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Topic : VICTORIAN LITERATURE

Submitted to: Madam Salma Presented By: Abid Hussain , M.Ishaq, Ehtisham-Ul-Haq,Tehzeeb

Hussain, Shabnam Bibi & Sanum Bano

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Introduction: Poetry and Drama

The dates of the Victorian Era (1836-1901)coincide with Queen Victoria’s ascension to the throne and

her death.Placed high value on honor, duty, moral and seriousness

propriety.Still have brutal factory conditions, low wages,and crowded cities, but the 1830s mark thebeginning of political and social reform acts.Shift from agrarian society to industrial societycreates a middle class (neither rich nor poor).

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From the year 1798 with the publication of lyrical ballads till the year 1820 there was heyday of romanticism in England after that there was a sudden decline William words worth and Coleridge showed no work of merit till they lived short.

The romantic poets of the younger generation unfortunately all died in young age, Keats 1820, Shelley in 1822 and Bryon in 1824

Cont..

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Conti…

The romantic age ended in the real sense in 1820 and the Victorian age started from 1832.

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Political Scenario

England was fast turning from an agricultural into a manufacturing country and gave power to middle classes that the way was open for new experiments.

It was the era of revolutions in every sector including poetry ,politics , cultural, economical and technical.

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Starting Year of Victorian Literature

Victorian Literature in real sense started form 1832 when Tennyson’s first important volume of poems appeared.

The Victorian age is so complicated and long that for the sake of convenience that era is divided into two periods.

Early Victorian Period Later Victorian Period

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Early Victorian Period

This period was the period of middle class supremacy and the age of free trade.

The great writers of this period were Tennyson, Browning Mathew Arnold, Carlyle and Ruskin.

All these poets were from certain homogenous group and the exhibit same approach in social and moral values.

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Later Victorian Period

Poets were Rossetti, Swinburne, Morris and George Elliot.

Swinburne and Morris were protagonists of new movement which was followed by aesthetic movement. They were all children of new age and democracy, all of them were men and women of mark originality in character and style and they were critics of their age and were in search of balance and stability. Road Superb faith in their poetry with conscious moral purpose.

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Conti..

Victorian age was fundamentally an age of realism rather that of romanticism but from another point of view Victorian age was a continuation of romantic age because the romantic age came to a sudden and un natural end on the account of premature deaths of poets if they lived longer the romantic age would have extended further.

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Conti…

Growing civilization were consider enemies of beauty and nobility.

The Victorian age therefore exhibits complex mixture of two opposing elements classicism and romanticism.

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Salient Feature of Victorian Age

Bridge between romantic era and industrialized world of 20 century.

In England this age was of massive empire building.

Trends to be concerned with moral values. Uses realism to show the plight of every day

working people. Authors were Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte and

Charles Dickens

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Conti…

Novel became most important literary work.Poverty and exploitation was equally part of

it.The gap between rich and poor increased.Strict societical codes were enforced even

harsher for women.Child laboring increased .

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Themes

Types Definition

Realism The attempt to produce literature on reality.

Humanism Deals with ordinary concerns of human life.

Neutralism Human intentions form the un controlled external forces .

Modernism Individuality and seniority of modern era .

Philosophical Ideas

Deals with serious moral issues of that time.

Feminism In most emotions and thoughts about women.

Romanticism Themes of love and nature.

Intellectualism Geological discoveries .

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Victorian Poetry Themes

I. Morality II. Belief in Faith

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Poets and their works

ALFRED TENNYSON (1809-1892) Most representative poet. His poetry is record

of intellectual and spiritual life of time.Deeply impressed by new discoveries. There was conflict between science and

religion doubt and faith.These two voices are heard in Tennyson’s

work.

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Conti…

Literary Works:Memoriam in this we read of great conflict

between faith and doubt.In Locksley Hall of 1842 reflects the faith in

science, commerce and progress of man kind.

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Conti..

• Robert Browning : (1812-1889)• During life time he was not considered as a

great poet as Tennyson but after that opinion changed in the favor of Browning , on account of his depth and originality of thoughts , is ranked superior to the Tennyson.

• They both ran parallel to each other in their field of work.

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Conti..

• In his poem Pauline (1833) addresses incidents in the development of soul .

• His Paracelsus (1855) which is form of a drama with four characters , is a “story of incidents in the development of soul “ of a renaissance in physician in whom ‘ true science was mentioned.

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Fictional and Non Fictional

• Fiction :• Charles dickens • Thomas Hardy • Rudy yard Kipling • Emily Bronte • Charlotte Bronte

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Conti..

• Non fiction:• Mathew Arnold• John Ruskin• Thomas Carlyle

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A Revival Of Drama

• Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)• Oscar Wilde adopted the aesthetical ideal , he

affirmed “ My life is like a work of art”• Plays :• Lady Windermere’s Fan (1892), A woman of

no importance (1893), The importance of being earnest (1895) .

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Conclusion

Despite wealth created by industrializationand colonization, millions still suffer frompoverty.– Inadequate housing/overcrowding leads to

illnessand disease– Unregulated factories subject workers todangerous conditions

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THANKS