# Thinking Activity.
# Mathew Arnold : The Study of Poetry.
# Characteristics of Poetry.
Touch this picture of Mathew Arnold and go on Professor Dr. Dilip Barad Sir blog.
Here I’m posting my answer of thinking activity on Matthew Arnold which is given by our professor Dr. Dilip Barad Sir. Click here for the more information about Mathew Arnold written by our Professor Dr. Dilip sir for the help of students and also for Knowledge. Matthew Arnold One of the foremost criticisms of the 19th century is often regarded as the father of modern English criticism. Arnold's work as literary criticism began with "Preface to poems" in 1853.
Important works in Criticism:
Preface to poems, 1853, Essays in Criticism (2 very imp essays are The Function of Criticism at the Present Time in the First Series and The Study of Poetry in the Second Series), Culture and Anarchy
Main ideas / Synopsis of the Function of Criticism at the Present Time
Arnold's idea of Criticism and its function.
This is a kind of manifesto of his critical creed. It reflects classicism as well as its views on grand poetic style. Arnold was a classicist who loved art, literature and Hellenic culture. While criticism may be considered lower in rank, creation of great works of art is not always equally possible. The elements with which creative power works are ideas, but the best and noble ideas may not always be current. That is why the creative era is so rare in literature.
Do you agree with Matthew Arnold's views on detachment, disinterestedness, fallacies like historical and personal, touchstone method and his definition of poetry? If you agree, why and on what grounds do you agree? If you disagree, why and what are the points of disagreement?
Matthew Arnold, Victorian Age of English Poet and Cultural Criticism and also Inspector of Schools. Here I am going to give my view on his three views or methods, the first is his views on detachment and disinterestedness, fallacies like historical and personal, the second is his 'touchstone method', and the third is his definition of poetry. Arnold also says that the criticism of the business is neither to find fault nor to display the critic's own learning or influence; It is to know “the best that has been thought and said in the world.” And to do this detachment and disinterestedness is an essential element which needs to be criticized at this point I agree with Arnold.
His most famous piece of literary criticism is in his essay "The Study of Poetry". In this work he talks about poetry's "high destiny". He believes "humans will discover that we have to turn to poetry to interpret life for us, to console us, to sustain us".
Arnold lived in a materialistic world where advancement of science led society into a strange darkness. Importance of religion was submerged.
For great creation, the power of the man and the moment of power must concur, but the moment of power may not always be available. Even the romantics of the tremendous natural power were partially crippled by the lack of intellectual life in the English society of the nineteenth century. It makes Byron empty of matter, Shelley is incoherent and even Wordsworth wants completeness and variety.
This is where criticism comes to play.
1. Criticism has the power to make the best ideas prevail. It is the criticism of the business to know the best that is known and thought in the world and its turn to make it known and create a current of true and fresh ideas. It creates stir and growth which makes creation possible. That is why great creative epochs are preceded by great epochs of criticism.
2. In order to be successful, criticism must exercise curiosity, which is a desire to know the best, and which should not be taken as a term of disparagement.
3. Criticism must also be disinterested. It must keep aloof from the 'practical view of things'. The critic must try to look at an object with detachment to see it 'as it really is', without being stifled by practical / political considerations. Arnold is of the view that the judgment of a critic should never be swayed by the prejudices of the Barbarian, the Populace and the Philistines. A critic must shun provincialism, which may take the form of excess, ignorance or bathos, and must endeavor to 'connect with the main stream of human life'.
# Touch Stone method.
In order to guide the critic in his performance of his task, Arnold prescribes his well known ‘Touchstone method’. He says that a real estimate can be attained by learning to feel and enjoy the best work of a real classic and appreciate the wide difference between it and other lesser works.
He further adds that high qualities lie both in the matter and substance, and in the manner and style of poetry. The Matter and substance will possess ‘truth and seriousness’, and this character is ‘inseparable from the superiority of diction and movement’ in style and manner. Arnold then suggest that it would do critics good if they always have in their minds lines and expressions of the great masters and apply them as touchstone to other poetry. This will help critics detect the presence or absence of high poetic quality, and also the degree of this quality. He then takes a few passages from Homer, Dante, Shakespeare and Milton, and points out that they belong to the class of the truly excellent.
In short, the critic must be disinterested in the sense that he should only pursue the ends of cultural perfection and should be uninfluenced by the coarser appeals of the Philistine. A critic who is disinterested and who tries to see the thing as it really is in itself, is likely to be misunderstood, because in England 'practice is everything, a free play of the mind is nothing'.
Arnold says poetry is an "application of ideas to life". If the application of ideas is powerful the poetry will become great. He also lays emphasis on quality of "high seriousness."It comes with sincerity which poet feels for his subject. Many critics disagreed Arnold, T.S.Elliot's great poet disagreed himself by saying Arnold's view is "frigid to anyone who has felt the complete surprise and new experience of elevation in poetry." Arnold classic poets include Dante, Milton, Homer and Shakespeare. He quotes the famous line of Milton.
"Nor thy life nor hate;
but what thou livest."
Live well : how long or short,
Permit to heaven."
According to Arnold Geoffrey Chaucer he was not a classic poet as he lacked "high seriousness".
Arnold says in quote the concept of life and love and also about the how we live that is important. And which way we live and faced anything in life that is most important in life.Arnold said poetry should deal with ideas not facts. And also Arnold says that in poetry 's Ideas should be moral. But we can also find that in poetry the idea of heaven. He said moral should not be taken into narrow sense. He says "The revival of poetry against life; the moral idea of indifference of a poem is a poetry of indifference towards life". And in last we can show that he was the grate writer and he was wrote such a grate work.
