1. Matthew Arnold

2. Matthew Arnold Facts Poem: Dover Beach Achieved fame as both a poet and critic Quiet tones and carefully shaped figures reflected his vision of Victorian Society Oxford Professor of Poetry Government inspector for poor schools for 35 years Feared intellectual anarchy

3. Dover Beach Analysis Dover beach was written the year that Arnold was married. The poem is written as an observation to his wife (some argue it is written to women as an observation from men) The poem challenges moral and religious precepts that have shaken faith (a common theme in the Victorian Period).

4. Metaphor Arnold gives the sea the power to change the world: The sea can “draw back and fling” the pebbles and reach into eternity with “eternal notes of sadness.”

5. Thomas Hardy

6. Thomas Hardy Facts Poem: Ah, Are You Digging On My Grave One of the principal novelists of the late- Victorian Britian His home town (Dorsetshire) was the setting for many of his works Became an apprentice to an architect at age 16 Writing and poetry expresses his belief in a world governed by chance and natural laws that are not hostile but indifferent to what humans want and deserve

7. Ah, Are You Digging on My Grave? Theme: “Out of Sight, Out of Mind” A woman has died and is quickly forgotten as life goes on for the living. Forgotten for a wealthier woman Loneliness in death…emptiness

8. Irony The irony in the poem is that not only has the woman been forgotten by her husband, she has also been forgotten by the dog “man’s best friend.”

9. George Eliot

10. Writing: A Mill on the Floss Real Name: Mary Ann Evans Kept her name a secret so her writings could be viewed as serious literature and receive fair criticism Eliot’s novels show that a clever little girl’s problems only increase when she grows into a clever young woman. Created talented heroines limited by circumstance and social propriety.

11. Mill On the Floss A spicy fictional autobiography (based on the real life of Mary Evans) about a young woman who has an affair with a married man

12. The Sisters Bronte

13. Charlotte and Emily Theme: Love that transcends even death Minister’s daughters that shocked Victorian audiences with gothic evil and violence Lived in the same home while producing two of the best known literary works Stories limit women through social station and sex

14. Jane Eyre Wuthering Heights “I would always rather be happy than dignified.” Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre “He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

15. A.E. Housman

16. “If a line of poetry strays into my memory, my skin bristles so that the razor ceases to act.” Name: Alfred Edward Housman Mother died on his 12 th Birthday At 16 he got a scholarship to Oxford Skipped classes and failed final exams Published papers on Greek and Latin Literature Became a professor of Latin at London University

17. When I Was One-and-Twenty Theme: Love Hurts A young man gets advice from an older man about love and is told not to bank too much on it. The young man foolishly learns that he should have listened to the advice!