LITERATURE OF QUESTS IN VICTORIAN AND MODERN TIMES, Poetry, College Term Papers.com


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LITERATURE OF QUESTS IN VICTORIAN AND MODERN TIMES

LITERATURE OF QUESTS IN VICTORIAN AND MODERN TIMES The idea of a quest was not only prevalent in the Victorian’s stories and poetry, but it is also widely seen in modern novels. In order to discuss the idea of a quest in relation to literature, the definition of the word quest must first be established. A quest is a journey in search of adventure or a hunt. The idea of a quest was used very frequently in the Victorian times. Some of the more famous Victorians that used the idea of a quest in their poetry and stories are Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Robert Browning, and Charles Dickens. The people during the Victorian times liked literature that told stories about subjects in their own world such as “the middle-class struggle for financial security, social acceptance, and love in marriage” (Pfordresher et al. 547). This is the reason why so many Victorians chose to write using the idea of the quest; they wrote about quests because that is what the people wanted to read about. Two characters from some of the more popular Victorian poems about quests are Prospice and the character from the poem “Crossing the Bar,” and a character from a modern novel is Dirk Pitt from Clive Cussler’s novels. These characters will be compared in their resemblance to the idea of a quest. The poem “Crossing the Bar” by Tennyson is a good example of a poem about a quest. The journey taken by the character in this poem is the beginning of a quest into the unknown. This is supported by the lines “For though from out our bourne of Time and Place, / The flood may bear me far,” (“Crossing the Bar” 13-14) (Pfordresher et al. 572). The character is out of his limit of time and place so he is going into the unknown. The character’s attitude in this poem is very hopeful and positive. He is looking forward to take on this new quest. The only goal the character seeks is to “see the Pilot face to face” after crossing the bar and basically make it back home again (Pfordresher et al. 573). This short poem is a great example of the idea of a quest. The poem by Robert Browning called “Prospice” is also a good example of a poem using the idea of a quest. The character in this poem, Prospice, is taking a journey that is basically about fighting death until the battle is absolutely lost. The character’s attitude is brave and optimistic even though the character’s death is inevitable. A quote that supports this is “No! let me taste the whole of [death], / fare like my peers, / The heroes of old,” (“Prospice” 17-18) (Pfordresher et al. 597). The character does not wish to cower from death; he wishes to fight until the end and feel every blow. The only goal that the character seeks is to fight death until the end and to die with honor. This is a great example of how a poem can be short and can still be considered a great poem about a quest. Clive Cussler’s novels are also great examples of quests. The journeys usually taken by Dirk Pitt, the main character in the novels, are almost always about overcoming evil and saving the world. A quote that supports this is “President Dean Cooper Wallace walked up to them. ‘Gentlemen, the nation, no, the world, owes you a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. Unfortunately, only a select few will ever learn how close the world came to chaos and what you did to prevent it.’” (Cussler 520). Dirk Pitt’s attitude is always positive and optimistic even in the bleakest situations. Dirk Pitt’s main goal is to keep the world safe. These novels are usually long, but they still accurately portray the idea of a quest. Tennyson’s “Crossing the Bar”, Browning’s “Prospice”, and Cussler’s Atlantis Found all support the idea of a quest. The Victorians expressed the idea in a short form and used poetry to get the idea across. Cussler instilled the idea of a quest into his long novels and used normal descriptions and dialogue to exhibit the idea into his literature. The idea of a quest can be found in all types of literature. The Victorians wrote poems and stories about quests, and there are still many novels and poems written about quests in modern times. Bibliography: Cussler, Clive. Atlantis Found. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1999. Pfordresher, John, et al. England in Literature. Scott Foresman and Company, 1988.

Word Count: 731