The Victorian Era I

Objective
In this lesson, you will examine the Victorian era, its common themes, and one of its most famous
writers, Lord Tennyson.

History of the Victorian Era

history
_________________ and literature sometimes form a close connection.

Queen Victoria’s Reign

Queen Victoria was self-confident, deeply attached to her family, and very
stubborn
_________________.
unified
Queen Victoria ______________ the people by representing the moral virtue and
pride
national ________________ of the country. The British public felt proud of Queen
explorations prosperity
Victoria, their nation's _________________ and acquisitions, and their newfound _________________.
influenced
The Industrial Revolution greatly _________________life during Queen Victoria's reign. Victorian thinkers
balance
struggled with the era's central concern: how to ______________ prosperity with justice and charity.
literacy
______________ increased dramatically in Britain's population during the Victorian era. At the same time,
included everyday
literature ______________ more and more stories about people's ______________ lives.

Victorian literature is divided into three main stages, corresponding to stages of Queen Victoria's
reign.

The early Victorian period was a time of unrest and social change.

The middle Victorian age was characterized by a feeling of optimism and even self-confidence.

The late Victorian era was marked by a backlash against this pride and a
growing emphasis on democracy, socialism, and progressive change.

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Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Just as William Wordsworth is considered the voice of the romantic age, Tennyson is considered the
voice romantic
___________ of the ____________________ age. He was the most celebrated poet of the era and was named
poet laureate of England after Wordsworth died.
spirit faith
Tennyson's poetry expresses the strength of the human ___________ and reflects both the _____________
doubts
and ______________ of Victorian-era people.

"Ulysses"
classical
“Ulysses” was published in the collection Poems in 1842. In Victorian tradition, it blends ______________
tone
elements with the ___________ of the times, that is, an age when people believed in the pursuit of
knowledge new
________________ and ________ experience. It also shows Tennyson's mastery of rhetoric and
figurative Language
______________ ______________. The poem centers on the familiar character Ulysses, also known as
Odysseus hero
______________, the king of Ithaca and the _________ of Homer's Odyssey.
strive
The poem reflects the popular Victorian mentality in which one must ____________ onward in the
adversity grief
face of _________________. Tennyson explores his __________ through the internal dialogue of the
mythical character Ulysses. This work in particular epitomizes (perfectly represents) the stoic tone of the early
Victorian era.

blank iambic simple

"Ulysses" is written in ___________ verse. It uses __________ pentameter and ______________, strong
rough
words—words you might expect from the king of _________ and rocky Ithaca. The enjambment creates a
flow restlessness
_________ to the monologue and reflects Ulysses's _________________________.

Enjambment: a thought that runs from one line, couplet, or

stanza to the next without a pause that marks a sentence or
phrase. Here is an example from "Ulysses" by Lord Tennyson:
Through scudding drifts the rainy Hyades
Vexed the dim sea:

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flow
Tennyson's ability to master classical line meter
_____________ and line __________ was greatly respected during
stressed
the Victorian era. The _____________ syllables are marked for you in the first two lines. Also, the
broken
arrangement of ________ lines, run-on lines, and short, powerful words are used for dramatic effect.
dramatic monologue
"Ulysses" is a ________________ ____________________—a
single
speech by a _____________ character directly addressing the
audience. The dramatic monologue allows the reader to see into
mind feelings
Ulysses's ________ and share his inner _______________.
meter breaks
Tennyson uses classical _________, intentional line ____________,
and the dramatic monologue to build his characterization of
Ulysses. These techniques emphasize Ulysses's
accomplishments
__________________________, heroism, and his undying longing
adventure
for _____________________.
Figurative imagery
________________ language and ________________ strengthen
passion shift
the poem's tone of longing and _________________. They also illustrate a __________ from a romantic view
realistic romantic
of nature to one that is more _______________ and less idealized. Tennyson blends ________________
realistic
descriptions of nature's beauty with _______________ depictions of aging and the effects of inactivity, or
idleness. Note that Tennyson also uses personification to convey this tone.
inactivity rusting
Ulysses compares ________________ to ____________ from disuse; he believes that activity brings
new life. Tennyson's readers would have recognized this metaphor as an implied image of a warrior's
armor
_____________ that is either polished for use or else left to rust. This reflects the Victorian idea that people
should aspire to reach goals rather than remain idle, or still.
spirit grey
The imagery illustrates how Ulysses's ______________ has grown “___________” with age and
boredom
_________________. The simile in the next line creates a mental picture of Ulysses pursuing
knowledge experience
_______________ and ___________________ like a sinking star that moves through the sky and past the edge
of the horizon, where we can no longer see it. The image conveys Ulysses's desire to once again depart for the
unknown
__________________.

In addition to imagery, the poem is full of powerful lines. Taken out of context, some of these lines have
proverbs embody
become _________________. These wise sayings about life ______________ popular Victorian sentiments
modern
about the positive and negative aspects of _________________ society.

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hope inspiration Ulysses
Tennyson's words offered comfort, __________, and __________________. Just like _________________,
weak strive
Victorians were "Made ___________ by time and fate, but strong in will / To ________________, to seek, to
find, and not to yield." Note: The tone can be considered both sad and contemplative, or reflective.

