The Main Poets and Writers of the Victorian Age

Victorian period starts with 1832and remains till 1901 and it’s completely end is with the death of Queen Victoria. In the History of English Literature, these years are full social, economical, intellectual, political and religious disturbances. Actually Victorian age was destroyed by two revolutions; French Revolution and the Industrial revolution. At that time democratic ideas were on the peak in this period. Physical science got much progress and most of the people made novel their thought-conveyer in literature.

According to their own purpose the writers of different schools employed their thoughts to criticize life of that time. Hudson says, ‘The spread of science made it realistic and analytical, but the spread of democracy made it social and humanitarian, the spirit and moral unrest was shown knowingly. It reveals a powerful influence on Romantic Revival.

The Victorian novels are the index of many sided interests and conflicting elements of the Victorian Age. The novels which show sea-life and military-life represent middle and high classes, and low and criminal classes. On the other hand in which is shown different English countries’ life in an expressive way. I shall here describe three major novelists: Charles Dickens, Thackrey, and George Eliot.

 

Charles Dickens (1812-1879)

Charles Dickens’ fame spreads with the publishing of Pickwick Papers in England and at the age of 25 he was a popular writer of novelist and holds this position up till now. In the beginning he began writing as the follower of Smollett whom he used to read in his childhood with keen interest. But with the Black House his second Period starts because for the first time we find a systematic attempt of Dickens together all the divine threads of story into a coherent plot.

Dickens’ qualities prominent as his overflowing humor, unsurpassed descriptive power, and the astonishing vitality of characterization. But Dickens’ major fault was the overwrought emotions in his novels due to changing his style thus his works became crude and tough for the readers.

His novels belong entirely to humanitarian movement of the Victorian Age. He became from first to last a novelist with a fixed purpose attacking major abuses in the existing system of that age. Humanitarianism was indeed the keynote of his works. That is why; he is considered one of the social reformers of his age. He is a man of buoyant temper and has unflagging energy. He put his indomitable optimism in his writings in the finest way.

Dickens’ writings:

Pickwick Paper, Nicholas Nichlaby, Martin Chuzzlewit, Dembey and Son, David Cperfield, Black House, Little Dorrsit, The Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectation, Our Natural Friend, Edwin Drood.

 

William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863)

Thackeray was essential a social satirist and a realist. He knew nothing of Dickens’ humanitarianism and had a tremendous zeal to reform his society. He attacked snobbery and affectation in a forceful way in his novels. His conscious ruptures with romanticism and inflictions both were inspired by moral rather by purely artistic consideration. The satire became less ferocious and tone tender and sympathetic. BU the his general view on life-existence in contrast with that if Dickens, was profoundly melancholy,

Thackeray’s interest lies in character-painting with real nature, manners and thoughts. Hr did not pay any attention to plot-construction; his novels belong to the sprawling, inorganic kind, but his art of characterizations redeem all faults of novel-technique. It is marvelously penetrating and truthful.

As a writer of colloquial prose he holds the first place in English literature even today. He is famous as satirist all over the world but his satire means to reform the world weaknesses. Here Henry Edmond says, ’due to Thackeray’s wonderful creation of life and atmosphere, tone and style of eighteenth century, he is called one of the finest historical novelist.’

Thackeray’s Writings:

Vanity Fair, Pilgrim’s Progress, A Novel without Hero, Bary Lyndon, Dennennis, Esmond, The New Comes, The Virginian and Philip, Vanities, Vanatum.

 

George Eliot (1819-1880)

The novels were humanitarian in the hands of Dickens, and satire was in the hands of Thackeray, but in the hands of George Eliot it became moral and philosophical. Dickens’ world was that of the London streets and Thackeray’s that of the clubs and drawing rooms, but George Eliot was familiar with the fashion of his country since her childhood and she portraits in her novel these characters skillfully. But Jane Austen has only written on the external life of her country people.

George Eliot was concerned with great moral struggles beneath the surface of the existence which to the crucial observer would seem dull and common place.

Humor and pathos both are present in the novels. And in her novels realism is prominent but more than is prominent philosophical elements. Her realism connects her with scientific inventions of her age.

She was aware of all contemporaries’ trends and discoveries of her own age which she wrote in her novels. Her works is most important in this respect and that is why, she holds a solid place in English literature. IN the broader sense, her novels are great essays on life for all ages.

Her central theme was the conflict between the higher and lower life of England, duty and inclination and her all novels are profoundly sad and her hero has a sense of moral responsibility keeping morality in mind.

 

George Eliot’s Works:

Romola, Adem Bede, The Mill on the Floss, Silas Marnor, Middle March.

Other novelists of the period are these who got less fame in their age. 1. Captain Frederick (1792-1848) was a literary artist of the sea. His first novel was Frank Midlmay. A year before this Edward Butler Lythan wrote his novels on society crimes and historical romance and got fame due to his style, after this, Benjamin Disraeli, wrote in his novels on capital relationship with labor.

After this George Barrow who wrote about gypsy. His famous novel is The Bible in Spain, after this Charles Lever who about Irish military adventures and fun also. After this Charles Reede who wrote his novels to improve the present society with the help of historical romance.

After this Anthony Trollope who was a realist and wrote on Victorian provincial life and clerical life, after this Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte and Ann Bronte wrote on different topics of her age.

Charles Kingley was a social reformer and wrote historical novels but his brother Henry Kingsley wrote about Australian life and got fame. While on the other hand, William Wilker Collius wrote sensational novels on different topics. After this these writers appeared in that age and wrote on different topics; Richard Doddridge Blackmore, Sir, Walter Besant, George Meredith and Robert Louis Stevenson.