ENGLISH PROSE

“THE VICTORIAN PERIOD (1832-1901)”

Lecturer:

Kristanti Yuntoro Putri, M.Pd

Created by Group 1:

Ananda Sintia F. (19020230046)

Laela Nur K. (19020230056)

Lina Nofera N. (19020230026)

Siti Sopiatul H. (19020230047)

Sukmawati (19020230040)

ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF KADIRI

FACULTY OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION

ENGLISH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

October 2021
 PREFACE

We say thanks to God for all His mercy and guidance. This paper was made to fulfill
assignments from English Prose given by Mrs. Kristanti Yuntoro Putri, M.Pd. The author
accepts all constructive criticism and suggestions as improvements if there are inputs that can
improve this paper.

Finally, the authors hope that this paper can be useful and provide benefits for all
parties, especially for those readers who are looking for greater insight into “The Victorian
Period (1832-190)”.

Kediri, October 20th 2021

The Authors

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER.......................................................................................................... i

PREFACE.................................................................................................... ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS........................................................................... iii

CHAPTER I INTTRODUCTION.............................................................. 1

1.1 Problem Background........................................................................... 1

1.2 Problem Formulation..........................................................................1
1.3 Purpose................................................................................................1
CHAPTER II DISCUSSION......................................................................2

2.1 Movement from Romantic Period to Victorian Period...................... 2

2.2 Authors from Victorian Period (1832-1901)..................................... 3
2.2.1 Poets.........................................................................................3
2.2.2 Playwrights.............................................................................. 8

CHAPTER III CONCLUSION................................................................ 10

REFERENCES......................................................................................... 11

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 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Problem Background

English literature has undergone various periods since its first appearance in the Old
English period (Anglo Saxon 450-1066). The romantic period and the Victorian period are
the two main periods in English literature. Romantic and Victorian poetry refer to poetry
produced in the Romantic and Victorian periods, respectively. The main difference
between Romantic and Victorian poetry lies in the way these two genres of poetry
describe life, new discoveries, ideas, and philosophies. Romantic poetry is mainly
influenced by nature and considers nature in an idealistic and romantic light whereas
Victorian poetry is more or less influenced by scientific and technological discoveries of
the time.
With the end of the Romantic era, the reign of Queen Victoria or the Victorian
period emerged. The Victorian Era began in 1837 and lasted until 1901, until the death of
Queen Victoria. The industrial revolution that took place, in the Victorian period, had a
great influence on literature. The influence of science and technology can be seen in the
many works written during this period.

1.2 Problem Formulation

Based on the background of the problem above, the formulation of the problem can be
found as follows:
1. How was the transition from the Romantic period to the Victorian period?
2. Who were the authors of prose, poetry, and drama figures in the Victorian period (1832-
1901)?

1.3 Purpose
Based on the formulation of the problem above, it can be seen that the purpose of this
paper are:
1. To know the transition from the Romantic period to the Victorian period?
2. To know who were the authors in the Victorian era (1832-1901)?

