305>.

Editors, SparkNotes. SparkNote on Robert Browning's poetry. 2002. web. 3 April 2019. <https://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/browning/themes/>.

—. SparkNote on Tennyson's Poetry. 2002. web. 3 April 2019. <SparkNotes.com>.

Landow, George P. Tennyson's Poetic Project. 20 February 2010. web. 4 April 2019. <http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/tennyson/im/improject.html>.

Osborne, Kristen. Tennyson's Poems Study Guide. Ed. Adam Kissel. 11 November 2013. web. 3 April 2019. <https://www.gradesaver.com/tennysons-poems>.

Prasad, Vaijayanti. Robert Browning's Detailed Biography. March 2019. web. 3 April 2019. <http://victorian-era.org/robert-browning-detailed-biography.html>.