Victorian Poetry and Pre-Raphaelite Art
Victorian Poetry II: Eminent Victorian Women
Key Issues:
- Isolation of women in domestic life
- Women as artists (challenges and prejudices)
- Approaches to spiritual issues and religion
- Uses of metaphors
Emily Brontë (1818-1848) – Stars:
Brontë, known for her shyness and unorthodox religious convictions, finds solace in the stars. The night sky offers calmness, peace, and a sense of belonging, contrasting with the oppressive and violent sun that symbolizes the constraints of daytime life for women.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) – A Year’s Spinning:
Born into wealth but physically handicapped, Browning explores the life of a spinster, a typical unmarried Victorian woman. The poem uses metaphors of spinning and a closed door to represent confinement and limited opportunities. The open door symbolizes hope for change and critiques societal anxieties surrounding women and religion.
Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) – A Birthday:
Raised in an artistic family, Rossetti’s poem shifts from everyday imagery to exotic symbols, suggesting a personal transformation or spiritual awakening. The poem’s positive tone and use of religious symbolism hint at a possible reference to baptism.
Christina Rossetti – Up-Hill:
This poem uses the metaphor of a winding road to explore anxieties about life and death. The speaker’s journey towards an open inn, symbolizing rest and perhaps the afterlife, reflects the universal human experience of seeking answers and facing mortality.
Pre-Raphaelites
Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood:
Led by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the Pre-Raphaelites sought to revive the artistic styles and themes of the pre-Renaissance era. Their works often featured medieval subjects, Victorian and Romantic influences, and a blend of pagan and Christian references.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882) – The Woodspurge:
This poem depicts a speaker driven by the wind and seeking meaning in nature. The imagery of the woodspurge flower and the speaker’s posture suggest confusion and a search for direction.
William Morris (1834-1896) and the Arts and Crafts Movement:
A prolific artist and member of the Pre-Raphaelites, Morris championed traditional craftsmanship and opposed industrialization. His Arts and Crafts Movement advocated for beautiful and functional art, inspired by medieval aesthetics.
William Morris – For the Bed at Kelmscott:
This poem personifies a bed, inviting rest and reflecting on the cycle of life and death. The bed’s role as both a functional object and a work of art embodies the principles of the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Algernon Charles Swinburne – The Forsaken Garden:
Swinburne’s poem contrasts the enduring power of nature with the transience of human love and life. The garden, once a symbol of love and beauty, becomes a reminder of the inevitable passage of time and the ultimate triumph of nature.