a

t Ir:
t

:'l
iti
'
ll
I

ial iLr
)i
f.it ti.
[+ ir{[iji;
'-,r;!: r-.:

,1

ITART} f"I h{F.5"

 lgth - (Part 1)
Introduction to the
z
Victorian Ag.
The Victorian Age began in 1837 with the accessionr to the
throne of a young Queen Victoria (1819 - 1901). Although
it officially ends on her death in 1901, following a lengthy
rule covering 64 years, it is generally considered to extend
into the next decade and the beginning of the First lWorld
War (1914 - 1918).
Following the absolute climax of the previous literary
period, the Romantic Age, one may think that the Victorian
Age was less interesting or not worrhy when comparing to
other periods. However, that is certainly not the case. The
emotions of the romantic poet made way for a more rational
sryle and many great and innovative works appeared during
this (literary) period. So undoubtedly we can declare it as
another rich period in English literature.
The significant fact of the Victorian Age is the change of
rural Britain2 into an indusrialised sociery. The industrial
revolution was in full shift, while large factories, such as
the textile industry, were increasingly being built in and
around the major cities which began wich the automatising
of work that had first been done manually in rural areas.
However, the explosive growth in the numbers of facrories
ultimately led to an increasing lack of raw materials, which
were often simply not avaiiable in Britain. The trade sector
readily reacted to this shortage, spreading its control to the
four corners of the earth in search for the much needed raw
materials, expanding British rule to other areas of the globe
with the help of the navy.
The economic growth that followed brought great fortune.
Major factory owners led extremely wealthy and luxurious
Iives. This new 'aristocracy' set their own social standards
and values, while the traditional (landed) upper class - which
had set the norm for British sociery before - gradually took
a less important role.
There was nevertheless a downside to the vastly increased
prosperiry. In order to meet its enormous production
demands, the industry needed huge numbers of workers,
who moved from rurai areas to the major cities. As a result,
the countryside became depopulated, while the big cities
very rapidly became crowded. There was a serious lack of
housing to accommodate these migrants, forcing them to
live in poverry in the most miserable conditions. In addition,
working conditions in the gloomy, filthy and dangerous
factories were simply shameful. It was normai for employees
to work a fourteen-hour day, and parents even sent their
children to work in the factories. Social conditions were
absolutely terrible as a result of mistreatment.
The depopulation of the countryside made Britain unable
to feed its own inhabitants, eventually forcing it to import
foodstuffs on a large amount . In fact, continuous failures of
the potato harvest in Ireland, reduced its population by half.
The famine killed over one million lrish, causing another
million to migrate to England and America in particular.
The absolute peak of the Victorian Age was the Great
Exhibition held in London in 1851. It was the first ever
world exhibition. For the first time in history, people were
able to witness and experience the vast capabilities of human
spirit and creative thinking. New revolutionary technologies
and inventions left people very surprised. As a result, a wave
ofecstasy spread over Britain and Europe: what great deeds
one could achieve with the help of science!
Queen Victoria
The Victorian Age proved relatively peaceful and made for
the British a military perspective. Apart from the fact that
its naly continued to occupy other countries worldwide,
wherever essential raw materials were discovered, Britain
actually became engaged in only rwo conflicts.
The first, the Crimean $Tar (1854 - 1856)3 was a brief,
intense war berween the British and the Russians, which
ended in a catastrophic defeat for the former. The British
forces were desperately outdated in terms of both weaponry
and methods of fighting the war. In the Charge of the Light
Brigade, the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson describes a battle
during that war which ended in shocking defeat for the
British.
In the Boer Var (i899 - 1902) the British armed forces
in South Africa fought to defeat the rebellious Boers (the
children of Dutch colonists).
During the final decades of the nineteenth century, Britain's
economic and financial power began to drop. Following its
union, Germany in particular became increasingly influendal
and dominant, rapidly removing Britain from its position of
Power.
