The Fleshly School of Poetry - Philosophical Concept | Alexandria
The Fleshly School of Poetry, a label both alluring and condemning, designates a group of Victorian poets whose work, primarily in the 1860s, was characterized by sensuous language, vivid imagery, and a preoccupation with earthly pleasures. Often wrongly perceived as simply a celebration of the carnal, this supposed "school" – more a target of critical ire than a cohesive movement – challenges our understanding of Victorian morality and artistic expression.
The term first surfaced in Robert Buchanan's scathing 1871 pamphlet, "The Fleshly School of Poetry and Other Phenomena of the Day," published under the pseudonym Thomas Maitland in The Contemporary Review. Buchanan’s ire focused primarily on Dante Gabriel Rossetti, though he also implicated Algernon Charles Swinburne, William Morris, and Robert Buchanan himself (as a means to criticize his earlier work). Victorian society, grappling with the strictures of morality and the burgeoning scientific discoveries that challenged traditional religious beliefs, was ripe for such controversy. Buchanan’s attack hit a nerve, igniting a literary feud that exposed deeper anxieties about sexuality, artistic license, and the role of poetry itself.
Interpretations of the Fleshly School have shifted dramatically. Initially viewed through the lens of moral outrage, later critics began to appreciate the aesthetic rebellion inherent in their work. Figures like Walter Pater, championing "art for art’s sake," offered a counter-narrative that emphasized the sensory experience and subjective beauty. Rossetti's paintings, closely linked to his poetry, further complicate the narrative, blurring the lines between visual and literary expression. Consider, too, the role of Rossetti's sister, Christina, an accomplished poet in her own right, whose deeply spiritual work offers a potent, and often overlooked, counterpoint. Did the "Fleshly School" truly represent a unified aesthetic, or was it a convenient target, obscuring the complex tapestry of Victorian artistic expression?
The legacy of the Fleshly School remains potent. Their emphasis on sensuality and subjective experience paved the way for later modernist movements. Contemporary artists continue to draw inspiration from their bold use of imagery and their willingness to challenge conventional norms. But the label itself persists, a reminder of the ever-present tension between artistic freedom and societal expectations. To truly understand the Fleshly School, one must consider the social landscape that birthed it, the critical reactions it provoked, and the enduring questions it raises about the nature of art and its relationship to morality. Was Buchanan's attack a genuine critique, or a reflection of his own anxieties about the changing Victorian world?