Thinking activity : Matthew Arnold

Welcome readers ,

" In poetry , as a criticism of life under the conditions fixed for such a criticism by the law of poetic truth and poetic beauty ".

~ Matthew Arnold

                   Here I would like to put some information about Matthew Arnold's view on characteristics of good poetry and criticism . This thinking activity task given by Dr. Dilip Barad sir . Click Here to visit Barad sir's blog .

∆ MATTHEW ARNOLD :-

                           Matthew Arnold ( 1822-1888) was a great English poet and literary critic whose influence continued long after his death . He was first modern critic . He was son of the prominent English headmaster Thomas Arnold an educator known for his influence on school reforms in the 19th century .

# His famous poems :-

(1) The Scholar - Gipsy (1853)
(2) Thyrsis (1865)
(3) Rugby Chapel (1867)

(4)Stanzas From the Grande Chartreuse (1855) 

(5) Sohrab and Rustum (1853)

              Arnolds interest in classical antiquity is also found in his literary criticism. He placed great value on the poetry of classical sources like Homer and he wrote about the need for modern Poets to learn from the old masters.  Modern life, in his view, was too focused on the material world . Return to noble characters and deep and serious epic poetry would serve to instruct the readers to be better, more contemplative people . 

 Literary criticism is ,as Matthew Arnold points out, a "disinterested endeavor to learn and propagate" the best that is known and taught in the world and he strove hard .

           The first great principle of criticism enunciated by Arnold is that of disinterestedness of detachment . Disinterestedness on the part of the critic implies freedom from all prejudice , personal or historical .

∆ the Touchstone  method : The study of poetry :-

                  Matthew Arnold's general principles was the "Touchstone method" which introduced scientific objectivity to critical evaluation by providing comparison and analysis as the two primary tools for judging individual poets .