The foundations of cultural criticism can be traced back to the Enlightenment, with notable contributions from German philosophers Friedrich Schiller and Johann Gottfried von Herder, and English Romantics such as William Hazlitt and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. These thinkers explored the concept of culture and its role in elevating poetry. The evolution of cultural criticism took shape during the Victorian era, spearheaded by figures like Thomas Carlyle, John Ruskin, and Matthew Arnold, who each offered distinct approaches to understanding the interplay between culture and literature.

Victorian Era and Cultural Criticism

During the Victorian era, cultural criticism gained traction through the works of Thomas Carlyle, John Ruskin, and Matthew Arnold. Carlyle focused on historical and moral issues, offering limited commentary on literature itself. Ruskin began with art and architecture before venturing into critiques of social practices. Arnold, however, consistently emphasized literature's crucial role in culture, making significant strides in linking literary and cultural criticism. His observations often form the basis for examining how literature serves as a conduit for cultural values and ideas.

Matthew Arnold's Vision

Concerned about societal vulgarization, Arnold advocated for cultural self-improvement as a bulwark against industrialization's dehumanizing effects. In his seminal work, Culture and Anarchy (1869), he articulated the need for acquiring and preserving culture, which he perceived as a love and pursuit of perfection. Arnold defined culture as "getting to know, on all the matters which most concern us, the best which has been thought and said in the world," merging aesthetic and moral activities into a cohesive pursuit of cultural excellence. He argued that poems worthy of study should elevate culture by embodying profound and insightful ideas.

Criteria for Cultural Value in Literature

As a literary critic, Arnold strove to establish benchmarks for evaluating poetry's contribution to cultural enrichment, particularly valuing works that demonstrated what he termed "high seriousness." This quality, characterized by emotional restraint and the treatment of significant subjects, was embodied by poets such as Homer, Dante, and William Shakespeare. Despite his personal affinity for William Wordsworth, Arnold critiqued the Romantic poets' emotional excesses and even distanced himself from some of his early, self-indulgent compositions. Arnold’s stringent criteria for poetry aimed to distinguish a select few works of enduring cultural value from the vast array of literary productions.

The Canon and Humanist Tradition

Arnold's contributions, along with those of his followers in the humanist tradition, paved the way for the concept of a literary "canon"—a collection of works that have significantly shaped cultural development, particularly in the Western world. They argued that these canonical works are essential reading for anyone seeking moral and aesthetic improvement. This notion of a canon underscores the lasting influence of Arnold and his successors in shaping the discourse around cultural criticism, demonstrating literature's profound role in reflecting and shaping societal values.