\X/hile the term Victorian naturally refers to the period in
which Queen Victoria governed, it had a more negative
meaning later in the rwentieth century: narrow-minded, 3
harsh, child-unfriendly and hypocritical. This relates not
so much to Victoria's governance sryle, but more to the
middle class, or bourgeoisie, which set the standards for
British sociery. The residents of splendid houses which
lined charming squares and spacious streets, controlled what
was 'proper' and above al1 'not done' on the basis of their
biblical, religious lifesryle. Their opinions relating to sexual
matters in particular were narrow-minded and tasteless. And
those who did not respect this moralistic attitude, or dared
to question it, were mercilessly kicked out from such circles.
Up until around 1875, the most highly regarded authors
were A-lfred Lord Tennyson and Matthew Arnold. These
were the kind of writers who could connect closely with
the narrow-minded Victorian attitudes; they were after all
the poets of the middle class, the bourgeoisie. And the vast
majoriry of their colleagues also had no doubts about these
morals and lifesryle. The rapid rise of science, however,
many writers prompted to debate the issue of religion from
1875 onwards. Authors like George Eliot quickly cut all
I the coming to the position of Queen
2 In thiscase, the term Britain applies to England and to a lesser
extent Scotland, -ffales and Ireland.
3 Crimea is a Black Sea peninsula in the south of modern day
Ukraine.
 l.gth c€n - (part 1)
4 issues dealt with in his novels were
Charles Darwin
religious ties, while others such as Thomas Hardy struggled
with the issue, and yet another group - after much twisting
and turning - returned to their original viewpoinc'
The intellectuals not only had great difftculry accePting the
religious philosophy, but were absolutely sick and tired of
th"-*oriisti. ,t*rro*-r.rinded atdtudes of the middle
".rd
class. Large numbers of writers and scientists symPathised
with the new socialist movement' an entirely different
economic system whereby control and power were to be
handed over to the workers. In 1893 the Labour Parrya was
established, a new politic al part'J set up by workers with a
view to achieving these objectives'
Several changes took place in a literary sense during the
Victorian Rge. The art of novel-writing ultimately made a
breakthrough, gradually taking over the status of poetry'
The works of Charles Dickens in particular - which remain
highly popular to this daY - Proved
very influential in promoting this
relativeiy new genre. The social
very important in this respect. His
portrayal ofthe character ofthe period
is also extraordinary' Later novelists
during this age were nevertheless
doubtful whether the social Progress
made had actualiy been so beneficiai'
lWells
Science fiction writer H.G.
rejected science (War of the Vorlds)'
while Thomas HardY's works return
to thenostalgic and Perfect worid
before the industrial revolution;
when everything was still so orderly'
Interest in psychologY, the studY
of the human mind, has offered a
highly understandable manner in
Stevenson's novel Je kyll and Hyde.
Theatre also exPerienced a
remarkable recovery. This genre had
not been used since ShakesPeare's
day for various reasons. However,
perhaps as a result ofthe invention of
the electric light, its fate turned and
the well-to-do in particular found a
fresh incerest in going to the theatre.
However, they had an unmistakable
taste for comedies, light-hearted and
cheerful plays. Oscar \filde was
the greatest defender of this genre
(The Importance of Bei'ng Earnest).
The plays of George Bernard Shaw
were nevertheless also important in
their rather ironic portrayal of social
problems.
And last but not least, one simply cannot ignore the
major discussion of the Victorian Age: Darwin's theory
of evolution. The effect of Darwin's book was utterly
astonishing. The conflict berween science and religion
rocked the very foundations of the British Empire' The main
argument was the story of creation as told in Genesis' Many
follo*erc of Darwin disagreed with this version of creation'
dismissed the concept of the human soul, and even went so
far as to doubt the existence of God. Their opponents looked
upon this as blasphemy' No matter how fierce the conflict
b.."*., however, the theory of evoiution was simply not
a matter of concern to many authors and poets' In fact,
research has shown that even Dickens had never heard of
the term Darwinism.
4 the other rwo traditional political parties were the Tories
(conservatives) and the lVhigs (liberals)
 Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with the
Family of King Louis Philippe at the Chateau D'Eu

