Matthew Arnold - Thinking Activity

Hello friend, Here is my blog about the thinking Activity given by Prof. Dr. Dilip Barad sir on Matthew Arnold who is landmark critic during the victorian era.

Matthew Arnold as Modern Critic

Literary criticism and Creative writing goes parallel. New theories are added by upcoming critic to judge the work of art on various basis. Carlyle and Ruskin considered Art is for betterment of life and it should be judged on the Moral point of view. Like Aristotle Walter Pater and Oscar wilde emphasis more force on aesthetic delight to judge the work of art.

Matthew Arnold is one of the greatest Victorian poet and critic during victorian age considered the first modern critic who emerged the new kind of criticism called objective criticism. He also can be called "The Critic's Critic" not only because being champion in poetry but also in literary criticism itself. 

His essay which is his famous piece of criticism rewarded him with fame originally published as introduction to T.H. ward's anthology, The English poets(1880).

Characteristics of Arnold's Criticism

1)Classicist among Romantics

Matthew Arnold is a lover of classical writer. He believed that one should not forget or remain aware that contemporary literature's foundation is always in past literature and they are contributing for future writers. He put more force to write with discipline.

2)Business of Criticism

According to Matthew Arnold the fundamental duty of critic is not to judge the work of art on negative way like find fault in it or also judge the work on the basis of personal feelings or experiences. But critic's first and foremost duty is…

"To know the best which has been thought and said in the world."

By knowing this one can create one fresh and new ideas or thoughts. His style is crystal clear. He used scientific way to evaluate the work of art.

3)Disinterestedness and 

Detachment

Arnold's major and fundamental principle for criticism is disinterestedness and detachment. One should remain free from prejudices and personal and historical believe then and than critic is able to do fair criticism. 

4) Poetry as Criticism of Life

Poetry is a criticism of human life which is the interpretation of human life and it's experiences. Poetry is for delight and pleasure Poetry has power to….      

• Console us

• Sustain us
• Form us

According to Arnold poetry interprets life in two different ways….

Poetry presents the moral lessons with his natural magic by making imagination and also focus on high seriousness of that writing. For this poet take two things in his consideration…

First, is the choose excellent events which should be capable enough to create emotions and feelings in readers mind.

Second is "Grand style" the choice of the best words.

5) Poetic truth and Poetic Beauty

Poetic truth means the matter and substance of the poetry which should be true while poetic beauty means style of poetry. According to Arnold Poetic truth and poetic beauty both are important and interconnected. According to Arnold criteria to judge the work is high truth and high seriousness which concept  is also used by Aristotle

6)Touchstone Method

Touchstone method focuses more on the interpretation of a work of art on the basis of the text itself. Close reading of the shift. While giving touchstone method he said that there can be sometimes fallacious judgement on the basis of....

• Affective Fallacy
• Intentional Fallacy
• Personal fallacy
• Historical Fallacy

Poetry is full of vagueness there is no clear meaning of poem there is different interpretation of the same poem. Arnold put great importance on poetry that one religion and science can be replaced by poetry. Science is incomplete without poetry.

This is the very simple poem by Ruskin Bond. When we analyse this poem on the basis of Matthew Arnold criteria for poem than it consist the poetic truth as well as poetic beauty. Poet creates beautiful imagination with characters of universe like Star, Moon, Sun etc..which gives aesthetic delight. When we comes to poetic truth poem seems to be representing the reality of Life that whenever there were two people fall in Love they are not accepted by society or family member and they choose to remain separate or force to become separate. So this is how the matter of Love and crisis regarding that is presented in a very artistic way with the help of Universe. 

To sum up we can say that Matthew Arnold considered poetry as criticism of life and to judge it he gave touchstone method which is free from external references and Arnold this criticism became  path for the other modern age critics.

Thank you........