THE DECADENT OR AESTHETIC MOVEMENT (LATER VICTORIAN PERIOD)
The pre-Raphaelite was followed by the Decadent or Aesthetic movement.
In the later part of the nineteenth century (1890-1900) emphasis was laid on Art for Art's sake.
They were influenced by Walter Pater and French authors like Baudelaire and Velalaine.
These tried to break with conventional values.
They believed that all themes must be excluded from poetry.
Poetry should record the deep-moving movements of passion or sadness.
They sought themes from pleasures.
These, they conveyed for their own sake.
They found these concepts in the works of Walter Pater and French models.
The Decadents were not interested in any great subject, theme or idea.
They were very choosy about vowels and consonants.
They emphasised passion rather than intellect.
The work of Pater, 'Conclusions to studies in the Renaissance' gave double suggestions to this group of poets.
First was that - there accompanies life an inevitable morality - death is upon all things.
Second was that out of life, there are few moments of deep passion and high intellect.
The poets of the Decadent - movements attempted to express this in a beautiful manner.
All the pleasures and pains were for their own sake, without any motive to convey any sort of mortals.
They rebelled against the established social and moral laws.
They knew neither philosophy nor religion.
They were worshippers of beauty for their own sake.
Their object was to give the reader aesthetic pleasure.
A) Oscar Wilde (1856-1900)
Oscar Wilde was the first to come under the influence of Walter Pater.
His works are clearly sewn, and his belief in the pursuit of beauty.
To him, the pursuit of beauty is desired by humans.
He also carried the opinion that modern civilisation was against an ideal.
His notable works were 'New Helen', 'The Garden of Eros', 'Panthea' and many more.
B) Ernest Dowson (1867-1900)
Ernest Dowson symbolises in his works the aesthetic movement of the eighteen-nineties.
He also came under the influence of Rossetti and others.
All believed in the doctrine of Art for Art's sake.
He dealt with the theme of the brevity of life and fading of things that once were beautiful.
Dowson possessed unusual prosodic skills.
His verse had a sweet melody.
His poetic theme is very profound.
His works were - Cynara, Nuns the Perpetual Adoration, and many more.
C) Lionel Pigot Johnson (1867-1902)
Lionel Pigot Johnson was an associate of Oscar Wilde and Dowson.
He wrote a good deal of religious verse.
His works are marked by aestheticism.
D) Arthur Simons
Arthur Simons was a consistent follower of the Aesthetic movement.
His works had a wide range.
He was a great critic.
E) Other Important Poets -
The other important poets of the later Victorian Period were Patmore, Meredith and Hardy.
Meredith and Hardy were better known as novelists.
Coventry Patmore
Coventry Patmore was a pre-Raphaelite.
He believed in the simplicity of the art.
His most popular poem is The Angel in the House.
The Unknown Eros' covered great Odes.
This conveys in beautiful, controlled free verse the mysticism of love and intense religious feelings.
George Meredith
George Meredith was associated with Rossetti and Swinburne.
He had nothing in common with the pre - Raphaelites.
He believed that art should not only be for morality.
There is a tremendous metrical skill in his lyrics.
He looked upon life as glorious, exciting, and always worthwhile.
His works, 'The Larks Ascending' and 'Love in the Valley', 'Modern Love' and many more are significant.
Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hardy was a novelist.
But he wrote poems also.
His 'The Dynasts' is written in epic form.
In his verse, he gets prosaic.
In his poems, he gives his pessimistic philosophy.
He gives a true picture of the human experience.
His poems give us visions of emotional moments.
0 Comments