Matthew Arnold

Matthew Arnold
Portrait c. 1883.
Portrait c. 1883.
Born24 December 1822 (1822-12-24)
Laleham, England
Died15 April 1888 (1888-04-16) (aged 65)
Liverpool, England
OccupationHer Majesty's Inspector of Schools
EducationBalliol College, Oxford (BA)
PeriodVictorian
GenrePoetry; literary, social and religious criticism
Notable works"Dover Beach", "The Scholar-Gipsy", "Thyrsis", Culture and Anarchy, Literature and Dogma, "The Study of Poetry."
Spouse
Frances Lucy
(m. 1851)
Children6

Matthew Arnold (24 December 1822 – 15 April 1888) was an English poet and cultural critic. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold, literary professor, and William Delafield Arnold, novelist and colonial administrator. He has been characterised as a sage writer, a type of writer who chastises and instructs the reader on contemporary social issues.[1] He was also an inspector of schools for thirty-five years, and supported the concept of state-regulated secondary education.[2]

  1. ^ Landow, George. Elegant Jeremiahs: The Sage from Carlyle to Mailer. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1986.
  2. ^ Judge, Harry; Toyne, Anthony, eds. (1985–1993). "Arnold, Matthew". Oxford Illustrated Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. p. 22. ISBN 0-19-869129-7. OCLC 11814265.