Or the nineteenth century The Victorian Era Or the nineteenth century

1914 WW1 THE ROMANTICS 1901 1837 THE LONG CENTURY 1801 1914

"British history is two thousand years old … and yet in a good many ways the world has moved farther ahead since the Queen was born than it moved in all the rest of the two thousand put together.” Mark Twain, on a visit to London during the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, 1897

The rise of the novel: from salacious scandal to social reform Frivolous entertainment for women, or serious literature? How many Victorian novelists can you name?

The Victorian era was one of great change The Victorian era was one of great change. Many novelists wrote with the intention of social reform. Which of the following issues can you identify in the extracts of Victorian literature given? And any others you have read?

The Industrial Revolution The Empire comprised ¼ of the globe Rich? Angel? Or whore? Or poor?

attempted a realistic portrayal life The Victorian novel: attempted a realistic portrayal life often dealt with social reforms, such as: Industrialisation & the plight of the poor The role of women & the governess The rich/poor divide Christmas and charity

The style of the novel Look at the opening of: What do you notice about the following: The narrator The narrative perspective The style Many novels have been criticised for offering an idealised portraits, in which the good are always rewarded the bad gain their just deserts. What does this suggest about the ideology of the Victorians?

Scientific Men: Charles Darwin: ‘On the Origin of the Species’, 1859 Sigmund Freud Explored the repression of sexual desire and psychoanalysis Shook religious belief and sense of identity

The fin de siècle: darkness and a decadent end to the century A fear of degeneration and devolution Too much suppression Literature of the split personality

Victorian Poetry

But in her web she still delights To weave the mirror's magic sights, For often thro' the silent nights A funeral, with plumes and lights And music, went to Camelot: Or when the moon was overhead, Came two young lovers lately wed; "I am half-sick of shadows," said The Lady of Shalott. Lord Alfred Tennyson

‘Poetic creation, what is this but seeing the thing sufficiently ‘Poetic creation, what is this but seeing the thing sufficiently?’: poetry and the picturesque Importance of regularity in form and structure Frequent use of legend and mythology as subject matter The ideal was, according to Matthew Arnold, "to see the object as in itself it really is." The importance of the visual The use of mythology and legend Frequent illustration of poetry

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood A Bohemian group of artists, poets and critics Rejection of Sir Joshua Reynolds and the Royal Academy of the Arts Mythology, legends, spirituality and social issues Return to the ideals of art before Raphael: attention to details of nature to sympathise with what is direct, serious and heartfelt In order to gain a ‘realistic’ Ophelia, Millais made Elizabeth Siddal pose in a bath day after day in a Victorian attic

What aspects of the PRB philosophy and Victorian interest can you identify in the following pictures?

Illustrated by her brother, Gabriel Dante Rossetti ‘The Lady of Shalott’ by J.W.Waterhouse ‘The Awakening’ by William Holman Hunt

The end of the long century

How much do you know? How much do you know?