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 CHAPTER II

DISCUSSION

2.1 Movement from Romantic Period to Victorian Period

Before the literary period shifted to the Victorian period, there was the
Romantic period which began in 1770, but peaked between 1800 and 1890. This
period produced some of the world's greatest works of visual art, music, literature, and
poetry. The trademark from romantic period is in emotion and individualism based on
the past and nature.
The romantic period ended when Queen Victoria began her reign following
her coronation on 28 June 1838. This was the beginning of her 63 year reign as a
monarchy which is the longest reign of any British monarch to date. Prince Albert,
Victoria's husband greatly influenced the way he ruled as king. Victoria respected and
loved her because she helped change her habits and political sympathies and trained
how to run a business, maintain domestic life services, and set up private intelligence
services abroad.
Queen Victoria's reign was marked by important improvements in England.
Some important improvements include the acceleration of industrial, political, and
military progress. This development is part of the reason why this era is called the
Victorian period. She is a queen who wants to maintain political power as king and
reigns during the transformation of the political role of the ruler into a ceremonial
role. Victoria also believed that the ruler had an important and active role in British
politics. The role of rulers in foreign affairs and in maintaining alliances is very
important. Queen Victoria marked the end of the Romantic period.
The Victorian period is also known as the period of Realism and Naturalism
which gave rise to many influential figures. These figures range from writers, poets,
to scientists. The period of Realism is also often described as a movement that tries to
describe the actual reality through language. While the Naturalism period focused on
describing the impact of social and environmental changes as a result of scientific
discoveries which were then described through the characters in the writing.
At this time technology and literature developed quite rapidly. During this
period, there were rapid changes in the social, economic and technological fields.
These changes are one aspect of the so-called industrial revolution. The industrial
revolution is all radical changes caused by new discoveries in industrial and

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transportation technology. This revolution contains both positivity and negativity. The
positive side of the revolution is seen by increasing prosperity and natural science
discovering new miracles, such as electric power that can be utilized for the benefit of
humans. While the most serious negative impact is the problem of the increasingly
striking difference between the rich and the poor. That's where the idea put forward to
solve this problem came from.

2.2 Authors of Poets and Playwrights from Victorian Period (1832-1901)

An important feature in this period is that prose and poetry literature is devoted
to raising the morale of society. So the novel not only describes life as it is, but also
teaches how life should be.
Most of the prose produced in the Victorian Period was the novel. In addition,
prose is said to be literature devoted to a purpose. So the novels produced in the
Victorian Period are generally called "problem novels". And because the goal is to
improve people's morale, this novel is called "educational novels".

2.2.1 Poets

Poetry in the Victorian period has the characteristics of lyrical decline and
spontaneity as found in the Romantic period and leads to the setting of standards, both
in form and content. From this, the Puritanism known as "Victorianism" arose. Social,
scientific and religious issues became the subject of poetry. All elements of
expression are considered as well as possible in order to obtain progress in poetry
writing techniques.

 Robert Browning (1812-1889)

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 Browning was born on May 7, 1812 in Camberwell, a middle-class suburb of
London. He was a poet, son of a clerk at the Bank of England. On September 12,
1846 he married Elizabeth Barret. At the time of his death in 1889, he was one of
the most popular poets in England.

Robert Browning’s Work:

o His most famous work is Pauline (1833)

o The pied piper of Hamelin (1842).

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An example of his work:
Confessions
BY ROBERT BROWNING
What is he buzzing in my ears?
"Now that I come to die,
Do I view the world as a vale of tears?"
Ah, reverend sir, not I!

What I viewed there once, what I view again

Where the physic bottles stand
On the table's edge,—is a suburb lane,
With a wall to my bedside hand.

That lane sloped, much as the bottles do,

From a house you could descry
O'er the garden-wall; is the curtain blue
Or green to a healthy eye?

To mine, it serves for the old June weather

Blue above lane and wall;
And that farthest bottle labelled "Ether"
Is the house o'ertopping all.

At a terrace, somewhere near the stopper,

There watched for me, one June,
A girl: I know, sir, it's improper,
My poor mind's out of tune.

Only, there was a way... you crept

Close by the side, to dodge
Eyes in the house, two eyes except:
They styled their house "The Lodge."

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 What right had a lounger up their lane?
But, by creeping very close,
With the good wall's help,—their eyes might strain
And stretch themselves to Oes,

Yet never catch her and me together,

As she left the attic, there,
By the rim of the bottle labelled "Ether,"
And stole from stair to stair,

And stood by the rose-wreathed gate. Alas,

We loved, sir—used to meet:
How sad and bad and mad it was—
But then, how it was sweet!