57
The institution of marriage (with children) became the
norm; anything that did not fit within this framework was
considered threatening and met with a particularly hostile
reception. This resulted in a narrow-minded sociery in
which matters in any way related to sex were either not
spoken of or were covered up. Public displays of affection,
even befween husband and wife or parents and children,
were very much frowned upon. As a result of this inflexible,
narrow-minded attitude, alternative relationshipst were
condemned and harshly dealt with. Many people including
author Oscar Wilde experienced the tragic consequences
of this first hand. Out of marriage pregnancy was simply
hateful to the Victorians. And when Hardy's books raised
the mamer, which naturally also happened in those days,
the nation was up in arms! Countless demonstrations and
meetings were organised, where people expressed their anger
and disapproval in no uncertain terms. And despite the fact
that he rewrote several scenes to calm down his prudish
readers, Hardy continued to be treated as a scapegoat. In
fact, the publication ofJude the Obscure in 1895 caused such
commotion and was so condemned that Hardy decided
never to write another novel.

1 such as extra-marital sex, 'fallen' women and homosexualiry

Victorian morals
'The family is the cornerstone of sociery' was the motto
during the Victorian Era. And if a family performed
favourably in all respects, then the collection of all families
ensured that sociery and the economy couid also perform
well. It was essential that families and family life be strongly
protected and defended. Anything
that might prove a threat to
the family therefore had
to be removed from the
communiry.
 2. Gothic Genre

Assignment: Watch the video:

https ://www. bbc.co. uk/bitesize/topics/zfd hSxs/articles/z9cssk7.

Memorize the elements of a Gothic novel and make sure you can apply them to
a text or poem.

Gothic elements may include the following, that is to say not ALL elements
must appear in a story for it belong to the Gothic genre.

Setting
1. Old run down structures: especially castles, mansions or country manors:
. Hidden passages
. Trap doors
. Dungeons or secret rooms
. Decline from their former greatness
2. Bleak foreboding environments
. Dark forests
. lmposing mountains
. Bad weather
. Areas away from civilization
Protagonist
. The plot involves hidden secrets which threatens the protagonist.
. The protagonists are isolated or alone
. Tere's some physical entrapment - usually far from civilization
. Emotional unease and tension - cut off from the people close to them
. They usually tend to have a high social ranking
. They suffer psychological conflict and inner turmoil
. They suffer from a tragic flaw which ultimately leads to their downfall

Women
There are two main female roles: the predator and the helpless victim

The predator is dangerous yet powerfully attractive, she helps portray the
pain/pleasure paradox of the gothic genre.

a The helpless victim or helpless damsel in distress is fragile and vulnerable

(often frightened and suffers from some kind of ailment) she gives the
protagonist something to rescue and they are often the prize for the
protagonist's brave endeavours.

Supernatural
. The supernatural is a kev defining element in the Gothic
. Writers can evoke the supernatural directly or rely upon the reader's
imagination to provide it.

7
Worksheet Gothic elements

Activity 1 Look at the pictures and indicate which gothic element it contains

,f

ru

N
N
ffi
$
N
W
Yi
{,

*
'/.

ij'

lir
tr
KI
ii
rf,'
-.-

9
 None Dote:-

IFforureo @tr $peech

ldioms- a phrase that means something different form the individual words in it (it's raining cats and dogs)
Simile - compare two things using /ike or as (you eat like a pig)
Metaphor - compare two things without using /r'ke or os (life is a highway)
(Alice ate an apple)
Alliteration - same beginning sound
Onomatopoeia -words that imitate real sounds (Meow)
give human qualities to non-human things (leaves dance in the wind)
Personification -
extreme exaggeration to make a point (l told you a million times)
Hyperbole -

!I mnA to$ staiffi€nt wing itre ssfti1 figtrcs oP speech found obow. {Hint: s t*f each kind}
I

I
!1 Silly Solly song o sod song.

l2
I
Hold your horses.

!s
I
Doing hor,'rework is like doing chores.

!+
I
The bothroon sink drip-drips, drip-drips.

!s I hove o ton of honework.

A Streets ore streons, cors ore fish.

7. Her hoir wos os dork os night.

E. I'llfinish woshing dishes foster thon you con blink.

9. The cookies begged ne to eot then.

I
Peter Piper picked o pickle pepper.
I10
I
'Ahhh", "Weee", "Woo-hoo", wos ollyou heord on the rollercooster.
!11
I
I
I
tz- The roin gently kissed ny cheeks.

!rs
I
The stors winked qt ne.

! t+.
I
My coffee wos hot like lovo.

lrs
I
A toste of your own nedicine.

Ire
I
Eoch r.'rorning,I woke to the sound "Cock-o-doddle-doo."
I
tI 17. Allbork ond no bite.
I
I on o rock, strong ond hord.
!16
I
ln
I
Weird Wolly woits, wishes, ond whistles while wonting wqternelons.

1'20 I ate so nuch,I tninf I'n going to explode.

I
I zt. The test bfos o wolk in the pork.
&-0{n riehtsidst
l------- - -Q'M r. .E
 BELLE DAME
SAI--15 MERCI ilfu

I f/7
ffi, I
O r^irun cdN AtL TI{EE,
KN16IIT.4T:AR!"1S/
AUOHIEANP FALELY LOTTETIruA?
{/

Tue $EF6E uAs t^/rrr-rER'P 4rup No BtRps stN&.

