Romantic and Victorian poetry refers to verses produced during the Romantic and Victorian periods. The poems that have been chosen for my analysis, “Porphyria’s Lover” and “She Walks in Beauty”, demonstrate the most striking features of each of the literary eras. Both the Romantic and Victorian periods were two significant stages in English literature. Many literary works of these two periods were based on the interpretation of the Bible, which raised questions for the church. Still, the two eras had two different variations of this concept. Theses of the epochs of poetry called into question the facts of formal religion and formed new ideas. What was different was that the romantic poetry of nature reflects profound ideas and experiences, and great human feelings, and this is its aesthetic value. On the contrary, Victorian poetry was affected by the industrial revolution and the rapid changes in the technological sphere of society. Romantic and Victorian poetry reflected the critical events of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the difference between them being the way these two schools of poetry portrayed the new philosophies.
George Gordon Byron – the author of “She Walks in Beauty”- influenced the work of Robert Browning, who wrote “Porphyria’s Lover”. Comparing the heritage of the poets, the thematic commonality of some of their works can be noted. Thus, in the works of Byron and Browning, there are Italian motives (Byron’s poem “Beppo” and Browning’s monologue “A Toccata of Galuppi’s”). Both authors also refer to the same Napoleonic motives (Byron’s poem “Napoleon’s Farewell”, and Browning’s “Incident of the French camp”). Several works by Byron and Browning reveal the pathos of sympathy for the people’s liberation movements (Byron’s “Song to the Suliotes” and Browning’s “The Italian in England”). Thus, it is quite easy to trace the connection between the artistic world of Robert Browning’s poetry and the work of Byron. However, specific points of contact only emphasize the profound individuality and originality of the Victorian poet compared to the great predecessor. Browning did not proceed from deeply felt, even if spontaneously perceived, interests of the masses like Byron did. His social and aesthetic ideals reflected the interests and views of classes alien to the people. Despite admiring the power and passion of the romantic hero, Browning understands that individualism stops the spiritual growth of a person, and hinders his understanding of the outside world. The essential difference between Browning and Byron is that in his attempts to contrast him with the world of the Middle Ages or the Renaissance, Browning was far from the people while Byron remained close to the masses.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, England turned into an advanced state, which developed by leaps and bounds, becoming an example for the whole of Europe. Both the Romanticist and Victorian periods saw a surge in industry, trade expansion, and the prosperity of centuries-old colonial possessions in the New World and India. In both eras, the male society was dominant, which was reflected in the love poetry. Also, in both these epochs, the facts of formal religion were questioned, and new ideas were formed based on it. Both the 18th and 19th centuries were filled with changes and events reflected in poetry in terms of art, work, and people’s daily lives. Unlike the romantic artists, the Victorian artists did not see nature in an emotional and romantic light. It was due to the beginning of the reign of Queen Victoria and the industrial revolution that took place during this period. The leap in science and technology can be seen in many works written during this period. Scientific and technological discoveries and inventions of that era changed man’s attitude to nature from romantic to realistic. For the most part, the romantic movement affected aspects of intellectual life, so Romanticism had a connection with science in the field of education and enlightenment. Therefore, Romanticism was formed under the influence of the cult of feeling and nature. So, Victorian poetry contrasts with romantic poetry, a product of emotion, while Victorian poetry is more a product of intelligence and reason.
Both “Porphyria’s Lover” and “She Walks in Beauty” present a wealth of tools that allow building an internal language logic that reveals the subtext. The techniques of versification used by the poets give the texts a harmonious and organic sound. Both Byron and Browning, at first glance, are simply talking about female beauty, but the poem is profoundly symbolic, and there are several semantic spheres in it. Also, both poets actively use, for example, the nighttime of day and everything related to it. Both narratives are conducted in the first person, and the main character acts as the narrator. “Porphyria’s Lover” is often called Browning’s first dramatic monologue, counting from here the history of the new, “patented” genre. The dramatic action is transferred to the present, and the reader suddenly becomes a witness to what is happening. The absence of a backstory, of any coherent explanation, is more characteristic of a spontaneous monologue snatched from the middle of a play than of a story or a short story. The unity of time, place, and action (that is not present in “She Walks in Beauty”) also indicates that it is a drama. In Byron, there is no development of events; the work describes an innocent girl’s beautiful and pure inner world. He turns to the theme of beauty, which has an existential meaning for him, while Browning does not attach such a critical meaning to attractiveness.
Literary theorists end the period of romanticism in English poetry at the beginning of the 1830s, then the Victorian period starts. After mentioning all these facts, it can be seen that although these two types of poetry belong to two different eras, there is a development from the Romantic era to the Victoria era with a lot of research, knowledge, and technology development. It can be said that Victorian poetry absorbed the romantic traditions that the Industrial Revolution transformed. Therefore, not the gap from one generation to another, but the connection between these epochs is considered progress and a transition from the Romantic era to the Victorian one.