Question

What does Arnold mean by the term "high seriousness"?

• A. The somber tone of poetry.
• B. The moral and intellectual depth of a poem.
• C. The structural complexity of a poem.
• D. The historical significance of a poem.

Answer 1

Answer:

B. The moral and intellectual depth of a poem.

Matthew Arnold's term "high seriousness" describes the serious treatment of a subject in a way that is both grand and intense. He believed that this was the most important quality of great poetry. 

• Arnold used the term in his 1880 work The Study of Poetry, which is considered a key work in English literary criticism. 

• He believed that high seriousness was a sign of a poem's "higher truth" and that it was a key component of a poem's moral purpose. 

• Arnold believed that the best poetry was sincere and truthful, and that it could provide consolation for people. 

• He believed that poets like Homer, Dante, Shakespeare, and Milton were examples of high seriousness. 

• He believed that Geoffrey Chaucer lacked the high seriousness needed to be considered a classic.