FROI.,I TI-+E LAKE/
 Fulr- EEAUTI FUL
-A FAERY$
'I4}LOI

{ Ir t r}r . drr

rf
{ 4 t I ht' ltfir'vl
tt'l t" t I t' H ER HAIR
\^/AS LANG:,
,rd rtr
€ir t, Cc
Ir
,l'
,+tr r+
/h s ryr{
,l €
a. {}p + Q
&=> i.r <_:1fr

F
dl.l
tl It ' l. rE> rh
'(:) I
'c}
&e
t1

It ,fI| {}
t{It t' lJl kr&:"
Ith n
II llt

r+ER Foor WAS Ll6t+1;

 5HE FOTJND TIE FOOTS
OF REIISFI SWEEf, *T+U STJKE IN IANCUAGE
Arup HoNEy b/tLFr STRANCE SFIE SAfP-
AND I{ANNA
&
+E'llE

| ,li
r

i,rtl
\{t ' ll
Jl

,tu $t li,/"
'i
'{
i U
Arun THERE r DREAI'it'p-
AI.I' I^/OE BETIDEJ

F"\
d tr
Oru rnr toLe l{rLrs srFE.

i
i

'r ''
 \{csrfiorrr e'1.
rl
,I\, *l,r.rtr
l1 It ,,,, i tr i.
r,l l I l'l
Ut r, ,|,
I
t 1l y l !r it I

ttt ll rl rrrf t
jt l'
1l Itr t
{
tt, l1 tlt u ttb trr ,
ta, tll tl
t lillt lt
Or'I TUE CgLP HILLS SIDE

6llp rr{ls ts wHv &+ T+.+E 5 E D 6€

I SdSOUR t-lERE, N l5 \^/ITHER'F
AI-OI.IE ANtr PALELY FROI-'I TIJE tAKE,
LO|TERTN6/

t.

A NP NO EIRPS
SING -
 The cold earth slept below
BY PERCY BYSSHE SHEI,I,EY

The cold earth slept below;

Above the cold sky shone;
And all around,
With a chilling sound,
From caves of ice and fields of snow
The breath of night like death did flow
Beneath the sinking moon.

The wintry hedge was black;

The green grass was not seen;
The birds did rest
On the bare thorn's breast
Whose roots, beside the pathway trach
Had bound their folds o'er many a crack
Which the frost had made between

Thine eyes glow'd in the glare

Of the moon's dying light;
As a fen-fire's beam
On a sluggish stream
Gleams dimly-so the moon shone there,
And it yellow'd the strings of thy tangled hair,
That shook in the wind of night.

The moon made thy lips pale, beloved;

The wind made thy bosom chill;
The night did shed
On thy dear head
Its frozen dew, and thou didst lie
Where the bitter breath of the naked sky
Might visit thee at will.
The Cold Earth Slept Below - Percy Bysshe Shelley

A. How would you describe John Everett Millais' Ophelia? Think of:
1. Setting;
2. The female figure;
3. Mood/ atmosphere

B. The poem is written by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Have look on the internet and see what you can
find out about his early life. Who was his first wife? Who was his second wife? What
happened? Use the following words and dates: 1811, 1813, !814, t816, Mary, Eliza, Harriet,
Scotland, Serpentine, Hyde Park.
 1. Who Was Edgar Allan Poe?
Assignment: Watch the video on Edgar Allen Poe.
https ://www.youtu be. com/watc h?v=x-387 NMC RGw&t=SOs

Read about Edgar Allen Poe's life and works on the following pages.
Then fill out the crossword puzzle. You may use the internet as a
resource for completing the puzzle.

(180e-184e)

Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, critic and

editor best known for evocative short stories and poems
that captured the imagination and interest of readers
around the world. His imaginative storytelling and tales of
mystery and horror gave birth to the modern detective
story.

Many of Poe's works, including "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Fall of the House of
Usher," became literary classics. Some aspects of Poe's life, like his literature, is
shrouded in mystery, and the lines between fact and fiction have been blurred
substantially since his death.

Early Life and Family

Poe was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts

Poe never really knew his parents Elizabeth Arnold Poe, a British actress, and
-
David Poe, Jr., an actor who was born in Baltimore. His father left the family early in
Poe's life, and his mother passed away from tuberculosis when he was only three.

Separated from his brother William and sister Rosalie, Poe went to live with John and
Frances Allan, a successful tobacco merchant and his wife, in Richmond, Virginia.
Edgar and Frances seemed to form a bond, but he had a more difficult relationship
with John Allan.

By the age of 13, Poe was a productive poet, but his literary talents were discouraged
by his headmaster and John Allan, who preferred that Poe follow him in the family
business. Preferring poetry over profits, Poe reportedly wrote poems on the back of
some of Allan's business papers.

Money was also an issue between Poe and John Allan. Poe went to the Universitv of
Virqinia in 1826, where he excelled in his classes. However, he didn't receive enough
funds from Allan to cover all of his costs. Poe turned to gambling to cover the
difference, but ended up in debt.

