LLE4161/4261 English literature (The literature of the Victorian Age)

C 12
The Pre-Rahaelite !rotherhoo"
#ante $a%riel Rossetti
$erar" &anle' (o)ins
The Pre-Rahaelite !rotherhoo"
a group founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais
and Dante Gabriel ossetti! its member in"luded painters, poets and "riti"s
the original founders #ere later $oined by William Mi"hael ossetti, James
%ollinson, &rederi" George 'tephens and (homas Woolner! #ith their
addition, the group "ame to be )no#n as the seven*member +brotherhood,
the group-s prin"ipal ob$e"tive #as to reform art! to this end they re$e"ted
the me"hanisti" approa"h of the Mannerist artists .#ho su""eeded aphael
and Mi"helangelo/, as #ell as the a"ademi" approa"h to art .in parti"ular,
the influen"e of 'ir Joshua eynolds, founder of the English oyal
0"ademy of 0rts/
eynolds #as one of the most influential 18
th
"entury painters, and advo"ate
of the +Grand 'tyle, .or +Grand Manner,/, reliant on idealising the
imperfe"t and dra#ing on the "lassi" art of High enaissan"e! in his
Dis"ourses on 0rt .a series of le"tures presented at the oyal 0"ademy,
bet#een 1123*1134/, he opined that painters should approa"h their sub$e"ts
through idealisation and generalisation, rather than by attempting to "opy
nature5 (he +Grand Manner, #as first applied to histori"al painting and
later to portrait painting .the sub$e"ts #ere depi"ted in surroundings
evo"ative of nobility, sophisti"ation as #ell as unpretentious sin"erity 6
"lassi"al ar"hite"ture, large estates, but also pastoral ba")grounds/5 (he
main models and sour"es #ere to be found in oman ar"hite"ture, 7talian
enaissan"e 0rt and the "ourt portraits of ubens5
in "ontrast to the advo"ates of the +Grand Manner,, the 8re*aphaelites
#ere in favour of a return to the style of art pra"tised before aphael-s time
6 the minutely detailed, intensely "oloured and "omple9 pie"es of the 7talian
:uattro"ento5
the 8re*aphaelites regarded themselves as a reform group! their vie#s and
"reeds #ere published in the periodi"al The Germ and their debates #ere
re"orded in the Pre-Raphaelite Journal
1
the 8re*aphaelite do"trine #as summed up in four de"larations;
15 have genuine ideas to e9press
<5 study nature attentively, so as to )no# ho# to e9press them
=5 sympathise #ith #hat is dire"t and serious and heartfelt in previous art,
to the e9"lusion of #hat is "onventional and self*parodying and learned
by rote
45 produ"e thoroughly good pi"tures and statues
thus, the 8re*aphaelites #ere both "ontinuators of the past .the "on"epts of
history painting and mimesis/ and initiators of a ne# spirit5 (hey may be
"onsidered the first modern movement in >ritish 0rt, announ"ing 8re*
Modernism and Modernism5
their first e9hibitions too) pla"e in 1843; Millais-s Isabella and Hunt-s
Rienzi #ere e9hibited at the oyal 0"ademy, #hile ossetti-s Girlhood of
Mary Virgin #as sho#n at a &ree E9hibition on Hyde 8ar) %orner! these
#or)s #ere signed #ith both their names and the staple +8>, 6 the
>rotherhood-s distin"tive mar)
in 18?4, the >rotherhood be"ame the sub$e"t of "ontroversy, be"ause of
Millais-s Christ in the House of His Parents 6 "onsidered by many
blasphemous and ugly .among its "riti"s #as Di")ens/
in the 18?4-s the movement split in t#o dire"tions;
15 a medievalising strand, dra#ing on the #or)s of D5 G5 ossetti
<5 a realist*s"ientifi" one, grouped around Hunt and Millais
artists influen"ed or asso"iated #ith the group in"lude 0rthur Hughes, John
>rett, John William Waterhouse and &ord Mado9 >ro#n
in the late 1844-s the movement #as lost, but they had an influen"e on
many late 13
th
"entury artists and into the <4
th
"entury .e5g5 the 'ymbolists/!
