Matthew Arnold and American Culture

Matthew Arnold and American Culture examines the profound impact of Arnold's writings—spanning literary, social, religious, and cultural topics—on American intellectual life from the late 19th to the mid-20th century. Arnold's influence is unmatched among foreign critics in the United States, shaping discourse in a way few domestic figures have. His critique of English culture, his promotion of culture as an antidote to social unrest, and his insistence on the value of morality and intellectual rigor found eager audiences, especially in a post-Civil War America seeking cultural maturity and intellectual direction. His ideas resonated with a nation grappling with its identity amidst rapid industrialization, westward expansion, and a growing literary consciousness. Despite initial resistance to English intellectualism in the wake of the Civil War and a strong sense of American self-sufficiency in the arts, Arnold's ideas found fertile ground, particularly among New England literati, cultural reformers, and critics like Henry James and Lionel Trilling. Arnold's emphasis on "sweetness and light," his call for critical detachment, and his vision of culture as a vehicle for moral and societal improvement complemented and challenged the intellectual frameworks of American figures like Emerson and Lowell. While Emerson espoused self-reliance and transcendental ideals, Arnold offered a tempered, cosmopolitan perspective that advocated for measured engagement with European traditions and the cultivation of a cultural "center." This interplay of ideas highlights the enduring relevance of Arnold’s critique in shaping American cultural and critical thought during a transformative era. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1957.