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Essay on Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold was born in 1822, the same year that Percy Shelley drowned. He was born at Laleham on Christmas Eve. He was the son of Dr. Thomas Arnold, the revered headmaster of Rugby; and he earned early recognition for his poetry as a student at that school. Arnold also studied at Balliol College, Oxford University under a classical scholarship. Instead of applying himself to any one subject, he read widely. He also read a great deal of Roman and Greek literature. He became a close friend of Arthur Hugh Clough. In 1844, he completed his undergraduate degree and returned to Rugby as a teacher of classics for a time. In 1847, he became the private secretary to Lord Lansdowne, an active politician.
During travels in 1848, he met and fell in love with a French woman, but they did not marry. He also met George Sand and Chopin. Arnold's first volume of poetry, The Strayed Reveller and Other Poems, appeared in 1849. With the help of Lord Lansdowne, Arnold was given the post of Inspector of Schools in 1851. He married Frances Wightman the same year. His position as Inspector caused some problems because of the tremendous raveling that was required, but he held the position until 1886. In 1852, Empedocles on Etna and Other Poems appeared; Poems appeared the following year. Almost all of Arnold's memorable poetry was written by the time he was 30. After about 1855, he turned to writing essays and lectures. In 1857, he was elected Professor of Poetry at Oxford. He died in 1888, the same year that T. S. Eliot was born.Arnold is considered on of the "Big Three" Victorian poets (along with Tennyson and Robert Browning). He was not really recognized in his own time, but his work has left an indelible mark upon literary history................