Modernists, ho#ever, regarded their art dated, a rea"tion to the repressive,
ba")#ard*thin)ing "onte9t in #hi"h they had to "reate
interest for the movement #as revived in the 1324-s, "ulminating in the
follo#ing t#o de"ades #ith a series of ma$or e9hibitions and "atalogues
<
#ante $a%riel Rossetti
b5 1< May 18<8 6 d5 3 0pr 188<! the son of @migr@ 7talian s"holar Gabriele
8asAuale Giuseppe ossetti and his #ife &ran"es 8olidori
poet, illustrator, painter and translator
one of the founders of the 8re*
aphaelite >rotherhood
attended Bing-s %ollege '"hool and
sho#ed )een interest in Medieval
7talian art
bet#een 1841 6 4? studied at Henry
'ass-s Dra#ing 0"ademy! in 184? he
enrolled at the 0ntiAue '"hool of the
oyal 0"ademy5 0fter leaving the
0"ademy in 1848, he "ontinued
studying under the guidan"e of &ord
Mado9 >ro#n! the t#o retained a "lose
relationship after#ards
ossetti also be"ame friend #ith William Holman Hunt, after the e9hibition
of the latter-s (he Eve of 't5 0gnes! Hunt-s painting #as insipired by John
Beats-s famous poem, and ossetti #rote his o#n imitation of that te9t,
+(he >lessed DamoCel,
ossetti #as also interested in Dante-s #or)s .#hom he translated into
English/! his interest in the Middle*0ges "an also be seen in his attention to
0rthurian roman"e and medieval design
starting #ith the 1824, his "reated efforts shifted in a ne# dire"tion and
be"ame materialised in a series of po#erful female portraits and "lose*ups!
his models .&anny %ornforth, 0le9a Wilding, Jane Morris, EliCabeth
'iddal/ #ere portrayed as the embodiment of sensuousness, eroti" po#er
and eternal feminine divine gra"iousness! these #or)s later influen"ed the
European 'ymbolist movement
"hara"teristi" for ossetti-s #or) is the "lose "onne"tion bet#een image and
verse! he freAuently a""ompanied his paintings by sonnets! "onversely, he
also "reated illustrations for various poeti" pie"es .e5g5, for his sister,
%hristina ossetti/
if his earlier poetry is visibly mar)ed by Beats, in his later verse #e "an see
a "omple9 mergning of thought and feeling
=
e9"ept for his early +(he >lessed DamoCel, and +(he Girlhood of Mary
Dirgin,, he is best )no#n in literature for the "y"les The House of ife and
!allads and "onnets
ossetti-s poetry is mar)ed by po#erful eroti" and sensuous imagery,
depi"ting the physi"al and spiritual aspe"ts of intimate relationships! his
preferen"e for the sonnet is rooted in his "reed that this form of poetry is a
+moment-s monument,
ossetti be"ame a drug addi"t and suffered episodes of mental brea)do#n!
eventually, his health #as destroyed by )idney problems resulting from
ta)ing "hloral hydrate! he died on Easter 'unday, 188<, at the "ountry house
of a friend
The !lesse" #a*o+el (1,-.)
(he blessed damoCel leaned out
&rom the gold bar of Heaven!
Her eyes #ere deeper than the depth
Ef #aters stilled at even!
'he had three lilies in her hand,
0nd the stars in her hair #ere seven5
Her robe, ungirt from "lasp to hem,
Fo #rought flo#ers did adorn,
>ut a #hite rose of MaryGs gift,
&or servi"e meetly #orn!
Her hair that lay along her ba")
Was yello# li)e ripe "orn5
Herseemed she s"ar"e had been a day
Ene of GodGs "horisters!
(he #onder #as not yet Auite gone
&rom that still loo) of hers!
0lbeit, to them she left, her day
Had "ounted as ten years5
.(o one, it is ten years of years5
5 5 5 Het no#, and in this pla"e,
'urely she leaned oGer me I her hair
&ell all about my fa"e5 5 5 5
Fothing; the autumn*fall of leaves5
(he #hole year sets apa"e5/
7t #as the rampart of GodGs house
(hat she #as standing on!
>y God built over the sheer depth
(he #hi"h is 'pa"e begun!
'o high, that loo)ing do#n#ard then"e
'he s"ar"e "ould see the sun5
7t lies in Heaven, a"ross the flood
Ef ether, as a bridge5
>eneath, the tides of day and night
With flame and dar)ness ridge
(he void, as lo# as #here this earth
'pins li)e a fretful midge5
0round her, lovers, ne#ly met
GMid deathless loveGs a""laims,
'po)e evermore among themselves
(heir heart*remembered names!
0nd the souls mounting up to God
Went by her li)e thin flames5
0nd still she bo#ed herself and stooped
Eut of the "ir"ling "harm!
