• Matthew Arnold's five long poems: a di al ecti cal readi n g N :l.'ih ira ]\('sl1 av j('t' • ]) (' p!lrtm PH t of English !vleGill University, !\1ontrcal 0('10 he'1' 1fHl:! J\ 'l'IWS1:'' subml1f('d to the fa culty of Graduale Studies and U C8ca rel! in partial fulfillment of tJte 1'cquircmcnt9 fo1' the dcgree of i\L\STEH OF' .ABTS • • 1\lattlH'w .\l'Ilold·~ 11\(, IO!l!!. P('l'lll~ \1('1\' (lIddi"hvd \1,'I\\\'t'11 l~:)~ :111" l~li;. III the:::,e pOl'Il1!"> (/;lrll)t'd()c/('.~ 011 /o;t//tI, li,..... //II/11 Il/Id I.,({,Il. ,"'·Ollll[l! 1[/11/ NlI ..... tIl1/l, Baldcl Deal! and j\ll'/olle) _'\1'1101<1 tlil':"" tu :\ld~/,' :1 1IIlIIlI'I'l' 1'1' 1111'1111':"". li"l' Il:1- Lul'P. IIl0/,;!I \'alul':-..... !)(ll'tk",. :tild thl' pl:II'I' ,dO 'Illtlt(lril~ ill .... (),·\('I~'. III" :\ll:d~:--i .... i:-­ dia\cet.i(,:11, alld OIII' 1l()lin· .... )!,1'l':tI dl .... II'(' ........ :111.1 :111 III'IIl\lit.\ l,) 1\· .... ,,111· thl, .... t· i" sues. 'l'hi!:, t.h('~b l'XilIlliJ\{'!') :\l'Ilo\<J':-, mil! Il:-..i\lll. ;\", \\,t·11 ;l,.... iIh t'\ t' Iltll:ll (':1111\ :t('­ cepiancc of lire ill ail it.s ('01l11'1ldktiol\:--. It ('Olll·llltlt'''' ... lIh .... (·l(IIt'lltl.,· Ih:1t Arnold has a genulue d('sire tn lilld IWI'SI)}lnl dinlC'ctil':\1 ~Ylltl}('s(':-, \\ !t('1'1' [H),-;'nhk . • • HLSL\!L l,l';, ('ITJ<j l()lI~,,~, pfJ('lfl(~<) df' !\1HUIlf'W Arllold t'l1rf'lIt pllhljp~ entre lS,')~ et 1807. • /);JlJ" ('f", pf)l'llj(';' (/~·Ull)(;d()d('.<) 07/ Hlrw, TWilram a1ld 1.. -.e1Ilt. ,"{oJl1af) and HU8tU1II. JJaldt'r f}cad alld MooJlc) Arnold es:,,~)ie d';maly:,,('r 1ln cprtain nombre de t1l1'lll('" 1,('1" (jllf' h lIatTIIC'. I(!'> valeurs !TIora)rs, poétique,>, rt la place de l'a\l1.nliv: 1/:111;, ];1 ;,(){'i/t(~, :--:01\ Htlaly!-)(' ('st di:ll('diqu('. pt, l'oJ1 pellt, llotpl' \lIle ~f'alld(' d(~t,t'{'s:-,f' l't. 111](' illhabileté ~i résoudre ce!'> questions. Cette t.hè~e rxamine la ('OIlf'llsIO!l d'Alliold aiw,i q\l(' sa progressIve' et calme acceptation de la vie dall.., t.olll!' SI':' (,()IILmdidioIlS. La conclusion qui en découle est qu'Arnold a un d(::-,irc' :,il'('("T(' de 1,rollvl'r, quand ceci est possible, des synthès{'R dialectiques l)(,l~)(Jflll!'II('s • • • .\ ( .. h '\ 0 \ \ 1 FI H , ! '\ 11 "\ '1':-- • là thC'c.;;,. :l1ld "ritin~ :1 tht".. ,i .... nIl <'t\l\ll'\II1'I', \\('l't' t\\t) t'\Ilt'rlt'lIt't' .... III ,~. li i C' h:' .. 1):> a Il 0 \ i e~> , 1) ro !'t' ~ ~ () ri\. t' r r ,\ :\ Il' ~ \\ t'(' 1\(' ~ III (lI c t It :1 Il r \1 Iii 1il- d Il i.... rd 1t' mi tÎI""~:-' ,<"l\lwr\'Ï::-.or in ~llidill~ Hll': ill :ldtLtil1 11 11.) tltt' ,ll':ldt'IlII(' t,\jlt'l'ti .... !' lit' o,(f,ol'(-,j ll',~ ~ ;ndnt'::,s :md 1\ lld{'r",l:llldlll~ \','1' n' <jll:lIitÎt, .... t'1'(\111 \\ hit'll 1 It':ll'llt'd. Pr/)I' , " Î\l:tdh:l\'ji \";1 .... illdi .... pt,II .... ;tldt, in tilt' lwll' ht' pr\l\ idt·t! ill dt·III)' .... - • • THblc of COlltellt" C It:t pl,(,,' 1: lntl'Odll('tioll Chapt/'r :!: E1/lpcrlodc.'i ou 1,,'111([ IG Ch;q)!