The poem “Stanzas from the Grande Chartreuse” is written in from the historical background.
On the title of the poem, readers would be able to guess “Grande Chartreuse “ is a head monastery of Carthusians religious.

Stanzas from the Grande Chartreuse summary

This is situated in France even the very fast lines readers will come to know the poetic background that has been shown. Even the atmosphere of the poem that Mathew Arnold created is perfect.

Stanzas from the Grande Chartreuse analysis

In the first stanza poem is saying that he is travelling and the whole scenario is of Alpine range. The poem is talking about an Autumnal evening that is getting more dark to the poet. With that rain is also falling down. From these lines maybe the poet is talking about nature and ‘rain’ is used as a symbol of tears or sorrow of Arnold.

The evening seems Smokey where they are travelling slowly. As he explains the mile stone are getting faded at times.
Till now the poet is travelling then and then he reached their destination. Here the poet is asking perhaps to the reads,

“A palace of the King of France?”

Here it means poet reaches to a palace. The climate of the poem now getting calm and peaceful. Here he reaches to the “Carthusians’ world-famed home”. This line is very significant to Christianity. Here Mathew Arnold addressing the history very much.

The very line “The silent court” is symbolically used that provokes the reader to remind the history of France. Here in the poem, the poet used several images to express his feelings. Ghost like deep night symbolizes the night is full of darkness just like the history.

Naked prayers of men is also an imagery which filled with deep emotion. When the poem progresses to the middle section, poet’s mournful voice comes out to the readers.

“the suffering Son of Man”

This line is very significant perhaps poet is trying to say about Jesus and the suffering is of his son. The library of books remains as nobody read them for long. Here also poet takes a historical reference “March of Rom”. Then the poet utters on the garden that is over grown and there fragrant herbs are flowering.

The further lines open the truth that many pilgrims come from England, Germany, Spain to visit the royal hall and Mathew Arnold went after all passed. Then he is questioning himself why he is here. Maybe poet himself confesses that is a pure man of Christianity and he let everyone know that he is Christian.

This poem forms a religious symbol because every part poet is addressing the religious view.

In the further stanza poet is asking,

“What dost thou in this living tomb?”

Here poet is getting melancholic and he is to the dead person. Saint Burno was the founder of Carthusian’s Order. Perhaps poet’s words are for the monk with his guilt because he is late to visit this palace and the tomb. Poet is getting down to the poem when he is writing more words in the poem.

After that poet is wondering because he is thinking of two worlds where the monks were dead and the world where poet is alive.

Poet himself says further that poet reach here to shed the faith of them and poet’s tears that the world desires to get. Here Arnold uses an Oxymoron which is “holy pain”. Poet provokes the readers to be concerned that poet is very sad remembering the history.

The poem is progressing with the deep melancholy and poet’s eyes are now filled with water.
In this poem, Mathew Arnold perfectly uses poetic touches. Syncope is a writing style of words using apostrophe.

These are present in this poem “cross’d”, “Carthusians’ “, “cowl’d”, “show’d”, “trimm’d”, “pass’d”, “ hidd’st”, etc. Here each stanza consists of six lines and written in iambic pentameter. The rhythm scheme of the poem is “ababbc”. Here poet uses alliteration which means repetition of words, phrases, clauses one after another like, “soft-suffused”, “suffering son”, “contend and cry”.

Stanzas from the Grande Chartreuse Theme

In this poem the central theme comes out gradually that the poet is struggling to find the meaning of life. Poet says about the fathers who have found the ocean that they watched. Poet says in the past men died with so much pain they hanged with torture. The poet started questioning several times in the poem.

“ Have restless hearts one throb the less?”

Here the poet is talking about their pain that is easier to read. Literally, he is mourning and tries to feel the pain of men. There is not written their works but their laughter and cries making people morose.

Then the poet addressing the infants that they are too late to call the men who died long ago. There is none but people are watching those yellow tapers are shinning. Even in the last stanza poet further questioning, how they grew up in other ground without having struggled.

People of foreign never made the struggle to grow up. The last line has a deep meaning that people come to visit this royal house but on the day ends it stay alone like a desert. People forget their origin to live happily.

So, the whole poem is talking about the monks, the history that was made by them and Jesus also died to let the people stay in this world. But people stay at their court. It is presenting the glory of Chartreuse that stays alone.