Characteristics of Victorian Age & Important Facts

A Brief Introduction

The Victorian age in English Literature runs from 1833 to 1887. Though Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1837, yet her age begins five years earlier because the major poets of this age began their work in the early thirties. The Victorian age in English literature came to a close by 1887 though the life of Queen Victorian extended til 1901 because the 1887 was the year of her Golden Jubilee Celeberations. In literature Victorian age is amply reflected, “Tennyson is the most conspicious example in poetry, creating the priggishely complacent Sir Galahad and King Arthur, Dickens perhaps the most répresentative of the Victorian novelist took his model the old picaresque novel, but it is almost laughable to observe his anxiety to be moral.”

Important Facts to Remember

1. The Victorian Age was rich in literary output. It was wonderfully rich in Variety, Poetry, Fiction, General Prose, Biography, History, Literary criticism and other sort of miscellaneous writing of flourished in this age.

2. The Victorian age was an era of surprising changes and movements. The movements like Aesthetic movement, oxford movement and Pre Raphaclite movement’ affected the literature of this period.

3. The Reform Bill of 1832 had already destroyed the political supremacy. The Second Reform Bill was introduced in 1867 and the third reform bill in 1884-1885.

4. In Victorian Age, 1834 a Grand National Trade Union of all industries was formed.

5. Darwin’s theory of evolution was based on the principle of struggle for existence. The most remarkable feature of the age was the ‘Victorian Compromise’. It was in three branches of life. In the field of political life, it was between democracy and aristocracy.

6. The Victorian Poetry is marked with abundance of output. But there is decline in standards. Tennyson and Browning were the only two great poets.

7. The Novel in the Victorian era is so varied, abundant and prolific that it is divided in two parts. The first part is known as Early Victorians like Dickens, Thackeray, George Eliut, Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte, Mrs. Gaskell, Charles Reade, Charles Kingsly.

8. The novelists belonging to the second part are known as ‘Later Victorians’. like Samuel Butter, George Meredith and Thomas Hardy.

9. Carlyle, Ruskin, Arnold, Stevenson are the well known prose writers of Victorian age. Among them, Thomas Carlyle was the greatest.