Thank you.......
# Mathew Arnold : The Study of Poetry.
# Characteristics of Poetry.
Here I’m posting my answer of thinking activity on Matthew Arnold which is given by our professor Dr. Dilip Barad Sir. Click here for the more information about Mathew Arnold written by our Professor Dr. Dilip sir for the help of students and also for Knowledge. Matthew Arnold One of the foremost criticisms of the 19th century is often regarded as the father of modern English criticism. Arnold's work as literary criticism began with "Preface to poems" in 1853.
Important works in Criticism:
Preface to poems, 1853, Essays in Criticism (2 very imp essays are The Function of Criticism at the Present Time in the First Series and The Study of Poetry in the Second Series), Culture and Anarchy
Main ideas / Synopsis of the Function of Criticism at the Present Time
Arnold's idea of Criticism and its function.
This is a kind of manifesto of his critical creed. It reflects classicism as well as its views on grand poetic style. Arnold was a classicist who loved art, literature and Hellenic culture. While criticism may be considered lower in rank, creation of great works of art is not always equally possible. The elements with which creative power works are ideas, but the best and noble ideas may not always be current. That is why the creative era is so rare in literature.
Do you agree with Matthew Arnold's views on detachment, disinterestedness, fallacies like historical and personal, touchstone method and his definition of poetry? If you agree, why and on what grounds do you agree? If you disagree, why and what are the points of disagreement?
Matthew Arnold, Victorian Age of English Poet and Cultural Criticism and also Inspector of Schools. Here I am going to give my view on his three views or methods, the first is his views on detachment and disinterestedness, fallacies like historical and personal, the second is his 'touchstone method', and the third is his definition of poetry. Arnold also says that the criticism of the business is neither to find fault nor to display the critic's own learning or influence; It is to know “the best that has been thought and said in the world.” And to do this detachment and disinterestedness is an essential element which needs to be criticized at this point I agree with Arnold.
His most famous piece of literary criticism is in his essay "The Study of Poetry". In this work he talks about poetry's "high destiny". He believes "humans will discover that we have to turn to poetry to interpret life for us, to console us, to sustain us".
Arnold lived in a materialistic world where advancement of science led society into a strange darkness. Importance of religion was submerged.
For great creation, the power of the man and the moment of power must concur, but the moment of power may not always be available. Even the romantics of the tremendous natural power were partially crippled by the lack of intellectual life in the English society of the nineteenth century. It makes Byron empty of matter, Shelley is incoherent and even Wordsworth wants completeness and variety.
This is where criticism comes to play.
1. Criticism has the power to make the best ideas prevail. It is the criticism of the business to know the best that is known and thought in the world and its turn to make it known and create a current of true and fresh ideas. It creates stir and growth which makes creation possible. That is why great creative epochs are preceded by great epochs of criticism.
2. In order to be successful, criticism must exercise curiosity, which is a desire to know the best, and which should not be taken as a term of disparagement.
3. Criticism must also be disinterested. It must keep aloof from the 'practical view of things'. The critic must try to look at an object with detachment to see it 'as it really is', without being stifled by practical / political considerations. Arnold is of the view that the judgment of a critic should never be swayed by the prejudices of the Barbarian, the Populace and the Philistines. A critic must shun provincialism, which may take the form of excess, ignorance or bathos, and must endeavor to 'connect with the main stream of human life'.
# Touch Stone method.
In order to guide the critic in his performance of his task, Arnold prescribes his well known ‘Touchstone method’. He says that a real estimate can be attained by learning to feel and enjoy the best work of a real classic and appreciate the wide difference between it and other lesser works.
He further adds that high qualities lie both in the matter and substance, and in the manner and style of poetry. The Matter and substance will possess ‘truth and seriousness’, and this character is ‘inseparable from the superiority of diction and movement’ in style and manner. Arnold then suggest that it would do critics good if they always have in their minds lines and expressions of the great masters and apply them as touchstone to other poetry. This will help critics detect the presence or absence of high poetic quality, and also the degree of this quality. He then takes a few passages from Homer, Dante, Shakespeare and Milton, and points out that they belong to the class of the truly excellent.
In short, the critic must be disinterested in the sense that he should only pursue the ends of cultural perfection and should be uninfluenced by the coarser appeals of the Philistine. A critic who is disinterested and who tries to see the thing as it really is in itself, is likely to be misunderstood, because in England 'practice is everything, a free play of the mind is nothing'.
Arnold says poetry is an "application of ideas to life". If the application of ideas is powerful the poetry will become great. He also lays emphasis on quality of "high seriousness."It comes with sincerity which poet feels for his subject. Many critics disagreed Arnold, T.S.Elliot's great poet disagreed himself by saying Arnold's view is "frigid to anyone who has felt the complete surprise and new experience of elevation in poetry." Arnold classic poets include Dante, Milton, Homer and Shakespeare. He quotes the famous line of Milton.
"Nor thy life nor hate;
but what thou livest."
Live well : how long or short,
Permit to heaven."
According to Arnold Geoffrey Chaucer he was not a classic poet as he lacked "high seriousness".
Arnold says in quote the concept of life and love and also about the how we live that is important. And which way we live and faced anything in life that is most important in life.Arnold said poetry should deal with ideas not facts. And also Arnold says that in poetry 's Ideas should be moral. But we can also find that in poetry the idea of heaven. He said moral should not be taken into narrow sense. He says "The revival of poetry against life; the moral idea of indifference of a poem is a poetry of indifference towards life". And in last we can show that he was the grate writer and he was wrote such a grate work.
Thank you.......
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