Victorian Poetic Theory and Criticism
Comparative Reading Questions for Arnold, Levy, and Massey
Questions to help you compare Matthew Arnold’s “Function of Criticism at the Present Time,” Amy Levy’s “James Thomson: A Minor Poet,” and Gerald Massey’s Preface to Ballad of Babe Christabel.
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How does each writer (Arnold, Levy, Massey) define the social role of the poet or critic? Where do they overlap, and where do they diverge?
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Compare Arnold’s idea that culture requires disinterested criticism with Massey’s insistence that poetry must arise from lived experience. How does Levy’s portrait of James Thomson complicate both positions?
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How do the three texts address the relationship between suffering and creativity? Does suffering appear as a source of insight, a brutalizing force, or both?
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What do Arnold, Levy, and Massey each see as the greatest obstacles to great poetry in their age? How do those obstacles reflect class, politics, or culture?
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Each writer appeals to authority or legitimacy differently—Arnold to European culture, Levy to literary tradition and critical perspective, Massey to shared experience with the poor. How do these different appeals shape their visions of poetry’s value?