3
Wife

From 1831 to 1835, Poe lived in Baltimore, where his father was born, with his aunt
Maria Clemm and her daughter, his cousin Virginia. He began to devote his attention
to Virginia, who became his literary inspiration as well as his love interest.

The couple married in 1836 when she was only 13 years old. ln 1847 , at the age of
24 the same age when Poe's mother and brother also died Virginia passed
-
away from tuberculosis.
-
Poe was overcome by grief following her death, and although he continued to work,
he suffered from poor health and struggled financially until his death in 1849.

Literary works

fn late 1830s, Poe published lales of the Grotesque and Arabesgue, a collection of
short stories. lt contained several of his most spine-tingling tales, including "The Fall
of the House of Usher," "Ligeia" and "William Wilson."

In 1841, Poe launched the new genre of detective fiction with "The Murders in the
Rue Morgue." His literary innovations earned him the nickname "Father of the
Detective Story." A writer on the rise, he won a literary prize in 1843 for "The Gold
Bug," a suspenseful tale of secret codes and hunting treasure.

Poe also wrote many poems of which 'the Raven' is considered to be his most known
work.

Death

Poe died on October 7 , 1849. His final days remain somewhat of a mystery. Poe left
Richmond on September 27, 1849, and was supposedly on his way to Philadelphia,
but he never made it there.

On October 3, he was found in Baltimore in great distress, heavily beaten up,

wearing a cheap suit that didn't fit him and a straw hat. Poe was taken to Washington
College Hospital, where he died four days later. His last words were "Lord, help my
poor soul."

At the time, it was said that Poe died of "swelling of the brain." But his actual cause of
death has been the subject of endless speculation.

Some experts believe that alcoholism led to his demise while others offer up
alternative theories. Rabies, epilepsy and carbon monoxide poisoning are just some
of the conditions thought to have led to the great writer's death. For someone who
invented detective stories and can be considered the father of American horror
stories, his mysterious death is of course somewhat ironic.

5
L 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
 3. The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe

It's true! Yes, I have been ill, very ill. But why do you say that I have lost control of my
mind, why do you say that I am mad? Can you not see that I have full control of my
mind? ls it not clear that I am not mad? lndeed, the illness only made my mind, my
feelings, my senses stronger, more powerful. My sense of hearing especially became
more powerful. I could hear sounds I had never heard before. I heard sounds from
heaven; and I heard sounds from hell!

Listen! Listen, and I will tell you how it happened. You will see, you will hear how
healthy my mind is.

It is impossible to say how the idea first entered my head. There was no reason for
what I did. I did not hate the old man; I even loved him. He had never hurt me. I did
not want his money. I think it was his eye. His eye was like the eye of a vulture, the
eye of one of those terrible birds that watch and wait while an animal dies, and then
fall upon the dead body and pull it to pieces to eat it. When the old man looked at me
with his vulture eye a cold feeling went up and down my back; even my blood
became cold. And so, I finally decided I had to kill the old man and close that eye
forever!

So you think that I am mad? A madman cannot plan. But you should have seen me.
During all of that week I was as friendly to the old man as I could be, and warm, and
loving.

Every night about twelve o'clock I slowly opened his door. And when the door was
opened wide enough I put my hand in, and then my head. ln my hand I held a light
covered over with a cloth so that no light showed. And I stood there quietly. Then,
carefully, I lifted the cloth, just a little, so that a single, thin, small light fell across that
eye. For seven nights I did this, seven long nights, every night at midnight. Always
the eye was closed, so it was impossible for me to do the work. For it was not the old
man I felt I had to kill; it was the eye, his Evil Eye.

And every morning I went to his room, and with a warm, friendly voice I asked him
how he had slept. He could not guess that every night, just at twelve, I looked in at
him as he slept.

The eighth night I was more than usually careful as I opened the door. The hands of
a clock move more quickly than did my hand. Never before had I felt so strongly my
own power; I was now sure of success.

The old man was lying there not dreaming that I was at his door. Suddenly he moved
in his bed. You may think I became afraid. But no. The darkness in his room was
thick and black. I knew he could not see the opening of the door. I continued to push
the door, slowly, softly. I put in my head. I put in my hand, with the covered light.
Suddenly the old man sat straight up in bed and cried, "Who's there??!"

