Matthew Arnold Matthew Arnold was an English poet and cultural critic born on December 24, 1822, in Laleham, Staines-upon-Thames, United Kingdom. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the headmaster of Rugby School, and had two brothers: Tom Arnold, a literary professor and William Delafield Arnold, a novelist and colonial administrator. Arnold was educated at Rugby School before attending the University of Oxford, where he studied at Balliol College. Influenced by prominent figures such as William Wordsworth, John Keats, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Heinrich Heine, Edmund Burke, and John Henry Newman, Arnold became a prominent intellectual figure in Victorian society. His works include poetry, essays, and critiques of culture and education, where he argued for the importance of intellectual and moral development in society. Arnold's works continue to be influential, particularly in the fields of literature, philosophy, and cultural criticism. He passed away on April 15, 1888, in Liverpool at the age of 65. Read More Read Less