Jntil her bosom must have made
(he bar she leaned on #arm,
0nd the lilies lay as if asleep
0long her bended arm5
&rom the fi9ed pla"e of Heaven she sa#
(ime li)e a pulse sha)e fier"e
(hrough all the #orlds5 Her gaCe still strove
Within the gulf to pier"e
7ts path! and no# she spo)e as #hen
(he stars sang in their spheres5
(he sun #as gone no#! the "urled moon
Was li)e a little feather
&luttering far do#n the gulf! and no#
'he spo)e through the still #eather5
Her voi"e #as li)e the voi"e of the stars
Had #hen they sang together5
.0h s#eetK Even no#, in that birdGs song,
'trove not her a""ents there,
&ain to be hear)enedL When those bells
8ossessed the mid*day air,
'trove not her steps to rea"h my side
Do#n all the e"hoing stairL/
G7 #ish that he #ere "ome to me,
&or he #ill "ome,G she said5
Mord, Mord, has he not prayGdL
4
0re not t#o prayers a perfe"t strengthL
0nd shall 7 feel afraidL
GWhen round his head the aureole "lings,
0nd he is "lothed in #hite,
7Gll ta)e his hand and go #ith him
(o the deep #ells of light!
0s unto a stream #e #ill step do#n,
0nd bathe there in GodGs sight5
GWe t#o #ill stand beside that shrine,
E""ult, #ithheld, untrod,
Whose lamps are stirred "ontinually
With prayer sent up to God!
0nd see our old prayers, granted, melt
Ea"h li)e a little "loud5
GWe t#o #ill lie iG the shado# of
(hat living mysti" tree
Within #hose se"ret gro#th the Dove
7s sometimes felt to be,
While every leaf that His plumes tou"h
'aith His Fame audibly5
G0nd 7 myself #ill tea"h to him,
7 myself, lying so,
(he songs 7 sing here! #hi"h his voi"e
'hall pause in, hushed and slo#,
0nd find some )no#ledge at ea"h pause,
Er some ne# thing to )no#5G
.0lasK We t#o, #e t#o, thou sayGstK
Hea, one #ast thou #ith me
(hat on"e of old5 >ut shall God lift
(o endless unity
Was but its love for theeL/
GWe t#o,G she said, G#ill see) the groves
Where the lady Mary is,
With her five handmaidens, #hose names
0re five s#eet symphonies,
%e"ily, Gertrude, Magdalen,
Margaret and osalys5
G%ir"le#ise sit they, #ith bound lo")s
0nd foreheads garlanded!
7nto the fine "loth #hite li)e flame
Weaving the golden thread,
(o fashion the birth*robes for them
Who are $ust born, being dead5
GHe shall fear, haply, and be dumb;
(hen #ill 7 lay my "hee)
(o his, and tell about our love,
Fot on"e abashed or #ea);
0nd the dear Mother #ill approve
My pride, and let me spea)5
GHerself shall bring us, hand in hand,
(o him round #hom all souls
Bneel, the "lear*ranged unnumbered heads
>o#ed #ith their aureoles;
0nd angels meeting us shall sing
(o their "itherns and "itoles5
G(here #ill 7 as) of %hrist the Mord
(hus mu"h for him and me; I
Enly to live as on"e on earth
With Move, I only to be,
0s then a#hile, for ever no#
(ogether, 7 and he5G
'he gaCed and listened and then said,
Mess sad of spee"h than mild, I
G0ll this is #hen he "omes5G 'he "eased5
(he light thrilled to#ards her, fillGd
With angels in strong level flight5
Her eyes prayed, and she smilGd5
.7 sa# her smile5/ >ut soon their path
Was vague in distant spheres;
0nd then she "ast her arms along
(he golden barriers,
0nd laid her fa"e bet#een her hands,
0nd #ept5 .7 heard her tears5/
/utial 0lee (1,1.)
0t length their long )iss severed, #ith s#eet
smart;
0nd as the last slo# sudden drops are shed
&rom spar)ling eaves #hen all the storm has fled,
'o singly flagged the pulses of ea"h heart5
(heir bosoms sundered, #ith the opening start
Ef married flo#ers to either side outspread
&rom the )nit stem! yet still their mouths, burnt
red,
&a#ned on ea"h other #here they lay apart5
'leep san) them lo#er than the tide of dreams,
0nd their dreams #at"hed them sin), and slid
a#ay5
'lo#ly their souls s#am up again, through
gleams
Ef #atered light and dull dro#ned #aifs of day!
