Arthur Hugh Clough

An English poet of the Victorian era, Arthur Hugh Clough is recognized for his narrative and dramatic poetry addressing the spiritual crises of the nineteenth century. His major works include the long poems 'The Bothie of Tober-na-Vuolich' and 'Amours de Voyage', and the unfinished 'Dipsychus'. Clough's poetry often reflects the struggle between faith and skepticism, employing a conversational tone that captures the intellectual anxieties of his time. He was closely associated with the Oxford Movement but gradually moved toward religious doubt, a journey chronicled in his verse. His short lyric 'Say not the struggle nought availeth' remains widely anthologized for its message of perseverance. Clough's life and friendship with Matthew Arnold inspired Arnold's elegy 'Thyrsis'. His work holds a significant place in Victorian literature as an unflinching portrayal of moral and existential questioning.