MATTHEW ARNOLD

HOW TO KNOW HIM

By

STUART P. SHERMAN
Professor of English, University of Illinois

WITH PORTRAIT

INDIANAPOLIS
THE BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY

PUBLISHERS

THE BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIC. ARY LIDA

786599

ASTOR, LENOY AND
TILDIN FOCATIONS

197

PRESS OF
BRAUNWORTH & Co.
BOOK MANUFACTURERS

BROOKLYN, N. Y.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I CHARACTER AND CAREER

Arnold's Main Task-Biographical Sources-His

Father and Mother-Influence of Natural Sur-

roundings-Education Attitude toward Oxford

-Poetic Ambition-Secretary to Lord Lans-

downe-Reading the Classics-Marriage and

Domestic Temper-Trials of an Inspector of

Schools-Poetry Composed under Difficulties—

Secret of His Melancholy and His Serenity-His

Religious Temper-Habit of Self-Discipline—

Cultivation of Purposefulness and Gaiety-Key-

notes of Literary Work-Compensations in His

Avocation-Friends in France: Sainte-Beuve,

Renan, Scherer-Inculcating Intelligence-Fruits

of Oxford Professorship—Appetite for Fame

and Influence-Acquaintance with English Ce-

lebrities — Disraeli's Encouragement — Attitude

toward Contemporary Men of Letters in Eng-

land-Success of Culture and Anarchy - In

Charge of an Italian Prince-Death of Three

Sons-Criticism of Church, Theology and Re-

ligion-Miscellaneous Political Essays and Re-

turn to Literature-First Visit to America-De-

fects and Virtues of American Life-Growing

Old-Official Business in Germany-Becomes a

Grandfather and Revisits America-Death.

II POEMS OF THE PERSONAL LIFE

-

Arnold Compares Himself with Tennyson and

✦ Browning-The Main Movement of Mind in

His Time-His Personal Reflections of the

Time-Spirit-Conflict of Reason and Tradition,

Emotion and Intelligence - Disillusion about

Love and Human Relationships: "Switzerland,”

"Faded Leaves"-The Center of His Being:

"The Buried Life"-Religious Disillusion: “The

Grand Chartreuse," "Dover Beach," "Empedocles

on Etna"-Disillusion about Poetical Powers:

"Austerity of Poetry," "Growing Old," "De-

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CHAPTER

CONTENTS—Continued

spondency," "The Progress of Poesy"-Center
of Indifference-Enduring Life: "Resignation"
-Immorality of Nature: "To a Preacher"—
Consolations of Nature: "Thyrsis," "Scholar
Gipsy"-Lessons of Nature:
Summer

Night," "Quiet Work"-The Law for Man
"Morality," "East London," "The Better Part"-
The Sources of Moral Energy: "Rugby Chapel."

III POEMS OF THE EXTERNAL WORLD

Conception of the True Poet: "Resignation"-

"Empedocles" Condemned-Classical Doctrine

on the Choice of Poetical Subjects-Classical

Intention in the Long Poems-Counter-claims

of Reason and Passion in "Tristram and Iseult"

-Classical Balance in "Sohrab and Rustum"

Arnold on "Balder Dead;" Defects of the Sub-

ject-Sophocles and "Merope"-"The Forsaken

Merman."

IV LITERARY CRITICISM

Persistence of Arnold's Critical Force-General

Ideas The Point of View: Literary Cosmo-

politanism-Definitions of Criticism-Defects of

of Existing English Organs of Opinion-Liter-

ary Influence of Academies-The French Acad-

emy-Obstacles and Helps in Human Nature to

Establishment of Standards-Conscience in In-

tellectual Matters-Provinciality of English Lit-

erature Adequacy of the Greeks-Arnold's

Classicism-Poetry as Criticism of Life-Art

and Morals-Poetry as Religion-The Grand

Style-Judicial Criticism-Impressionistic Criti-

cism-Historical Criticism-Arnold's Authorita-

tiveness-His Taste Challenged-The Touch-
stone Method-His Limitations as Historical

Critic-His Distrust of the Historical Method-

His Ultimate Object as Critic-Variety of His

Subjects-Devotion to the Abiding-His Esthetic

Stimulus-His Stimulus to Intellectual Curiosity

-His Moral Stimulus.