(ill from some #onder of ne# #oods and
streams
He #o)e, and #ondered more; for there she lay5
?
$erar" &anle' (o)ins
b5 <8 July 1844 6 d5 8 June 1883
poet, oman %atholi" "onvert and Jesuit priest
rose to fame posthumously due to his
innovative verse, "hara"terised by
e9periments in prosody and pe"uliar imagery
.ranging from simple to metaphysi"al and
intri"ate/
his early ambition #as to be"ome a painter!
he produ"ed s)et"hes for his #hole life,
dra#ing inspiration from the #or)s of John
us)in and the 8re*aphaelites
bet#een 182=*21 studied the "lassi"s at
>alliol %ollege, E9ford! during those years,
he produ"ed poems and be"ame friend #ith
obert >ridges .later 8oet Maureate/! at
>alliol, he #as also influen"ed by the #riter
%hristina ossetti and the "riti" Walter 8ater
in 1822, he de"ided to be"ome a %atholi"! he #as re"eived into the "hur"h
by %ardinal John Henry Fe#man on <1 E"tober 1822! as a result, he
be"ame estranged from family and a"Auaintan"es
in 1828 he +resolved to be religious, and burned his poems, not #riting any
pie"es for almost seven years! he too) vo#s of poverty, "hastity and
obedien"e
as a "onvert, he "ontinued his philosophi"al studies and #rote o""asional
verses for the "hur"h, as #ell as sermons and other religious pie"es
his interest in poetry resurfa"e in 181?, after being as)ed by his religious
superior to #rite a poem to "ommemorate the foundering of a German ship
in storm! the resulting pie"e, +(he Wre") of the Deuts"hland, is already
illustrative of his prosodi" innovations .unusual meter and rhythms/! the
poem #as re$e"ted from publi"ation, #hi"h fuelled his ambivalent attitude
to#ard poetry .in fa"t, most of his verse remained unpublished until after
his death/
after tea"hing "lassi"al languages for a #hile, first in 'heffield, then in
Man"ashire, he be"ame professor of Gree) and Matin at Jniversity %ollege
Dublin! #hile in 7reland, he be"ame even more re"lusive and filled #ith
gloom5 He produ"ed less poetry and his health deteriorated5 He died of
typhoid fever in 1883
2
distin"tive "hara"teristi"s of Hop)ins-s poetry;
15 the use of srung rh'th*, that #ent against the main tradition of
English poetry, rooted in Forman times .+running rhythm,, or repeating
groups of t#o or three syllables, #ith the stressed syllable al#ays falling
in the same position/! #ith sprung rhythm, the foot is "omposed of a
varying number of syllables .1 6 4/ , #ith stress falling on the first
syllable of the foot
<5 sudden shifts from one image to another, suggestive of the uniAueness of
ea"h thing and the diversity of God-s "reation
=5 the use of ar"hai" and diale"tal #ords, but also invented #ords and
"omple9 "ompound phrases .e5g5, +dapple*dra#n*fal"on,/
45 e9tensive use of alliteration, assonan"e, onomatopoeia and rhyme
.in"luding internal rhyme/
?5 the effort to maintain linguisti" purity .and an admiration for the
simpli"ity of Eld English/
25 the emphasis on inscae / instress, i5e5 the distin"tive design that
"onstitutes every individual apprehended in an intense thrust of energy
to#ard it, #ith a revelatory purpose
The 2in"ho3er (1,11)
To Christ #ur ord
7 "aught this morning morningGs minion, )ing*
dom of daylightGs dauphin, dapple*da#n*dra#n &al"on, in his riding
Ef the rolling level underneath him steady air, and striding
High there, ho# he rung upon the rein of a #impling #ing
7n his e"stasyK then off, off forth on s#ing,
0s a s)ateGs heel s#eeps smooth on a bo#*bend; the hurl and gliding
ebuffed the big #ind5 My heart in hiding
'tirred for a bird, 6 the a"hieve of, the mastery of the thingK
>rute beauty and valour and a"t, oh, air, pride, plume, here
>u")leK 0FD the fire that brea)s from thee then, a billion
(imes told lovelier, more dangerous, E my "hevalierK

Fo #onder of it; sh@er plNd ma)es plough do#n sillion
'hine, and blue*blea) embers, ah my dear,
&all, gall themselves, and gash gold*vermilion5
1