Hello learners,
Today I'm going to discuss about Victorian poets, Alfred Lord Tennyson and Robert Browning.
This activity is assigned by our professor Dr. Dilip sir. In this activity I took one poem by both Victorian poets. Tennyson's 'ULYSSES' ans Browning's 'MY LAST DUCHESS'.
◆Victorian poets:
Introduction
Robert Browning and Alfred Lord Tennyson belong to the Victorian era occupying a prominent place as a pre-eminent poets of their time. Both of them apply new techniques and style in writing a poetry, however, both these poets adopt their own style in their writing.
“Browning focuses on the psyche of his frantic characters and tries to look into deep inside of
such characters in his writings. Browning tries to understand human nature, religion and
society properly. He studies the innermost psychology of characters. On the other hand,
Tennyson draws material from external, specific realities, ideas, and objects and tries to
express it through ornate language.”
Another significant difference is in their nature of expression. Browning’s writing is always energetic but Tennyson’s tone is generally melancholic where he gives touch of nostalgia. Both of them started creating their works simultaneously and towered above their contemporaries from 1830 to 1890, the entire period of the reign of Queen Victoria. Browning remained much more aloof from his era than did Tennyson. The new movements of science bothered Tennyson like Arnold and clough. Tennyson’s age is reflected in his work, but Browning’s poetry does not reflect the contemporary social changes and trends which shocked both theology and religion.
Alfred Lord Tennyson :-
Active in the nineteenth century, Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809 – 1892) was the leading poet of the Victorian age who remains one of the most renowned poets in the English language and among the most frequently quoted writers. He was appointed the Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom in 1850 and held the position for a record 42 years till his death in 1892.
Tennyson was influenced by the writers of the Romantic Age before him as is evident from the richness of his imagery and descriptive writing. He used a wide range of subject matter ranging from medieval legends to classical myths and from domestic situations to observations of nature. Here are the 10 most famous poems of Alfred Lord Tennyson including Ulysses, Tithonus, The Eagle and In Memoriam.
◆Ulysses :-
Tennyson’s ‘Ulysses’ is written in a masculine vigour. Its philosophy appeals to a life of action and achievement whatever maybe the risks involved.
The simple and lucid narration reveals that Ulysses as being a man of stern belief in adventure leading to achievements. He has a passion for wandering and seeking new knowledge. He does not want to be just the King of Ithaca, ruling the people like any other king. He considers it as a waste of his life and talents he has. He has a deep hatred for idle life as a king. He chooses to experience the last extreme of sufferings, dangers and all that life makes exciting and fruitful. For him a real drunkard is one who drinks his cup of wine to the maximum and a true adventurer like Ulysses, would like to live an ever active and adventurous life till he meets his end. He has earned good reputation of being always ready to acquire knowledge and pass through risky paths to gain experience. He has imbued knowledge from everywhere and his thirst for knowledge remained ever increasing and unquenched. He calls each experience a gateway beyond which lies the unknown and undiscovered world that invites to explore its mysteries, for him there is no limit to the knowledge to acquire and assimilate. Ulysses is of the opinion that life is not mere breathing and living: “As though to breathe were life”. He stresses for hard work, useful activity if not engaged thus, the meal or food people eat is like a piece of metal getting covered with rust. He thinks his ambition of gaining knowledge cannot be fulfilled even if he were granted a series of lives to carry out his mission. He addresses his companions,
“…Come, my friends,
'T is not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows;”
He is convinced that there is no sense in merely continuing to exist, it would be shameful on his part to do so when his old spirit is seized with a desire to acquire so much of knowledge as is considered beyond man’s ability to be gained anywhere, anytime. Tennyson brings into focus this idea in a striking illustration. A star sets in our world and we think it is sinking into the sea. None can follow the course of this star once it is sunk into the sea; this task is beyond human world. So is the case with knowledge and thus, achieve something, new and amazing, which no man has ever attempted before, much less succeeded in doing so. So is the burning desire of Ulysses who is young in spirits always. He is no ordinary adventurer or explorer. His mission of life can only end with his death. Whatever may be his state now he wants to conquer newer kingdoms and reach the places none so far attempted to reach. Ulysses’ address to his son and also his character sum up two contrasting aspects of human life when one grows under prevailing circumstances, eventually his character gets moulded according to the living standards. Ulysses wants his son Telemachus to be authoritative, under whose rule people should live. When he was a child, Ulysses left home to join the Trojan War. During his absence his son grew up and he is a man of peace. He is interested in teaching people how to grow as useful citizens. Ulysses is happy that his son Telemachus will take care of the kingdom well during his absence. Having said farewell to his son, Ulysses speaks to his companions who will accompany him on his voyage. He reminds them of their past exploits which they fought against men and gods in the Trojan War and came out victoriously. They all lived together in glory and adversities, now they have grown old and mature. However, old age is no bar to perform great deeds and winning honour. In fact they must undertake to do something distinctive before death overpowers them and puts their career to an end on
this earth. He remarks,
“Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”
He encourages his entire followers to be in high spirits always for achievements. His purpose is to sail beyond the sun-set, the distant west, which is the boundless ocean beyond the straits of Gibraltar, since little was known of what lay beyond this. In fact, the Greeks considered this to be the end of the earth. They should be prepared to strike with their oars the rising waves of the sea, that is ride the waves by using their oars, to take their boats forward, in the absence of a favourable wind. They may be washed away by the waves or they may be lucky enough to gain the Happy Isles, which is known as the Isles of the Blessed, where souls of the good and the great dwell in perfect happiness. Their efforts will be then recorded as they will be privileged to meet ‘the great Achilles’ and other warriors of fame.
