How to Identify Literature Written During the Victorian Era

Anyone who has ever read a Charles Dickens novel can say that they have read a Victorian novel. Many confuse the Victorian novel with that of the romantic. Although there are some shared themes, the two genres remain fundamentally different in may ways. Don't struggle with authors and where they fit in the grand scheme of things. Learn to identify literature written during the Victorian era with these clues.

Instructions

1. Look at the date in which the novel, short story or poem was written. If the date falls between 1837 and 1901 then it is a piece of literature written during the Victorian era. It is call Victorian literature for a very specific reason. It refers to the reign of Queen Victoria, one of Britain's longest serving monarchs.

2. Consider the author and the time that they wrote and where. One of the most famous Victorian authors was Charles Dickens. Others include the Bronte sisters, Robert Browning and his wife Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Rudyard Kipling, Christina Rossetti and Lewis Caroll, just to name a few. These novelists and poets are all Victorian because of the time in which they produced their work as well as the themes they wrote about. Beware however. There are some authors who wrote during this era that are not considered Victorian. H.G. Wells is a good example. He wrote his novels during the later reign of Queen Victoria but his novels are considered science fiction.

3. Think about the themes in the story or poem. Many Victorian stories were about the struggle of mankind in difficult times. Various authors did this in different ways. Charles Dickens concentrated on the poorer or working classes in many of his works while William Thackeray dealt with the plight of the middle class. There were moral codes and lessons taught in many of the Victorian works as well.

4. Ask yourself what type of work you are reading. Is it a poem, short story or novel? One point worth considering is that the Victorian era was the first to see the novel become the most popular form of literature read and sold. Victorian Children's literature was also one of the most popular form of writing to rise during this era. Rudyard Kipling wrote his famous Jungle Book stories during the later reign of the Victorian era. Other examples include, but are not limited, to Robert Louis Stevenson, Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear.