Theological recuperation : masculinity in the poems of Francis Thompson

Since his death in 1907, Francis Thompson's poetry has faded into relative obscurity. In this thesis, I will demonstrate that Thompson should occupy a place of importance for scholars of the Victorian period. In particular, I hope to show that his construction of gender identity establishes his significance in relation to other Catholic poets of the time period. Thompson employs traditional methods of representing the female in his poetry, presenting the different women that he loved as either heavenly beings who take on characteristics of the Virgin Mary or as fallen women who commit the great sin of failing to love him. These different representations of women are inextricably bound to Thompson's presentation of himself in his poetry. I will show that he relies on imagery drawn from both Catholic theology and Romantic idealism to project into his poetry a gender identity that both conforms to and deviates from normative versions of Victorian masculinity. Finally, I will demonstrate that understanding the way in which Thompson presents himself in his poetry is essential to a larger understanding of how Catholicism impacts gender constructions in the Victorian period.