1851 became Inspector of Schools - a post he held for 35 years

- extensive travel throughout England observing learning conditions prompted much of his later critical writing.

1851 married Fanny Lucy Wightman - their honeymoon serves as a basis for "Dover Beach"

- six kids - three of whom predecease him

1853 - volume of poems which shows the mal de siècle expressed by other European writers

- His Preface discusses the problems of writing poetry in an "age wanting in moral grandeur"

1861 - published lectures on translating Homer while professor of poetry at Oxford

In his maturity Arnold turned increasingly to prose.

-Essays on literary, educational, and social topics established him as the leading critic of the day.

- Influenced folks such as T.S. Eliot

Criticized - Philistinism, sectarianism and utilitarian materialism of English life and culture

- England needed more intellectual curiosity., more ideas, and a more comparative, European outlook

- Attempted to improve overall quality of English educational system