2. Major Victorian Poets victorian Novel and Novelists

1. Victorian literature and culture
Victorian Literature and Culture seeks to publish innovative scholarship of broad interest to the field. We are especially interested in work that contributes or responds to the current moment of heightened methodological reflection, theoretical energy, and formal experimentation. We welcome submissions that aim to reimagine the field of Victorian studies in the twenty-first century, whether by interrogating the field’s scope, boundaries, methods, and shibboleths; leveraging new or neglected conceptual resources; exploring new archives; discovering or establishing new cross-field connections; or engaging anew with the field’s own history. We are open to experiments in genre and form and welcome queries about the suitability of particular submissions. How much do you know about Victorian literature? Most people are familiar with Charles Dickens, the most famous of the Victorian novelists, but Dickens is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. The British Victorian period is described by many as being the reign of Queen Victoria, from 1837 until 1901. Victorian literature, however, slightly exceeds these dates. In fact, some historians argue that the Victorian era actually began with the passage of the Reform Act of 1832. Politically and socially, I tend to agree that the main ideas put forth in the Victorian age began before Victoria became queen. The stage had already been set for the major Victorian literature themes, for example, prior to 1837. Some of the main characteristics of Victorian literature continued beyond Queen Victoria’s death, too. In this article, the different types of literature produced during the Victorian times will be discussed, including novels, poetry, and short stories. Hopefully, after reading, you’ll know how to identify literature written during the Victorian era and form a better understanding of it. Victorian age literature was often a reflection or a response to historical events and social conditions. This was a time of great change in England. With the Industrial Revolution in full swing, manufacturing cities were overcrowded and dirty. Many citizens were living in poverty and squalor. Men, women, and children worked long hours in terrible conditions. Debtors’ prisons and work houses were filled with the poor. People finally began to be concerned with these conditions, and several laws were enacted to reduce working hours and to clean up the cities. Reform is a common theme in Victorian literature. This was also a time of new discoveries. Advances in technology, medicine, and transportation made life better for many, and some Victorian period literature expresses this. The middle class grew strong, and an emphasis was often placed on the family, with the father as the powerful head of the household. Social constraints became rigid, too. Society, in general, became prudish in regard to sex. Even words like “pregnant” became taboo. Instead of saying someone was pregnant, it was said that the woman was “expecting a bundle from Heaven,” or some other innocuous term was used. One of the most popular Victorian novels to comment on the culture of the time is Vanity Fair, written by William Makepeace Thackeray. Firmly established religious beliefs were also threatened by the writings of Darwin. Some Victorians began to question their long held beliefs, while many rejected Darwin’s theories completely. This struggle was often reflected in Victorian literature. ¹