I stood quite still. For a whole hour I did not move. Nor did I hear him again lie down
in his bed. He just sat there, listening. Then I heard a sound, a low cry of fear which
escaped from the old man. Now I knew that he was sitting up in his bed, filled with

LL
 cover that terrible sound'
I
make more noise, to
froor to was it possible that
oushed my chair across the
sti* the r"n'ililnJtutt il ;it"d'
iarked even roud"r. And "o,
iney could not hear??

and from
il; b9?1, liom tn6ir smiles'
No!Theyheard!lwascertainofit'Theyknew|}sy.lwastheywho.wereplayinga
i could
ii no tons"t' 'l oointed at the
,"nol",
oame with me. I was suffering dil;fi i couto o"'i
itiuo"d
ihat sound ' louo"i'lotil"i'
ikir"d hir.. p"ir ffij;;;Jv5u,t1'"tt see! I killed
boards and cried,':,v;ii;r, stop n""ii"g? "n.tn"
lvny ooes it not stop!?"
him. But why does ni, n""rt'not

13
12.What sound does the narrator think he hears after the murder? ln reality, what
could it be? Why does it get louder and louder?

13. How does the narrator feel immediately after he commits the murder? Do his
feelings change? lf so, how and whY?

14. How did the narrator choose to conceal his crime? Does he fear being caught?

L5
 7.The Masque of the Red Death, by Edgar Allen Poe.

Listen to the story https ://learn i noenol is h.voanews. c oml al37 05 11 4. htm I

The Red Death had long been feeding on the country.

No sickness had ever been so deadly so great a killer or so fearful to

see. Blood was its mark
-
the redness and the horror of blood.
-
-
There were sharp pains, and a sudden feeling that the mind was rushing in
circles inside the head. Then there was bleeding through the skin, though it
was not cut or broken and then, death!
-
The bright red spots upon the body and especially upon the face of the sick
man made other men turn away from him, afraid to try to help. And the
sickness lasted, from beginning to the end, no more than half an hour.

But Prospero, the ruler of that land, was happy and strong and wise. When
half the people of his land had died, he called to him a thousand healthy,
happy friends, and with them went far away to live in one of his palaces.

This was a large and beautiful stone building he had planned himself. A
strong, high wall circled it. This wall had gates of iron. The gentlemen, after
they had entered, brought fire to heat the iron of the gate to make them
close so firmly that nobody could open them. Here they could forget the
sickness, the Red Death. They would leave the outside world to care for
itself.

Prospero had supplied everything they needed for pleasure. There was
music. There was dancing. There was beauty. There was food to eat
and wine to drink. All these were within the wall, and within the wall they
would be safe. Outside the wall walked the Red Death.

It was near the end of their fifth month there that Prospero asked his friends
to all to come together for a dancing party, a masquerade. Everyone was
asked to come dressed in fine clothes and with his eyes, or perhaps his
whole face, covered by a cloth mask.

It was a Scene of great richness, that masquerade. There were Seven

rooms in which Prospero's friends danced. ln many old palaces, the doors

35
But the other rooms are crowded, and in them beats hotly the heart of life.
And the dance goes on until at last the clock begins to strike 12. Again the
music stopped. Again the dancers stood without moving while the slow
striking sound continued. Before the clock was quiet again, many in the
crowd saw that in the first room, the blue room, there was a masquerader
who had not been seen before. As they talked softly to each other about
him, a feeling of surprise spread through all the dancers, then a feeling of
fear and sickening horror.

ln such a group as this, only a very strange masquerader could have

caused such a feeling. Even among those who laugh at both life and death,
some matters cannot be laughed at. Everyone seemed now deeply to feel
that the stranger should not have been allowed to come among them
dressed in such clothes.

He was tall and very thin, and covered from head to foot like a dead man
prepared for the grave. The mask which covered his face or was it really
a mask? the mask which covered his face was so much -like the face of a
-
dead man that the nearest eye could not see the difference. And yet all this
might have been acceptable but the masquerader whom no one knew
-
had made himself look like the Red Death itself! His clothes were spotted
with blood. And the mask over his face was covered with the terrible red
spots...or perhaps it was indeed his face!

When Prospero looked upon this fearful form, he was first filled with terror
then with anger. "Who dares?" he cried. "Take him! Seize him! Pull
-off and
his mask so that we may know who we must hang at sunrise!"

Prospero stood in the blue room when he spoke these words. They
sounded through the 7 rooms, loud and clear. At first, as he spoke, some of
the dancers started to rush toward the strange masquerader. But they
stopped, afraid, and no one dared to put out a hand to touch him.

The stranger started to walk toward the second room. He passed within a
few feet of Prospero, who stood still, surprised. And while the dancers
moved back from the center of the room, the stranger moved quietly,
without being stopped, with a slow, measured step, through the blue room
to the purple room through the purple room to the green room through
-
the green to the yellow through this to the white
-
and then to the violet
room.
- -

As the stranger was entering the seventh room, Prospero suddenly and
angrily rushed through the six rooms. No one dared to follow him. He held a
37
 Questions

1.What are the symptoms of the Red Death and how long does it take this disease to
kill its victim?

