An Analysis of Religious Influences in the Poetry Essay

During an era in literature when propriety and sensitivities were valuable elements considered both by writer and audience, and spirituality was defined by a specific, almost stringent, set of rules, the arrival of young poet Algernon Charles Swinburne produced a reaction most were ill-prepared to give. For compared to his illustrious contemporaries, Swinburne subscribed to a style and ideology meant to negate all aspects of convention and expand, albeit unwillingly, tolerance for taboo concepts and words. Defiance and aggression, as well as liberty, sexuality, and immorality, were the main themes behind the astonishing lyricism and poetic prowess of Swinburne. This also echoed in the technical form of his work, with his unapologetic and irreverent use of his own brand of alliteration and rhythm. The poet was unabashedly pagan in his sensibilities, and fervently explored areas deemed unsuitable for exposition in polite Victorian society. Blasphemy was a typical description of Swinburne’s literary efforts, yet the uncompromising wit and satire present in them made for unavoidable reading, almost enjoyable in a morbid sense—which was literally one of the most prevalent tones in Swinburne’s works. Therefore, the attempt to find the influence of religion or spirituality in the poetry of such an iconoclast may seem futile; however, the fact that Swinburne consciously marked his territory along these sacrilegious lines may be tantamount to his actual recognition of the concepts he purposely tried to negate. There are no references or appeal to obedience and faith in his literature—common virtues required of any religious discussion—but his lifetime work’s concentration on the opposite end may have marked him as an excellent study of spiritual affirmation. II. The Life and Work of Algernon Charles Swinburne The controversial poet and critic was born in Grosvenor Place, London, on April 5, 1837, to Admiral John Swinburne, making him one of the small number of poets to boast of an aristocratic background. While a student at Eton and Oxford, Swinburne began establishing his literary philosophy through his studies of the poetry of Shelley, and alternately engrossed himself in standard ideologies of academic scholars, including political radicalism and atheism. His time at Oxford afforded him various introductions that would eventually figure prominently in his life and career—names such as Burne-Jones, Morris, and Rossetti. Often at the verge of being expelled from the storied institution, Swinburne’s penchant for atheism and capacity for biting sarcasm still received the attention sought, both from admirers and detractors. Consistent with his affinity for the concepts of physical pleasure and pain, morbidity, and excess, Swinburne lived a life of almost total addiction to alcohol that resulted in never-ending bouts of collapse and seizures. As his health deteriorated, his lawyer Theodore Watts-Dunton found it necessary to persuade Swinburne to make a complete lifestyle change, to which the poet agreed by taking up residence in Watts-Dunton’s estate. Perhaps due to his irreverent and unhealthy way of life, Swinburne finally succumbed to influenza in 1909.