Discuss Arnold's poetry as a criticism of life with reference to the poems you have read.
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Or, Discuss Arnold's poetry as criticism of life with reference to “Thyrsis” and “Dover Beach”.
Matthew Arnold (1822-1888) first described poetry as the “criticism of life” in his 1880 essay The Study of Poetry. It means poetry should teach us about real life, truth, and human problems. Poetry should help us understand the meaning of life and how to live with hope and values.
Arnold’s poems “Thyrsis,” “Dover Beach,” and “The Scholar Gipsy” show criticism of life. They teach us about the problems of modern life. Through these poems, Arnold gives us advice to live with love, purity, hope, and faith.
“Dover Beach” – Loss of Faith in Modern Life:
“The Sea of Faith Was once, too, at the full…” “The Scholar Gipsy” – Search for Purity and Peace: In “The Scholar Gipsy” (1853), Arnold shows the story of an Oxford student. He left Oxford to live among the gipsies. He wanted to find peace, purity, and deep knowledge by living in close contact with nature. Arnold compares the peaceful life of the scholar with the restless and tired modern people. He says modern people live with confusion, doubts, and worries. He writes,
“Each strives, nor knows for what he strives.” “Thyrsis” – Loss, Memory, and Hope: “Thyrsis” (1865) is an elegy to mourn the death of Arnold’s friend, Arthur Hugh Clough. In this poem, Arnold remembers his friend and the beautiful Oxford countryside they enjoyed together. They enjoyed hearing sheep bells and watching mowers cutting grass. But now, everything has changed. He writes:
“Where are the mowers…? They all are gone, and thou art gone as well!” In conclusion, Matthew Arnold’s poetry truly acts as “criticism of life.” He shows us the loss of faith, the problems of modern life, and the need for spiritual hope. He uses nature and simple life to teach us to find peace. He teaches us to find truth and purpose in life. Arnold helps us to understand that even in a restless world, we can live with love, hope, faith, and spiritual strength.
He shows that modern life has no joy, peace, or faith in God. People live in confusion and fear. He shows this using a serious image, where the ignorant armies are fighting against each other in the darkness. They do not know why or against whom they are fighting. In the end, Arnold suggests that love is the only hope in a world full of pain. We must be true to each other.
This means people try many things, but they do not know what they really want. So, Arnold criticises modern life for being busy, restless, and without purpose. He shows the scholar’s life as an example of peace, purity, and a search for deep knowledge.
But even in sadness, Arnold finds hope in the elm tree on the hill. The poet and his friend used to watch the elm tree together. Though his friend is gone, the tree is still there. So, the tree becomes the symbol of both memory and hope. The poet feels that their dreams of finding peace and truth are still alive, like the elm tree. So, Arnold teaches us to hold on to hope, even in sorrow.