2. What did the Prince decide to do? Whom did he include?

3.What can the reader tell about the Prince's house?

4. What did the Prince provide for his guests?

5. What point does Poe make about the layout of the rooms?

6. What was distinctive about the windows?

7. What was unique about the windows in the 7th room?

8. What effect did the firelight have for those who entered the 7th room?

9. Where was the clock? What reaction did it cause?

10. Why do the people seem to stay away from the 7th room?

39
 8.Annabel Lee
BY EDGAR A LAN POE
It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea,

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

By the name of Annabel Lee;

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

Than to love and be loved by me.

/ was a child and she was a child,

ln this kingdom by the sea,

But we loved with a love that was more than love-

I and my Annabel Lee-
With a love that the wingdd seraphs of Heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,

In this kingdom by the sea,

A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling

My beautiful Annabel Lee;

So that her highborn kinsmen came

And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
ln this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,

Went envying her and me-
Yes!-that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)

That the wind came out of the cloud by night,

4L
 Questions
Have a look at these literary devices:

Assonance = repetition of vowel sounds (klinkers) in the same line

Alliteration = repletion of consonant (medeklinkers) sounds at the beginning of a word
in the same line

Personification = to give human characteristics to an objecUthing

lmagery = used to make readers perceive things with their senses

1. What made life meaningful to the narrator of the poem?

2What was the real cause of Annabel Lee's death, according to the poet?

3.According to the poem, what would you say the narrator spends most of his time
doing?

4.Find the main idea

5.Find examples of assonance, alliieration, personification and repetition in the

poem.

6.How do assonance, alliteration , personification and repetition influence the mood

of the poem?

7.How does imagery influence the mood of the poem?

8.What is the mood?

9.What tone does the author express toward Annabel Lee?

43
 The novel in the
Victorian Ag.
Up until the beginning of the Victorian Age, poetry was by
far the most important form of literature, r'ead mostly by
the aristocracy and wealthy middle classes. No one viewed
the novel as an art form of any significance. However, the
literary landscape was to change completely during the next
few decades. The reading public of the 19'h century chose
the novel as the most dominant genre of literature.

Sir -Vaiter Scottr was the first author to considerably

improve the growth of the novel's populariry. However, he
wrote heary books (often containing rwo or three volumes)
and charged similarly high prices. These were therefore
beyond the reach of the less well-off. The publication of
novels in weekly or monthly instalments (in serial form), as
practiced by authors including Charles Dickens, nevertheless
also made novels available to those who had less money. It
has been established that che poorest among them formed
'pools'; rubbing together the pennies required to purchase a
periodical containing an instalment of a novel. Both forms -
the heavy, three-volume novels and those published in serial
Sir \Walter Scott
- contributed towards the considerable success of the novel
as a literary genre. There were nevertheless various other
reasons for this spectacular success: 1 The novel emerged as a genre in the 18'h century
specifically intended for the middle class.It is therefore
logical that the Victorian bourgeoisie approved this
I Please consult the section on the Romantic Age form.
2 Given that the novel was not loaded with any long-
standing tradition, it could be readily adapted to the
rapidly changing circumstances during the Victorian
Age. It was therefore flexible.
3 Novels allow you to briefly get away from everyday life
(Escapism) and this proved the perfect energiser for the
industrialised and often chaotic sociery at the time.
4 In plain contrast to poetry, the scenes described in novels
were very similar to real life situations to which people
could relate.
5 Novelists also often proposed solutions to complex issues.
In other words, novels regularly provided solutions to
readers' own problems.

Victorian novels have a few rypical characteristics:

1 Standard middle-class (bourgeoisie) habits and standards

of behaviour.
2 The most popular topic is the adaptation of the individual
to sociery.
3 Emphasis on the way that (leading) characters develop.
Victorians were keen to learn more about the exciting
developments experienced by people like themselves.
Lower class characters were less important, and were
therefore described in a boring manner. Characters in
the highest classes, such as the aristocrary, were generally
portrayed in a jealous or arrogant context.

