William Morris Summary

Morris, William William Morris (1834–1896) was born in Walthamstow, now part of London, on March 24 and died at Kelmscott House, Hammersmith, London on October 3. During his own lifetime he was... Read more

Biography EssayWriting is only one element of William Morris's diverse achievements. He designed textiles, wallpapers, stained glass, rugs, tapestries, and embroidery; and he founded and managed a com... Read more

William Morris was a man of abundant energy and many talents which he devoted to art, literature, and social justice. His life was one of constant creativity as designer, craftsman, writer, translator... Read more

Writing is only one element of William Morris's diverse achievement. He designed textiles, wallpapers, stained glass, rugs, tapestries, and embroidery; and he founded and managed a company to produce ... Read more

One of the most versatile and gifted of all the Victorians, William Morris has had an important influence on literature, printing, interior decoration, and thought on the relation of government and th... Read more

In the following essay, Boos investigates the socialist-feminist element in William Morris's writing. In the last decade of his life, William Morris developed a sage voice of “fellowship... Read more

In the following essay, Stallman perceives Morris's “Rapunzel” as an archetypal Victorian treatment of the mythic quest and a “rite of passage” tale. Morris' ... Read more

In the following essay, Lourie examines the seven Morris poems that make up the “The Blue Closet” group, maintaining that by studying these poems “we will perhaps have learned som... Read more

In the following essay, Barker compares The Earthly Paradise to Alfred Tennyson's “The Lotos-Eaters” and Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene to show that Morris's poe... Read more

In the following essay, Latham analyzes Morris's omissions and revisions to The Earthly Paradise and establishes a chronology for the composition of the poem. We know that the faculty for speed... Read more

In the following essay, Hale and Stevenson determine Queen Guenevere's guilt in “Defence of Guenevere,” contending that “Morris created a fully sexual woman who makes no ap... Read more

In the following essay, originally published in The Westminster Review in 1868, Pater gives a reading of Morris's oeuvre with an emphasis on the mixture of Hellenic, medieval, and modern influe... Read more

In the following essay, Markley determines the influence of Robert Browning on Morris's “Riding Together.” Published in 1856 in the Oxford and Cambridge Magazine, and later in the... Read more

In the following essay, which initially appeared in the Quarterly Review in 1872, Courthope delineates the major flaws in Morris's Earthly Paradise. Without in any way affecting the character o... Read more

In the following essay, Chesterton views Morris as a prime representative of the Victorian era and outlines the limitations of his verse. It is proper enough that the unveiling of the bust of William ... Read more

In the following essay, Clutton-Brock discusses Morris as a Romantic poet, contending that of “all the Romantic poets Morris, in his early poetry was the most romantic; for he was more consciou... Read more

In the following essay, Perrine provides an interpretation of Queen Guenevere's character in “The Defence of Guenevere” and finds her guilty of adultery in the poem. “The D... Read more