The Lady of Shalott

heroine
"The Lady of Shalott" is a poem about a ______________ banished to an
island curse
____________ castle. Because of a __________, she can cannot
look directly at the surrounding land of Camelot.
weaving
The Lady of Shalott spends her time ______________ a tapestry that depicts
the beauty of human life. She can only experience this
reflection
beauty directly indirectly by looking at its ______________ in the
mirror in front of her loom. When the sight of the handsome Sir Lancelot in
her mirror causes her to turn and look directly at the world, her mirror and loom break into pieces. She boldly
leaves cursed
___________ the tower to experience the world directly and is ____________ to death for her choice. She
floats seeing
_____________ down the river, __________ the world for the first time, and dies before arriving at Camelot.

“The Lady of Shalott" explores some of the following themes:

the Victorians' concepts of femininity and the domestic realm

the conflict between the artist and society

the personal dilemma of Tennyson as an artist

the effects of a journey from innocence to experience

moments
Tennyson's main characters often progress through a series of separate _______________ that lead to a
dramatic revelation
dramatic _______________ or new understanding. Tennyson colors these moments with symbolism, vivid
lyrical
images, figurative language, and ____________ rhythm that add depth and strength to the narrative.

symbolism: the use of a concrete object

to represent an abstract idea

aspect
Symbolism is an important ____________ of "The Lady of Shalott."
untouchable
The external and __________________ world of Camelot represents direct experiences of love, beauty,
growth, and change, or life itself.

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artist
The Lady represents the confined ___________ inspired and bound by a curse to create.
birth journey
The story could represent the _________ of the soul, the _______________ from the protection of childhood
innocence experience
to adulthood, or the transition from ______________ to _______________.
artfully
Throughout "The Lady of Shalott," Tennyson crafts his words and images ___________ to reinforce his
conflict internal
message. Imagery develops the _____________ between the _____________ world of the artist and the
society
external world of _____________.
contrasts
For example, Tennyson _____________ two different types of images in the poem. After describing the Lady's
dull, monotonous world inside the tower, he adds descriptions of the vital, changing world outside the tower
walls.
synecdoche
Tennyson also uses _____________________ to add linguistic depth to
the poem.

A synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a

part is used to represent the whole or the
whole is used to represent the part.

characterize
Synecdoche is a common way to ___________________ fictional
features
characters. It highlights certain _______________ and adds
variety
_________________ to characterizations. A character may be
single part
consistently described by a ____________ body _______ or feature such as the eyes. In "The Lady of Shalott,"
represent
the helmet and plume are used to __________________ and emphasize Sir Lancelot's high stature as the best
knight in the kingdom.

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A part is used to refer to the whole: car
part→the whole, which is the __________.
His parents bought him a new set of wheels.
The busy mother had many mouths to feed.
part→the whole, which includes the
children
____________.
The whole is used to refer to a part:
The police came too late. whole→specific parts, which are on-duty police
Use your head to figure it out. officers.
brain
whole→a part, which is the ______________.
The general is used to refer to the specific:
No being would believe that story. The general→specific, which is a
person
We're fresh out of milk, but we do have ______________.
goat's milk.
The general→specific, which is cow’s milk

The material is used to refer to the thing The material→things made from it, which are
made from it: clothes.
Those are some nice threads.
Would you like paper or plastic? The materials →things made from them, which
bags
are paper or plastic _________________.

imagery
Throughout "The Lady of Shalott," symbolism, _______________, and figurative language are held together by
rhyme structure meter
______________. Tennyson uses ________________ and __________ to reinforce meaning, create
mood
_________, and add coherence to the poem.
leaves
When the Lady hears Sir Lancelot sing "Tirra lirra," she __________ her tower and seals her doom. Tennyson
tense
emphasizes this turning point by manipulating the verb _____________ in these crucial lines. As the Lady's
shift active
experiences _________ from the static (stationary) to the ______________, so too does Tennyson's language.
narrative symbolism
"The Lady of Shalott" combines a simple but moving _____________ with rich _______________ that can be
form
interpreted in many ways. The __________ of the poem contributes significantly to its depth of meaning.

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Focus on Language
When reading Tennyson's poems in this lesson, you might have noted several words that were
unfamiliar new unfamiliar
______________ to you. Often, when you encounter a ______ word or a word used in an _________________
contextual
way, you can use _________________ clues to guess or determine its meaning.
context clues: using the surrounding words,
phrases, or sentences to determine a word’s
meaning.

For example, suppose you've read a description of a person's beauty in one sentence, and then the next
unfamiliar before
sentence includes an _______________ adjective _____________ the word appearance. It would then be
guess
reasonable to _____________ that the meaning of the adjective is "beautiful."

Summary
How did the literature of the Victorian era reflect the events of the time?

The literature of the Victorian era reflected the events of the time by addressing a wide range of social,
political, and economic issues. During Queen Victoria's long reign, which was characterized by economic
growth and social change, literature flourished, catering to the growing middle-class readership. It often
conveyed concerns about social problems, injustice, and the political state of the country.

The Victorian era brought about greater religious tolerance, scientific advancements, and prosperity for
the middle and upper classes. However, it was also marked by problems such as widespread poverty, the
negative consequences of industrialization, and religious doubt. These issues found their way into the
literature of the time, serving as a means for writers to address and critique the society they lived in.

The lesson specifically discussed two famous poems by Alfred Lord Tennyson, "Ulysses" and "The Lady
of Shalott," both of which are emblematic of the Victorian era's literary themes. "Ulysses" encourages
readers to persevere in pursuing new goals despite limitations, while "The Lady of Shalott" is a narrative
poem filled with vivid imagery and symbolism.

The upcoming lessons will delve further into the works of various Victorian poets and novelists, offering a
comprehensive understanding of the major literary movements and contributions of the Victorian age.

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