I recall some of Arnold’s poetry from undergrad & MA classes so many years ago, but I knew nothing of his personal life. Your piece, with all its vibrant details of how poetry kept him alive during his long career drudgery as a school inspector, is quite enlightening! It helps me to understand better the cameo appearance he makes in Engaging Italy!! Caroline Crane Marsh met him in 1873 and remarked he was not the poseur that so many literary folks were. He seemed genuinely interested in pursuing truths, when other litterateurs believed they had already grasped them. ❤️
Dec 23, 2023·edited Dec 23, 2023Liked by Sarah Harkness
I was very excited to hear you are already working on a new project, that is great news. I enjoyed the article on Arnold. He's a favourite and, unfortunately, not so well known now.
Thank you for this article about Matthew Arnold. I know very little about him but the person I am researching - Adela Curtis (1867-1960) - mentions him briefly in Notes she wrote to Bible students of hers in the late 1920s. In one edition she included an anecdote about when she was 16 (c1883/4) and attending church in Cobham, Surrey where Matthew Arnold was also in the congregation. She wondered how he could endure sermons of the poorest sort as she found them a severe trial.
I also had no idea of the family connection between him and Aldous Huxley. Adela and he knew each other and corresponded and it is said that he described her as the ‘one living English mystic’.
His father died of a heart attack, and so did he. It ran in the family...
His criticism helped to set the groundwork for criticism of literature and other fields in the following century. He was perceptive and objective as all critics should be.
He also indirectly inspired an event in my family history, as my mother famously recited "Dover Beach" in public, to the later jeering of her siblings...
I recall some of Arnold’s poetry from undergrad & MA classes so many years ago, but I knew nothing of his personal life. Your piece, with all its vibrant details of how poetry kept him alive during his long career drudgery as a school inspector, is quite enlightening! It helps me to understand better the cameo appearance he makes in Engaging Italy!! Caroline Crane Marsh met him in 1873 and remarked he was not the poseur that so many literary folks were. He seemed genuinely interested in pursuing truths, when other litterateurs believed they had already grasped them. ❤️
I was very excited to hear you are already working on a new project, that is great news. I enjoyed the article on Arnold. He's a favourite and, unfortunately, not so well known now.
Thank you for this article about Matthew Arnold. I know very little about him but the person I am researching - Adela Curtis (1867-1960) - mentions him briefly in Notes she wrote to Bible students of hers in the late 1920s. In one edition she included an anecdote about when she was 16 (c1883/4) and attending church in Cobham, Surrey where Matthew Arnold was also in the congregation. She wondered how he could endure sermons of the poorest sort as she found them a severe trial.
I also had no idea of the family connection between him and Aldous Huxley. Adela and he knew each other and corresponded and it is said that he described her as the ‘one living English mystic’.
How interesting, I've never heard of Adela but she sounds very interesting!
Yes, she is! Have a look at my substack if you'd like to know more.
This is an incredible write up on Arnold. I didn’t know the half of it. As ever you make it read so well and looking forward to your new projects.
His father died of a heart attack, and so did he. It ran in the family...
His criticism helped to set the groundwork for criticism of literature and other fields in the following century. He was perceptive and objective as all critics should be.
He also indirectly inspired an event in my family history, as my mother famously recited "Dover Beach" in public, to the later jeering of her siblings...
Thank you, Sarah. I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more in 2024. Have a Merry Christmas!