How does Arnold describe the 18th-century literature or poetry?

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How does Arnold describe the th-century literature or poetry NU Matthew Arnold - was an English poet and cultural critic He provides a clear view of th-century English literature in his book The Study of Poetry He calls it an age of prose and reason Prose grows strong in this time Poetry however loses spiritual depth So its rank is below the very best Rise of Prose The era rejects Puritan intensity Society needs order and clarity Prose meets this need well It values regularity uniformity precision and balance Arnold praises this achievement But it favors prose over poetry Lacking High Seriousness Great poetry must give a criticism of life It must show truth with high seriousness Arnold finds this missing in much th-century verse The spirit is intellectual not profound Feeling is controlled Moral depth is thin So poetry does not reach the highest rank Powerful Yet Not Supreme

Arnold respects Dryden and Pope He calls them splendid high priests of prose and reason Their art is sharp balanced and exact Yet their verse is often rhetorical It rarely achieves deep spiritual elevation Therefore they are eminent writers but not first-rate poets Exceptions and Limits Arnold admits small exceptions Thomas Gray sometimes catches a Greek classic spirit Still he is a frail classic The strength is brief and limited The general tendency remains the same Style is polished The inner greatness is rare In short Arnold s verdict is firm The th century builds excellent prose and clear taste But its poetry seldom reaches the classic height It lacks the sustained truth depth and high seriousness that define the greatest verse

The Study of Poetry

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How does Arnold describe the 18th-century literature or poetry?

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Matthew Arnold

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