The Victorian Period Was a Time of Change

The Victorian Period revolves around the political career of Queen Victoria. She was crowned in 1837 and died in 1901 (which put a definite end to her political career). A great deal of change took place during this period--brought about because of the Industrial Revolution; so its not surprising that the literature of the period is often concerned with social reform. As Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) wrote, The time for levity, insincerity, and idle babble and play-acting, in all kinds, is gone by; it is a serious, grave time. Of course, in the literature from this period, we see a duality, or double standard, between the concerns of the individual (the exploitation and corruption both at home and abroad) and national success — in what is often referred to as the Victorian Compromise. In reference to Tennyson, Browning, and Arnold, E. D. H. Johnson argues: Their writings... locate the centers of authority not in the existing social order but within the resources of individual being. Against the backdrop of technological, political, and socioeconomic change, the Victorian Period was bound to be a volatile time, even without the added complications of the religious and institutional challenges brought by Charles Darwin and other thinkers, writers, and doers. Consider this quote from Victorian author Oscar Wilde in his preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray as an example of one of the central conflicts of the literature of his era. All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their own peril. Those who read the symbol do so at their own peril. Victorian Period: Early Late The Period is often divided into two parts: the early Victorian Period (ending around 1870) and the late Victorian Period. Writers associated with the early period are: Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892), Robert Browning (1812–1889), Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–1861), Emily Bronte (1818–1848), Matthew Arnold (1822–1888), Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828–1882), Christina Rossetti (1830–1894), George Eliot (1819–1880), Anthony Trollope (1815–1882) and Charles Dickens (1812–1870). Writers associated with the late Victorian Period include George Meredith (1828–1909), Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–1889), Oscar Wilde (1856–1900), Thomas Hardy (1840–1928), Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936), A.E. Housman (1859–1936), and Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894). While Tennyson and Browning represented pillars in Victorian poetry, Dickens and Eliot contributed to the development of the English novel. Perhaps the most quintessentially Victorian poetic works of the period are: Tennysons In Memorium (1850), which mourns the loss of his friend. Henry James describes Eliots Middlemarch (1872) as organized, molded, balanced composition, gratifying the reader with the sense of design and construction. It was a time of change, a time of great upheaval, but also a time of GREAT literature!

Analysis Of The Poem Dream Deferred - 878 Words

Pursuing Dreams The overall meaning of this poem is about the consequences of not pursuing your dreams. For some this can be a horrible thing while for others, it can be a blessing in disguise. The poem begins with a simple question, â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred† (line 1)? What occurs when an individual goes in another direction from a goal or ambition they had once desired? Does it cause a weight to be lifted? Does it cause fear and anxiety? This poem focusing on the consequences or benefits that are the result of a dream that goes unachieved. The speaker lays out the possible different outcomes that would occur when someone gives up on their dreams. The first of the possible scenarios is listed as â€Å"Does it dry up / like a raisin in the sun† (lines 3-4)? The dream begins as a youthful, ambitious goal for life. This goal slowly begins to fade as the person ages. Whether this is due to shifts in priorities or unforeseen circumstances, things have changed over time. A drea m that once seemed to be very achievable is now nothing more than a small memory in the back of ones mind. The metaphor that is used here is a grape drying up to become a raisin, just like their dreams can shrink down into a fraction of what they once were. The next scenario is a how a deferred dream can affect you a little more harshly. The speaker asks, â€Å"Or fester like a sore- / And then run† (lines 4-5)? The sore that is mentioned can be thought of as more of a wound. It is not so much the resultShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Poem Dream Deferred 980 Words   |  4 PagesThe play illustrates the theme of the poem through the words, the words helps the reader to understand what can happen to dreams. What is a dream deferred? A dream deferred is what happens when life gets a whole of that dream. Sometimes dreams are able to manifest them but there are times when it dries up like a raisin in the sun. Each member of the Younger family has dreams that may come true or may the deferred. Lena, the mother of family always wanted a better place for her family, a betterRead More Harlem, An Analysis of a Langston Hughes Poem Essay1405 Words   |  6 PagesHarlem, An Analysis of a Langston Hughes Poem The short but inspirational poem Harlem by Langston Hughes addresses what happens to aspirations that are postponed or lost. The brief, mind provoking questions posed throughout the poem allow the readers to reflect--on the effects of delaying our dreams. In addition, the questions give indications about Hughes views on deferred dreams. Harlem is an open form poem. The poem consists of three stanzas that do not have a regularRead MoreAnalysis Of A Raisin In The Sun1185 Words   |  5 PagesHughes poem called A Dream Deferred which was written as an example of life in harlem. The lines are a introduction to the white societys actions to take away equal opportunity from black citizens. Hughes main point is that there could be consequences when peoples frustrations build up or accumulate to the point where they have to either surrender their dreams or allow strenuous circumstances to literally devour their aspirations. With Hughes poem as a background, the theme of the poem and theRead MoreLiterary Analysis of Langston Hughess A Dream Deferred1028 Words   |  4 Pagescirculated, analysis of the poem must take place. It unveils and discusses the themes, figures of speech, word placement, and flow of the piece, and A Dream Deferred, is no exception. In Langston Hughess poem, A Dream Deferred, the theme is tha t no really knows to dreams if they are not reached, and very realistic figures of speech help convey this idea; the poem can be surprisingly related to Mr. Hughess life through the subtitle and quotes from Langston himself. The meaning of, A Dream DeferredRead MoreEssay about Analysis of Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes615 Words   |  3 PagesAnalysis of Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes Dreams are the driving force of America today. Every person has some sort of dreams and or goals. Although in life everyone has dreams and goals, there are obviously more struggles for some ethnic groups than for others. The poem, Dream Deferred, by Langston Hughes, is one mans expression of his dreams during a difficult time period. As a black man in a time period where African-Americans were considered an inferior group of peopleRead MoreHarlem: a Dream Deferred1043 Words   |  5 PagesHarlem: A Dream Deferred Langston Hughes Literally Analysis Dreams are aspirations that we hope to reach on our lifetime. They are the day that gives us the drive to live our lives and accomplish our goals. When reaching our goals, we will do anything to get to our destination. But what happens when your dreams deferred and put on hold due to unseen circumstances? Or what do you so when someone tells you that you can not so the things you want to so because of the pigmentation of your skinRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Harlem 1303 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"famously wrote about the period that ‘the negro was in vogue.’† (Langston). Throughout his body of work, Hughes spoke eloquently to the full spectrum of dreams - both their inspirational power and their heavy burden, if not fully realized. His famed poem, â€Å"Harlem (Dream Deferred)† uses heavy symbolism, falling into three definitive categories: 1. Dreams; 2. Food and Domestic Life and 3. Violence and Oppression(Shmoop). This trio of topics coalesces itself masterfully into further analytical study, asRead MoreDream Deferred1590 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of a Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes This poem by Langston Hughes is a very complicated. In it the speaker paints a picture of what might happen to someone’s dream if it is postponed too long. This idea is the overall theme of the poem and it is what unifies and connects each line to the poem as a whole. There are also indirect references that this is not only the dream of an individual, but an entire race’s struggle to achieve peace and liberation. This poem consists of a seriesRead MoreLangston Hughes ´ Memories in His Poems Essay834 Words   |  4 Pagesthe voice of his people and the force to help the dreams of many to move forward. The idea of whether or not to pursue a dream is addressed in one of his poems where he asks â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred?† (Langston Hughes, Dreams Deferred). The style of writing in this poem takes the use of questions as a way to have the reader really ponder about a dream that is not pursued. In a sense, Hughes is trying to paint the picture tha t the dreams that people do not fight for eventually fade awayRead MoreAnalysis of Harlem by Langston Hughes602 Words   |  3 PagesAnalysis of Harlem by Langston Hughes Through the turbulent decades of the 1920s through the 1960s many of the black Americans went through difficult hardships and found comfort only in dreaming. Those especially who lived in the ghettos of Harlem would dream about a better place for them, their families, and their futures. Langston Hughes discusses dreams and what they could do in one of his poems, Harlem. Hughes poem begins: What happens to a dream deferred... Hughes is asking