<-r :~: 1'1181/,(/ III (/ /Id /.~c 1/ li 27 Ch;lptl'/' 1: S'olt ra" li /Id ft Il ..,111 /fi '1ô (:h:tpt('j' ;,: !Ja!dn f)clld nlld ,\1 CIO/H' G2 1~i hl i()~r:1 p!t~.: 81 • • t 'hapter 1: lll/ioductioll • TraC'Ïng t.he :\1 n()ldi~1!l dLlk~·ti,· thlollsh tll\' l'Ollr:-,(' or hi:- li\ (' l(lll~ l',WIlI:- i.., n' vealing or Aillold'.., !,:l'IH'J''11 J't'l'lin!.!; or tilt, :lgl'. l'I(,:lJl~ tltl'l\' l·\j·.t,·d '111 lIpl!t>:n'al of idl':\,'" \\ hil'Il c:\w-(,d a jl(H't likc ,\ rJlldd ln J'('-('\:ll\lll\(' ',I!l'II t'lIl1d,1 Illcllt:d i"''''IJ(''''' :1'" Jl:1tlll'l', Jll\11:·lity, l'l'j,ti,'·. ,111<\ :\ "'OUII'(' <lt' :llllh'liit\ ill ·.(ll'il't.\ 'l'Iii.., qu<>~lJ()llillt. or tl:\diti('II.\II.' :It'l'epkd ide:!,.., \\':1'" ~\)I1l\'lllill~~ 1 Il olt illit\.lll\ l'all~('d .'\]'Jloll1 :\ !2,['(':\I dl',iI or :111;;lIi..,h. \\1' (:111 "'('(' tlii ... ill hl" Il,IP,i(' (lt,II:It'!fo1 likp EIllJlcdoclC'') alld T!'j..,tr:ll11. TIll' !lI Cl!'(' hl' d('\'('ll)lll'd Ilj·, 1)\\11 Il''' 1 •• 1111\\'(" ('l', the IIlUI'<' 1\ l'llold ])('(':1111\' :111 il1t!p p('lldl'lll t Iii Il k(·1' \\ h,) 1"'[,,:111 l, \ ,Il',d \\ 1111 j,. :"o\lC~ a:-.. di\'(' 1":-.(' :1'-. \\()lll('I1'~ loll'!' ('/'/1.',/11/111 flllrI ",(,I/Ii). II\(' 1"",1 ',1·11' ill 1lllll,dit,\ (Sol!lob and HlI,~/IIIII), (I!ld tl)(· pl:w(' Ill' l'(lIlIl :llld (llIJlI'llt III \1'" tl\ (l'lrfll''' (1853)). Arl1old'!':> tI1Il1111LlI()1I~ thillJ..iJl~~ l'('~olllkd 1'11)111 tll(' 111,111\ l'II:llll',(':' Ilt,lI \Vere takillp; place in Ellgl:lIld al, LIlI' tillll'. Il,· \\:1', :1111/' t'I ',{'(' ('II':lIly tll:ll, hj-, • cOllnU'y wa,<; pIltcriIl).!; ~I dilll< 1111 IJlOI ;11, "'1\iJ'itll;d :tlld ('('IJII(lIllil' 1.\1:1',1' John ~t Il art Î\ 1il!. lib, A J'lIold, ;--,,1\\., t il' (hTl)!,I'1 III 1III' Il' \'/'11·.11 inl l'III .1' 1d ])('op](' :-'0 IllllI'-,('d 10 tlll' !J0\\!'J' ()r !,I/lld('TlI\' ;11''1llill·d illdividil;di',III. JJ,. de::.,cribcd the CIlOlllliLy of t!l(> 1('~p()Il',il)ilit,\ tlll()\\'11 011 IH'Opll': liA" 1,1", ,dd dl li trines hav(' g;OIlf> Ollt, and th(~ Ilew ()I\('~ 11;IV!' 1I0!. YI't, ('(Jlll(' ill, l'VI'I V {)I\(' 11111',1. judge fOl' himself ab he bést may" (qt d. il! 11()1l~)htllll !)(J, l'J'O Il 1 M rll", '/7/{' ,")11111 of lhe Age :i;~). Echoinp; Ârllold\ ('0/1('1'111'" ~lill W;I'. 1III1IJIIII'IJI!.:ddl' ;.1)""1. pl {J pIe havini!; to di:-,c(\vc,' or cOII:-,LI'IJf"t :1 ('('llln' (JI' ;IIJtl!'Jlilv ill tlil il livI"" A justifiablC' l'car exi!'