Charles Dickens
 lgth - (Part 1)
To what aspects should
t8
I p^y attention when
reading a novel?
Prose can be generally divided into two categories, fiction
and non-fiction. The former includes made-up stories,
such as novels and short stories (novellas); the latter,
however, includes that which has a high realiry content
and can be verified or used as a source of reference, such as
enryclopaedias, magazines, diaries and scientific essays. The
difference benveen fiction and non-fiction is nevertheless
sometimes not so clear, such as in 'fictionalised' (auto)
biographies. Realiry and fiction are often linked in such
works. In order to make a proper assessment of a novel
you have read, you therefore need to consider the following
aspects first:
1. Topic
The topic is what we understand to be the driving force,
or the author's motive for writing a book' He or she was
evidently affected, either recently or at some stage in the
past, by a certain (social) problem or an event' such as an
act of violence, drug addiction, discrimination, generational
contrasts, contrasts between the past and present or rich and
poor, slavery, love, war, religion, concern about the future'
repression, etc. However, large books may also have several
topics.
2. Plot
The plot is the framework of a novel; the abiliry to exPress
briefly the events that make up the story. Large and many
current novels in particular may also have several subplots
running alongside the principal plot; secondary storylines
which all come to a head at the end of the novel.
Edward Burne-Jones - Portrait ofKatie Lewis
3. Structure
This explains the way that the story is constructed, which
can best be portrayed in the form of a triangular model.
The base (from A to B, horizontally) indicates the number
of pages in the novel. The diagonal rising line (from A to
C) represents 'rising action', or the series of events in the
story. Punt C is the climax of the story, the point which
the entire novel circles around. It doesn't need to be told
that this climax does not actually happen until towards the
end of the story, otherwise the tension would be broken
halfway through the story. This means that the line from
the climax to the end of the story declines steeply. The
steadily increasing distance between the baseline and the
ascending line is known as the tension. The funher the book
progresses, the greater the tension'
The story usually begins with an 'explanation', which
includes several pages or chapters ofintroducing the leading
characters, the setting and time of the story' and the
complication that leads to the action. As the description
of this sort of introduction rarely involves much tension,
the triangular model usually features a baseline taking in a
large number of pages without any rising action. The story
then st"rts to develop towards the ciimax. Given that the
climax very rarely takes place right at the end, a number of
pages usually remains in which to wrap the story up (the
conclusion). This triangular model is derived from classic
Greek drama.
Not every novel strictly adopts this model, of course: a thriller
usually contains a great deal of tension at the beginning, as
do some detective stories. Longer novels, on the other hand,
often feature a kind of climax halfway through, in order to
maintain the tension.
 \i--,
7t
Lawrence Alma-Tadema - Sappho and Alcaeus
4. Charucterisation
lVho are the main characters that are central to the storyline,
and who the secondary ones? Names are very important'
particularly for the main characters. After ail, the author
chooses them for a particular reason, and they may also
contain some sort of reference or deeper symbolism. The
main characters can generally be divided into the categories
'round' and 'flat'. The development of round characters'
thoughts and actions is crucial. The main character usually
learns from his or her personal experiences in the course
of the story. Flat characters are one dimensional: they are
described vaguely, and the reader learns just a little bit about
their private lives. The general rule is as foliows: the more
the main character's inner self is investigated, the less focus
on action. And vice versa, of course. Stories which contain a
great deal of action hardly ever feature main characters with
a well worked out psychological background.
5. Background
The setting and period of time in which the story takes
place. The background provides a description of the time
in which the story unfolds. Sometimes it may contain a
flashback (a trip back to the past) or a flash-forward (the
story jumps ahead to the future). Some novelists like to
connect the present with the past, while science fiction
stories aiways take place in the future. ]t is therefore often
worthwhile investigating whether the author has a reason
for setting a story in a particular period. The physical setting
itself also plays a cruciai role: which country, which region,
ciry or rural area, a backstreet district or perhaps an exclusive
residential area? The main character's background is forced
to have an effect on his or her personality.
49
6. Style
The manner in which the story is told. Everyone knows that
a journalist writes differently than a scientist or a teacher.
\Triting is often closely related to one's profession or work.
A story might therefore be written simply (without extensive
use of adjectives or complicated terms), philosophically (with
a great deal ofconsideration), poetically (with a great deal of
explanation and special artistic effects), or in business-like
fashion, etc. The most important thing is whether the sryle
arrracts the reader.
7. Genre
\fhat kind of novel are you reading? If the emphasis is on
the action, then it is probably a thriller or a detective. If
it focuses on ideas, however, then it may well be a science
fiction novel. Psychological novels tend to show main
characters struggling with mental or moral problems. The
following are also examples of popular genres: love stories,
war novels, historic novels, polidcal novels, allegories (stories
with rwo levels of meaning), adventure novels and episodic
novels (each chapter is a separate story, while the main
character is the connecting factor throughout the book)'
8. Title
Check whether the title is reasonable and whether it refers
directly to the book.
Once you have examined all of the points listed above, then
you should be capable oF making a balanced assessment,
based on facrs and observations.