Impact of Science on Victorian Poetry

Introduction

During the Victorian era (1837-1901), rapid scientific advancements brought significant changes to how people viewed the world. Discoveries in biology, geology, and astronomy challenged long-standing religious beliefs and traditional ways of thinking which led to a sense of growing uncertainty and questioning. This era, marked by Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (1859), saw a complex interplay between science and literature. Poets of the time, such as Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Matthew Arnold, Robert Browning, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and Thomas Hardy, were deeply affected by these changes. They explored the conflicts between faith and science, reason and emotion, the evolving understanding of nature, and humanity’s place in an increasingly complex universe.

This interaction between scientific progress and poetry resulted in works that probed into deeper questions about human existence, capturing both the wonder of new discoveries and the anxieties that they brought. As Victorian poets reflected on these intellectual and cultural shifts, their poetry became a powerful expression of a society coping with the tension between traditional beliefs and emerging scientific realities.

1. Conflict Between Science and Religion

Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, published in On the Origin of Species (1859), questioned religious beliefs about creation. Darwin’s work redefined humanity’s place in the cosmos, that leads poets to confront the destabilizing implications of science. The traditional Christian worldview, which had offered a coherent explanation of human purpose and morality, was now in question. Victorian poets didn’t try to fight science directly. Instead, they used poetry to express the emotional struggle of living in a world full of doubt. They often expressed doubts and anxieties about how science changed their understanding of life.

Matthew Arnold’s poem “Dover Beach” (1867) captures this crisis of faith with haunting poignancy:

The Sea of Faith 

Was once, too, at the full, and round earth’s shore

Lay like the folds of a bright girdle furled

But now I only hear

Its melancholy, long, withdrawing roar,

Here, Arnold is saying that people used to have strong faith, but now it is fading away because of new scientific ideas. The sea that once stood for belief is now pulling back.

Many poets, like Alfred Lord Tennyson, struggled to balance scientific discoveries with their religious beliefs. Tennyson explored the impact of science in his poem  In Memoriam A.H.H., written after the death of his close friend. In the poem, he expresses his sorrow and reflects on how the natural world, as explained by science, seems indifferent to individual human lives. This reflects the growing influence of scientific thinking, especially ideas related to evolution and natural laws, which challenged traditional religious beliefs. However, instead of rejecting science, Tennyson tries to find a balance between faith and reason. He suggests that even in a world shaped by science, love and emotional truths still hold deep meaning. Through this, Tennyson shows the Victorian effort to understand and accept science without giving up on spiritual hope.

2. Reflections on Time and Change

New findings in geology, such as Charles Lyell’s work, Principles of Geology (1830-1833), revealed that the Earth was much older than previously believed. This expanded sense of time influenced poets like Tennyson, who explored long periods of change in his poetry. Scientific understanding of time and space led poets to reflect on human mortality and the temporary nature of life. Tennyson describes nature as being “careful of the type but careless of the single life,” expressing how natural laws seem to value species over individuals. This reflects Lyell’s view of slow, impersonal geological change over time. Similarly, Thomas Hardy’s poetry often portrays a world indifferent (unconcerned) to human existence.

3. Changing Views of Nature

Science presented nature as a system governed by laws, challenging the Romantic view of nature as a source of divine inspiration. Victorian poets often expressed this tension. Gerard Manley Hopkins, for example, struggled to reconcile his religious beliefs with the scientific view of nature, leading to poems filled with both wonder and unease. Scientific exploration revealed the power and complexity of nature, which became a central theme in the poetry of writers like Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning, who used nature to explore larger philosophical questions.

4. The Rise of Scientific Language and Imagery

The precision and order associated with scientific thinking influenced poets to experiment with more complex poetic forms. Robert Browning’s dramatic monologues, for example, reflect the scientific interest in human psychology and behaviour. Some poets directly used scientific language and ideas in their work. Tennyson’s In Memoriam and Arnold’s Dover Beach blend poetic expression with scientific terminology to explore deep existential themes.

Victorian poets also began incorporating scientific imagery and diction into their verse, reflecting both fascination and anxiety. Gerard Manley Hopkins, though a Jesuit priest, was deeply aware of contemporary science and wrote poetry that celebrated individuality and natural forms, often in terms resonant with scientific observation.

In “Pied Beauty” (1877), Hopkins praises the diversity of nature with precision reminiscent of a naturalist:

Glory be to God for dappled things –

For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;

…All things counter, original, spare, strange…”

5. Humanity’s Place in the Universe

Advances in astronomy, such as the discovery of distant galaxies, influenced poets’ views on humanity’s smallness in the vast universe. Poems like Tennyson’s Locksley Hall reflect this new understanding, contemplating humanity’s future in an endless cosmos. Scientific discoveries led poets to reflect on deeper questions about purpose and the meaning of life, resulting in a more philosophical and introspective poetry.

Conclusion

Victorian poetry was deeply influenced by the scientific developments of the era, which forced poets to confront new ideas about faith, nature, time, and humanity’s place in the world. The tension between science and traditional beliefs drove much of the emotional and intellectual energy in Victorian poetry. These works expressed both admiration and uncertainty in a rapidly changing world.

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