George Meredith, a prolific Victorian author, is renowned for his complex narrative style, which is both a source of fascination and frustration for readers. His body of work, spanning poetry and prose, often explores themes of human evolution and the struggle between good and evil. In both his novels and poetry, Meredith employs a variety of influences, including Zoroastrian imagery, to investigate these enduring conflicts and underline the importance of the Comic Spirit in exposing human follies.

Meredith's Unique Style in Poetry

George Meredith's poetry is as intricate as it is diverse, often characterized by elaborate expressions and convoluted grammar. His works are sometimes burdened by strained and overly ornate figures of speech, making them rhythmically monotonous and didactic. Despite these challenges, Meredith's poetry has its highlights, particularly in the realm of lyrical poetry. Poems like “Love in the Valley,” “Lucifer in Starlight,” and “Modern Love” showcase his ability to capture emotional depth and intellectual rigor.

“Love in the Valley”

First published in 1851 and revised in 1878, “Love in the Valley” is celebrated for its fluid and spontaneous rhythm. The poem alternates between celebrating the beauty and innocence of the beloved and describing the vibrant rural valley. The valley is depicted in vivid detail, with images of moonlight, vegetation, and changing skies, while the beloved is portrayed as innocent, sensual, and elusive. Through a series of mirrored images, the poem explores themes of constancy amidst change, with nature and the beloved reflecting each other.

“The Lark Ascending”

In “The Lark Ascending” (1883), Meredith uses a skylark's song as a symbol of spiritual transcendence. The poem's 120 lines of iambic tetrameter capture the dawn song of the skylark, which rises so high it becomes invisible. Through this metaphor, Meredith reflects on humankind's inability to achieve the same transcendence, tainted by personality. He notes that only a rare few, through self-forgetfulness, can achieve a soul akin to the skylark's song.

“Lucifer in Starlight”

“Lucifer in Starlight” is another notable poem, part of a collection of sonnets from 1883. Here, Meredith uses the figure of Lucifer to explore light and darkness. The poem contrasts the ordered movement of the stars with Lucifer's rebellion against cosmic order. Meredith's modern cosmology positions Earth not as the center, but as part of a vast, orderly universe, where Lucifer's defeat comes not from God but from immutable law.

“Modern Love”

“Modern Love” (1862) is a poignant exploration of a failing marriage, structured in a sequence of fifty sixteen-line sonnets. The narrative, primarily from the husband's perspective, delves into the couple's estrangement, infidelity, and the husband's complex emotional state. The poem stands out for its honest portrayal of conflicting emotions and the dissolution of love without resorting to moralizing, which was shocking to Victorian sensibilities but valuable to later readers for its depth and honesty.

Meredith’s Novels and Zoroastrian Themes

Meredith's novels also grapple with the dualities of good and evil, frequently using Zoroastrian imagery to illustrate these concepts. In “Farina,” he introduces readers to a medieval setting where characters embody the Zoroastrian struggle between light (Ormuzd) and darkness (Ahriman).

The Ordeal of Richard Feverel

In “The Ordeal of Richard Feverel,” Meredith portrays this dialectic through characters like the Tinker and the Yeoman, who debate the supremacy of good over evil. The novel follows Richard Feverel's journey, symbolizing the struggle to choose between light and darkness. Meredith uses this Zoroastrian framework to delve into Richard's inner conflict and his eventual realization of the spiritual light embodied by Lucy Desborough.

Beauchamp’s Career

In “Beauchamp’s Career,” Meredith further explores these themes through characters like Dr. Shrapnel, a radical figure...