Views On Function Of Poetry by Matthew Arnold

Matthew  Arnold  views  about  poetry is elaborately stated in his “Study of Poetry”. Arnold has a high conception of poetry. He is confident that poetry has immerse future . “if it is ‘ in poetry , where it is worthy of its high destinies , our race ,as time goes on , will find an ever surer and surer stay”.

        Poetry is capable of higher uses , interpreting life for us , consoling us and sustaining us . It will replace what we understand  by religion and philosophy dependent.  On reasoning , which are but false shows of knowledge.  Poetry with such a high destiny must be of the highest standard.

                            It is in poetry which is a criticism of life that the spirit of our race will find its last source of consolation and stay. Arnold himself explain  “criticism of life” as a noble and profound application of idea to life . Arnold believes that poetry does not present life as it is ,  rather the poet adds something his own noble nature. Poetry makes men moral , better and nobler but it does so not through direct teaching , or by appealing to reason like science , but by appealing to his soul of man. The poet gives in his poetry what he really and seriously believes in . He speaks it so beautifully that he creates a thing of beauty and a perennial source of joy.

                                 Poetry plays  an eminent role in life. It  is more important than religion . poetry is a criticism  of life under the condition  fixed for that criticism by the law of poetics  truth and poetic beauty  ,’’therefore poetry should be a real classic poetry of however , dante, shakespeare, Milton  and the  like in a serious criticism of life and therefore , they are good poetry.  Excellence of poetry lies both in its matter or substance and in its manner of style. Arnold was very much dissatisfied with the king of poetry written in his own time and he reacted against it, according to him poets of his time paid more attention  to the form than to its subject . But according to his poetic subject is the first consideration and poetic expression comes after only after wards. The greatness of a poet lies in his powerful  and beautiful application of ides to life to the question  -- how they live.

                                              According   to Arnold there is no difference between art and morality. He says , “A poetry of revoltagainst life .” When Arnold pleads for treating in poetry moral ideas , he does not mean composing moral poem that gives answer to the question ; how to live well.

                                                  Arnold’s  theory of poetry may be questionable in details , but on the whole we can say that his views are quite mature and in harmony with modern ideas.