Record Number: 31630

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Meeting held at 72 Shinfield Road. 5th May 1941
A. G Joselin in the chair.

[...]

5. F. E. Pollard then undertook to guide us through “the moon-silvered inlets” of Matthew Arnold’s poetry.
First Muriel Stevens read three sonnets
  Shakespeare
  The better Part
& The Good Shepherd with the Kid.
illustrating most convincingly that Matthew Arnold ranks among the great sonnet writers of the English language. Most of his poetry was written in the earlier part of his life, it is serious and moral in spirit and reveals a stoical philosophy. ‘The Scholar-Gypsy’ and ‘Thyrsis’ (the latter written in memory of his friend Arthur Hugh Clough) are probably the best of his longer poems – their austere but serene melancholy contrasts strangely with his lively and controversial prose. Mr. Pollard pointed out how Matthew Arnold has a way of writing on a very tragic subject and then rounding up the poem with a few lines of serene beauty, and he read from ‘Sohrab and Rustum’ to illustrate this.
Rosamund Wallis read “Stagirius” a very beautiful prayer offered up by a young monk.
Mr. Pollard then told us of Matthew Arnold’s “Theory of Poetry” as expounded in his “Essays in Criticism” – this was that great poetry has to be a criticism of Life – a questionable theory since it rules out all the great lyrical poetry which has been written. Arnold’s own poetry is for the most part rather rugged in metre, irregular and unrhymed and for tis reason is said by some to be lacking in music. His Philosophy is illustrated in the ‘Sonnet to a Friend” which Mr. Pollard read, and summed up in the line “He saw life steadily, and saw it whole”. Mr Pollard then read from ‘Tristram & Iseult’ and Mrs. Pollard read ‘The Forsaken Merman’ to illustrate other rather different verses.
Questioned as to whether he agreed with the critics who place Matthew Arnold third to Browning and Tennyson among Victorian Poets Mr Pollard said he thought not – that they are all on one level but each in a different category. He concluded by reading William Watson’s Poem on Matthew Arnold “In Laleham Churchyard”.

[Signed as a true record] R. D. L. Moore
May 31. 1941'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Until: 5 May 1941

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Reading
county: Berkshire

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Francis E. Pollard

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

1872

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Formerly schoolmaster, now occasional lecturer and supply teacher, and supported also by wife's unearned income

Religion:

Quaker or associated with the Friends

Country of Origin:

n/a

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Matthew Arnold

Title:

The Scholar-Gypsy

Genre:

Poetry

Form of Text:

Unknown

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

31630

Source:

Manuscript

Author:

Margaret Dilks

Title:

XII Book Club Minute Book, Vol. 4 (1938-1943)

Location:

private collection

Call No:

n/a

Page/Folio:

96–100

Additional Information:

Margaret Dilks was secretary to the XII Book Club from 1940 to 1970. It is inferred from this, and from the handwriting, that she was the author of this set of minutes.

Citation:

Margaret Dilks, XII Book Club Minute Book, Vol. 4 (1938-1943), private collection, 96–100, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=31630, accessed: 02 May 2024

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Additional Comments:

Reading in preparation for the presentation given to the XII Book Club on 5 May 1941, mentioned in the report of the presentation.
Material by kind permission of the XII Book Club. For further information and permission to quote this source, contact the Reading Experience Database (http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/contacts.php).