British Poet Matthew Arnold

When you think of a British poet you may think of a boring life with nothing interesting going on in it, but Matthew Arnold had a life that was not like the ordinary British Poet. Even as a child, his life was very fascinating. His family had a great inspirational part in his education. Pushing him was the cause of his astounding achievements. Along with his many achievements, his works were also great. Matthew Arnold was a young man with tons of literature inspiration all around him; because of it, he was a great poet, as well as an excellent critic, which guided his life in a great direction during his lifetime.

Matthew Arnold’s life as a child was very exciting. His family alone was more inspirational than one would think. “Matthew was the eldest son of the renowned Thomas Arnold, who was appointed headmaster of Rugby School in 1828” (5). Arnold’s mother was Mary Penrose Arnold. With them being a close knit family, he and his eight other siblings all enjoyed each other’s company. He looked up to his older sister, mother, and most importantly father. His father’s influences were most crucial to him because he was really inspired by his father. “Arnold grew up under the scholarly influences of his father” (1).

Arnold’s life as a child was one that was interesting. He grew up under the scholarly influences of his father. “As a child, Matthew Arnold was neither a devoted or distinguished student” (3). He was quite high-spirited and mischievous as a little boy. He showed little progress in school and got sent to his uncle’s strict school in Laleham. Being sent to his uncle’s school made him feel separated from his family and caused him to perform better so he could stay with his family. He was the type of child who actually care...

... middle of paper ...

...picked what he loved to do, many of his works have all the passion that he put in them. Exceptional works, like Matthew Arnold’s works, come from outstanding commitment, superb dedication, tremendous passions, and a great love for what you do, no matter what the work is.

Work Cited

Applebee, Authur N. The Language of Literature. Evanston, III. : McDougal Littell, 2000.

Kunits, Stanley. “Matthew Arnold: A Biography”. Victorianweb.org, 2006. Web. 11 April 2014. http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/arnold/bio.html.

Magill, Frank N. Great Lives from History. Pasadena, California. : Salem Press, 1987. Volume 1. Print.

Scott-Kilvert, Ian. British Writers. New York: Scribner, 1987. Volume 5. Print.

Willey, Basil. “MatthewArnold”. Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 10 April 2014. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/35785/Matthew-Arnold