Thoughts on Victorian Poetry

The topic I chose, along with my group, for the English Project was the Victorian poets between the 1860s-1890s. Many major changes were occurring during this time period, and this greatly influenced the poets. 

My group and I have found some inconsistent things about Victorian poetry. Some sources say it is very whimsical and is funnier than romantic poetry. Other sources say it is made of nonsense and has a somber or even gruesome tone. I attribute these two largely different views of Victorian poetry to the diversity of the poets. Poets of this time period ranged from adamant atheists to dedicated Christians. The contrast in religious and philosophical views could account for the mixed reviews of the Victorian poems.

Poetry in this time period also varied because it was a transition period between the Romantics and the Modernists. Towards the beginning of the Victorian era, the line is blurred between Romantics and Victorians. The end of the time period also has a blurred line between the Victorians and Modernists.

One main Victorian poet is Lord Alfred Tennyson; he is in the picture on the right. We have studied some of his poems in class such as Crossing the Bar. Before starting this project, I had a difficult time understanding Tennyson's poems. After completing the project I feel I can somewhat understand what his poems.