◆For better understand watch the video:
'Ulysses' ancient Greek epic model. The quest for knowledge and determination to find far new shores appears to be a rekindled renaissance spirit in the Victorian era. It also further highlights the indomitable mental frame of the individual to embark upon any course of adventure even if his body is not willing but the spirit cooperative, man's reach of attainments will continue to soar. This is what we symbolically see in Ulysses. Another salient aspect we notice in this poem is that if one is mentally prepared for any difficult task to accomplish, despite odds impeding his progress, still he can achieve that is what Ulysses means to us.
Robert Browning :-
The most dramatic influence upon the Victorian poets, however, rests in the rise of science and society’s fascination with the facts of objective reality therefore, a poet has the responsibility to inculcate facts into his poetry, even at its most lyrical.
Robert Browning clearly responds to this change in interest:
“For it is with this world, as starting point and basis alike, that we shall always have to concern ourselves: the world is not to be learned and thrown aside, but reverted to and relearned”.
Although Browning clearly respects Shelley’s poetic vision, he also realizes that he cannot “dig where he stands” and explore the inner regions of his own soul while ignoring the “raw material” of people, places, and objects.
For Browning the poet’s responsibility lies in his ability to the import of details and the universal meaning for those whose vision lacks the depth of insight granted to the poet. Browning insists that Greatness in a work suggests an adequate instrumentality there is moral purpose to the poet’s creation, not just a display of power “for the display’s sake, the love of riches, of distinction, of notoriety”. With his sense of responsibility to his fellow beings, Browning re-fashions the dramatic monologue with its complex hermeneutics as the primary vehicle of cultural dialogue about the most controversial subjects of his time religion, morality, sexuality, and science.
Recognizing the fragmentation already present in the individual self and the growing alienation of the mechanized society, Browning develops the dramatic monologue to attempt to bring back some of the lost unity of the human self by seeking unrealized continuities among moments, places, persons, sexes, races, and classes. In the dramatic monologue Browning focuses attention upon the fragile lines of communication and contradiction present in all communicative acts. He seeks to discover whether networks of understanding and cooperation can be created or repaired. Although the speaker directs his speech to a non-speaking listener, ultimately the speech is always directed outwards to the readers of other times and places.
◆MY LAST DUCHESS:-
The Last Duchess by Robert Browning is based on incidents in the life of Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara.
The poem shows a rich duke's opinion on his wife's death using dramatic monologue. He shows the portrait of his late wife to a visitor and the way he describes her pictured countenance shows that he treats his wife as a mere object. Duke, the psychotic character can be seen as a representative of the entire male race who have been subjugating women counterparts in one way or other. The Duke seems to praise the life like portrait of his last duchess more than his wife in reality when she was alive. Even the piece of art is given more importance than the life of women. This shows how Duchess was treated even lesser than an object of art.
"That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,
Looking as if she were alive I call,
That piece a wonder"
(Browning)
Such subjugation of women is not specific to Duke alone or to Victorian era alone. In Victorian era there was rise in immoral activities i.e. theft, prostitution etc. also there was the rise in orthodoxy. Women even in contemporary times face subjugation and exploitation at hands of men in patriarch society. Every day we see news flashing our TV screens depicting crimes committed on women. Art forms are mirrors of society they reflect what is present in the society of contemporary time of writer. So, dukes behaviour must be similar to ways in which women, in general, were treated during his times. Though the situation of women in contemporary era may not be as bad as it was in duchess's era still they are not seen as equal to men. Duke is enraged by the behaviour of Duchess. According to him his wife had frivolous nature and could be impressed easily by anyone. Her appreciation of common activities like riding white mule round the terrace, or her appreciation of behaviour of a worker who brings a bunch of cherries for her from the garden, is disliked by her husband. Duke wanted his wife as his sole property who can not even smile at her own will. He wants to possess her like an object and to control her every activity. Riding of mule round terrace shows that she was not allowed to go for a horse ride outside the palace. Duke was enraged because Duchess was
"Too easily impressed; she liked whate'er
She looked on, and her looks went everywhere."
He thinks that in marrying Duchess Duke has done her a favour, as during the Victorian times marriage was the only achievement for girls, and according to him she didn't value his, this gift more than the gift of a bunch of cherries from the orchard by an official fool. And when his ego was dismantled by such behaviour of the Duchess, he does not complaint about it to his wife but he rather orders her execution. Such cold blooded murder of own wife clearly shows that Duke has no feeling of love for his wife. He treats her like an object who has no identity of its own and is known by one who possesses it.
"This grew; I gave commands
Then all smiles stopped together"
These lines reflect Duke's blunt and emotionless personality. When his wife is executed, he not even gives a hint of sorrow on her death, rather he is planning to remarry.
To wind up we can say that The Last Duchess reveals the history, character, situation, past, present and future. Some critics say that the poem is about mad love but my conscience is not able to trace the element of love in this poem rather to me it is more a mirror to the condition of women in Victorian society. Duchess here is representative of entire female race during Victorian times. The poem also reveals the future as women are even today treated as second class citizens in most of the societies. Though the treatment today is not as harsh as was given to Duchess of Ferrara.
◆Summary video:
Conclusion
At the end it is to be concluded that both Robert Browning and Alfred Tennyson were two main Victorian poets famous in dramatic monologue. Browning logically reveals the essence of a person whereas, Tennyson induce and plays a particular mood. Browning in his poetry attempts to realize human nature, society and religion, whereas Tennyson recalls the conscious mind and environment through ornate language. As a source of his poetry, Tennyson applied many subjects from domestic conditions to observation of atmosphere. Browning, on the contrary, takes immoral characters and challenges us to find out the moral excellence.
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