Literature in Its Social Aspects

Aubrey De Vere (1814-1902), son of the poet Sir Aubrey De Vere, was born in County Limerick, Ireland. He studied metaphysics at Trinity College, Dublin and moved on to Oxford in 1838, where he knew both Newman and Wordsworth very well. In 1851, he followed Newman into the Catholic Church. In addition to his profound Catholicism, he was active in the Celtic revival. At the request of Pope Pius IX, he wrote May Carols in honor of the newly-defined doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. De Vere was known for his letters, essays, and poetry. In this essay he considers the importance of the moral dimensions of literature and the liberal arts. [For more of these Catholic essays, see the Table of Contents.]

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