The Honours of Mortality

Name: The Honours of Mortality
Author: Alice Meynell

The Honours of Mortality by Alice Meynell is a collection of poems that explore the themes of mortality, love, and the passing of time. The book was first published in 1901 and has since become a classic of English literature. Can you tell me more about this book?

By Alice Meynell · First published 1902 · Genre: Poetry, Non-fiction, Essays · 378 words

First lines

The brilliant talent which has quite lately and quite suddenly arisen, to devote itself to the use of the day or of the week, in illustrated papers -- the enormous production of art in black and white -- is assuredly a confession that the Honours of Mortality are worth working for. Fifty years ago, men worked for the honours of immortality; these were the commonplace of their ambition; they declined to attend to the beauty of things of use that were destined to be broken and worn out, and they looked forward to surviving themselves by painting bad pictures; so that what to do with their bad pictures in addition to our own has become the problem of the nation and of the householder alike. To-day men have began to learn that their sons will be grateful to them for few bequests. Art consents at last to work upon the tissue and the china that are doomed to the natural and necessary end -- destruction; and art shows a most dignified alacrity to do her best, daily, for the "process," and for oblivion.

What this Textopian page supports

The Honours of Mortality is listed on Textopian as an essay by Alice Meynell, dated 1902 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Essay
Author: Alice Meynell
Date: 1902 CE
Language: English
Genres: Poetry, Non-fiction, Essays, Religious, Feminist Literature
Length: 378 words
Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Genres

Poetry — Alice Meynell is a noted English poet. The Honours of Mortality features many of her poems which are characterized by lyrical beauty, muted emotional expression, and a strong moral and spiritual undertone.
Non-fiction — The Honours of Mortality features Meynell's critique on literature and aesthetics, thus falling into non-fiction category. Her works often tackle social issues and moralistic discussions.
Essays — Alice Meynell's work also straddles the genre of essays, where she discusses literature, morality, femininity, and society. Her book, The Honours of Mortality, contains several such essays.
Religious — Alice Meynell was a devout Roman Catholic, and many of her works, including The Honours of Mortality, are infused with religious reflections and commentaries, placing it in the Religious genre.