Whitman vs Hughes free essay sample

After reading two poems from Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes, you can see that Whitman speaks about and based his poem on the employed people, working and enjoying their jobs. In contrast Langston Hughes focuses more on the other unemployed people having no jobs while maintaining optimism. Therefore, Walt Whitman’s â€Å"I Hear America Singing† and Langston Hughes’ â€Å"I, too, Sing America† present American way of life in two different prospective. Walt Whitman’s poem, â€Å"I Hear America Singing† is different from Langston Hughes’ poem because he focuses on the people working at everyday jobs. He uses the word â€Å"singing† to symbolize appreciation and pride in their professions. For example, he says the carpenter is â€Å"singing his as he measures his plant or beam. â€Å" This means that the carpenter along with the other people love doing what they do at their jobs. The only time in the poem where the people literally sing â€Å"with open mouths† is during night when everyone’s off work. We will write a custom essay sample on Whitman vs Hughes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Furthermore, Whitman’s poem also differs from Hughes’ because he lists occupations, making his poem a catalog poem. He lists from shoemakers making shoes, masons building with stones to mechanics working with machines. Walt Whitman is able to convince people that America is a perfect place where every one is accepted by showing all these people working and singing, loudly together. Unlike Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes shows the reality of America and that not everyone is accepted or have jobs but he remains very optimistic. For instance, in â€Å"I, too, Sing America. â€Å" he says that he’ll â€Å"laugh, and eat well, and grow strong† even if he is forced to go â€Å"eat in the kitchen when company comes† because one day the people who ever doubted him will see how â€Å"beautiful† he really is and will â€Å"be ashamed† for he, too, is America. Langston Hughes knows that America is not perfect but still stays positive. He uses the word â€Å"tomorrow† to symbolize the future. He says that â€Å"tomorrow† he will be eating at the table when company comes and no one will tell him to go â€Å"eat in the kitchen. This shows Hughes’ optimism on life and he is sure that one day in the future, people will see how successful he can be and how he is part of America too. Although both poets have many differences, they have some similarities too. Both poems were written in free verse. There was no specific rhyme scheme or format. Also, Hughes along with Whitman love America. Whitman claims to â€Å"hear America singing the varied carols† and Langston Hughes states that he â€Å"too, am America. † This means that Whitman takes notice of the Americans â€Å"singing† out loud to show how proud they are to be part of America. Langston Hughes includes himself as an American. He also represents and encourages the unemployed people by staying positive and that one day they, too, can unite and show people they can be just as good as them. To sum it up, there were similarities along with differences among the two poems. They differ because Langston Hughes zooms in on the unemployed people while Walt Whitman keeps his focus on the employed people of America. They are similar in that both poets have a love for America and are proud to be apart of it. Despite everyone‘s differences, maybe one day all of America will sing loudly and proudly together.