Matthew Arnold, the Poetry

Poetry is a fascinating use of language. With almost a million words at its command it is not surprising that the British Isles have produced some of the most beautiful, moving and descriptive verse through the centuries. In this series we look at individual poets who have shaped and influenced their craft and cement their place in our heritage.

Matthew Arnold is rightly placed amongst the greats of Victorian Poetry. The son of the founder of Rugby School, he grew up to be a poet via a career as a school inspector. He has been characterized as a sage writer, a writer who instructs through his writing. Read here are some of his best poems, including, "The Last Word," "The Austerity of Poetry," "Bacchanalia, or, The New Age," "The Buried Life," "A Caution to Poets," and many more.