>ted of a po\arizatioll 1)('1,\\,(' l'JI UI()'(' who :-'OIIJ!,hl, I.h(· (·OlJ1f'r)f1. of authority ill illstitution!'> lik<' l'f'lig;ioll, g;()VI'llIlIll·lll., hdJ()III', lit,('r~JI,1]I'(', ;tliri ',(J Oll. and tho,<,c who coulcl flot or would Ilot place 'h('i,. faitll in psl.ahli c,lIlJJI!lIt:, Lltat, t.ü the III , wpre rf'trog;radl', It. W;I.'o ;11/ :Ig;r' ;qJlly ,jI",I'liIJI',j IJy (,';1/ lyll' ;1:, ";,t, • once dt:5titnt(· uf faiLli and terrifier! al, :-,cI;ptir:i:-'lll" (qtrl. ilJ IlljllghfIJlI !J7, j'J(JIII - ~ - • :--"1(J!(' :111<1 IllfJ!(' ('OII\i\I\('(·d th:l{, the wOlld \r·nl\" \n he~()JnE' JII()!(' ('Olllf()It,ddl' for tlw ITlll.C,:,:>, and I!1O!'P ll11romfortnhlC' ff)J thll''! Id :111\' Il:t1IJLt! ~rd'j. (JI (lj,·tillf·til)!I--:IIl,j il 1'- :1." \\cll ))/.,!J;qJ', Lh:t1, if' ',l,oldd IJ(' -.o--j'o/' lIitlIr'rto Ihr> u;d't(·r! h;)\'(· d ,lfJlli' 111'11 .111,1 d('li~~hl"ll I,h(, \\'(jlld, IJlII Ill>! Il,lil1(·.1 or iIJ'-.pll'f>r/ 01' III ail\' J'(;at \UIV el,allll/'<! itr-:md t!lf' \\orld mi~ht. df) \VOl (, 111'111 II) cli'dlll'". 100 Iligh IJI('I"II"i(JlI'-. :llIcI ~('ttle dfl\V1I (ill \\ Il:11, Il (',III ,,(.(, :lllrl hafldJr. :llld dllpll'cjal r'. ( /) r//f')" 1:2:2-:5) (\pI\('Y "Iway:, (';Illl!' till~('d with hope tha\' wa:" !Jorn of f~,ith in tlH' bE'::,t of tivI' :-,1,:1111 pi Il).', (JI' t1l(' foot LitaI, tl1(> world was Ilot living; liT> to olle's ick::lls. Not O/lly wa:-. 1](' "ki'ptie:", bill 11<' nlso experipllC'l'c! a wearin('ss, born of frllstration, of tllf' attiLllcll';-' nI' hi~ f(']]ow citizl'ns. ne dcspaircd of the ch,ll1ging values of • th(' p('l'jod, :!Ild ill :I l)Joad ~PIlC;(' laml'nt.PcI the rad that England wa." sllffering 1'1'0111 li lad;: of pea('(' of mind. Arnold's disillllsion ie; l'vident, when he wrote to ClolI).!;h ill ]r'(·I>I'II:tI'.\ lr;[):~ LItat "congestzan of the b7011l is what we sufTer from--I alway:-. fl'el il, :llld ~:1\' it~-:lJld cry t'or air like my own Empt:docles" (Letters ]30). Thi" III1P:\;-,ill("," ill Al'Ilold !'llgPIHl(·I'(·d a sense of suflocation. Ile felt peo- pk WPIT 1)('il1!,!; ~iitkd lIIor:dl~', p<,!'sonally, and inkIIHt\1ally; tJwir ~pÎl·itnal and mPlltal li\'('~ weil' Ilot keepinlS pMe with thcir social. political and material dt·\,('IOPllH'Ilt.. 11(· helil'\'l'd that too m uch was harp~ning in England for its illhabiLallt~ (0 ah"ol'b. and that people were not yet conscious of theil' cir- (,lIlll~(:lIlce ..... Thi:-. :\PP(·.lI'l'd as a sigll of the mental barr~nness of the era and c:l\l:-.('d :\ rllold to excbilll to Clough. "Arid--that is what the tim rc; :1re. • (~l)d kt'Pp Il'' hnth l'rom al'idity" (l)cffers 131).