My Last Duchess
Robert Browning - 1812-1889
That's my last Duchess painted on the wall,
Looking as if she were alive. I call
That piece a wonder, now: Frà Pandolf's hands
Worked busily a day, and there she stands.
Will 't please you sit and look at her? I said
'Frà Pandolf' by design, for never read
Strangers like you that pictured countenance,
The depth and passion of its earnest glance,
But to myself they turned (since none puts by
The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)
And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst,
How such a glance came there; so, not the first
Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, 't was not
Her husband's presence only, called that spot
Of joy into the Duchess' cheek: perhaps
Frà Pandolf chanced to say, 'Her mantle laps

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 Over my lady's wrist too much,' or 'Paint
Must never hope to reproduce the faint
Half-flush that dies along her throat:' such stuff
Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough
For calling up that spot of joy. She had
A heart—how shall I say?—too soon made glad,
Too easily impressed; she liked whate'er
She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.
Sir, 't was all one! My favour at her breast,
The dropping of the daylight in the West,
The bough of cherries some officious fool
Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule
She rode with round the terrace—all and each
Would draw from her alike the approving speech,
Or blush, at least. She thanked men,—good! but thanked
Somehow—I know not how—as if she ranked
My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name
With anybody's gift. Who'd stoop to blame
This sort of trifling? Even had you skill
In speech—(which I have not)—to make your will
Quite clear to such an one, and say, 'Just this
Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss,
Or there exceed the mark'—and if she let
Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set
Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse,
—E'en then would be some stooping; and I choose
Never to stoop. Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt,
Whene'er I passed her; but who passed without
Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands;
Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands
As if alive. Will 't please you rise? We'll meet
The company below then. I repeat,
The Count your master's known munificence
Is ample warrant that no just pretence

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 Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;
Though his fair daughter's self, as I avowed
At starting, is my object. Nay, we'll go
Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though,
Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,
Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!

2.2.2 Playwrights
Another literary work that was quite developed in the Victorian period was
drama. Dramatic literary works of the Victorian Period underwent little
change due to the lack of respect from Victorian society. In the 1860s there
was little change, as Queen Victoria had little interest in the arts. One of the
popular playwrights at that time is:

 Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

Wilde was a playwright, poet and novelist. Robertson's work is nothing

compared to Oscar Wilde with the popularity of Oscar comedies that is still
ongoing today. His comedies are full of witty stories.
Oscar Wilde was known for his brilliant wit, flamboyant style, and
notorious imprisonment for homosexuality. He is also known through
experiences namely 'The Picture of Dorian Grey' and 'The Importance of
Being Earnest'

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Oscar Wilde’s Work:
o Lady Windermere's Fan (1892)

o The Importance of Being Earnest (1895)

An example of his work :

“When they entered they found, hanging upon the wall, a splendid portrait
of their master as they had last seen him, in all the wonder of his exquisite
youth and beauty. Lying on the floor was a dead man, in evening dress,
with a knife in his heart. He was withered, wrinkled, and loathsome of
visage. It was not till they had examined the rings that they recognized who
it was.”

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 (The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde)

BAB III

CONCLUSION

1. The Victorian period is also known as the period of Realism and Naturalism which gave
rise to many influential figures. The Victorian Era there are rapid changes in the social,
economic and technological fields. Queen Victoria marked the end of the Romantic
period.

2. So many famous literary figures during the Victorian period that gave birth in many good
works in poet and playwright. Some of them are:

- Robert Browning (1812-1889) with his

- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

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 REFERENCES

Scott, S. (2021, 26 January). Movements in the Romantic and Victorian Eras. Access on
October, 20 2021, from https://editions.covecollective.org/content/movements-
romantic-and-victorian-eras

Anne Shepherd. (2001). The Victorian Era. Retrieved October 20, 2021, from
http://www.history.ac.uk/ihr/Focus/Victorians/article.html

POETRY FOUNDATION. 2021. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/robert-browning.

(online). Access on October 22 2021.

Editors, B. (2014, April 14). Oscar Wilde Biography. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from The
Biography.com website: https://www.biography.com/writer/oscar-wilde

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