Artists and artistic expressions through generations in Orlando: a biography by Virginia Wolf

10 December 2024 – Vol 2, Issue 4.

Virginia Woolf, a pioneering stylist, wrote Orlando: A Biography as a novel that defies conventional biographical constraints. The story follows the literary life of Orlando and his significant encounters with fellow artists across generations. In this essay I will explore the diverse nature of artists and their artistic expressions in the novel, using Orlando as a representative figure.

‘Orlando’, by Gil Dekel and AI. 2024.

In her essay The New Biography, Woolf explains that personality is often overshadowed by the actions of the biographical subject. She argues that biographers should feel free to invent details as long as they highlight personality (2015b: 150). The muse for Orlando was her friend and lover, the writer Vita Sackville-West. Because this book is a creative exploration of the protagonist, Hawkes (2022: 53) suggests that “Woolf reciprocally offered her friend the gift of self in Orlando.”

The novel begins by introducing the reader to young Orlando, who is almost described to be possessing ethereal beauty. He is a boy of sixteen, of noble origins, yet he has a sullen face and is especially disturbed by sights. Most notably, he is in love with death. In other words, he is no ordinary boy; he is a poet.

“Soon he had covered ten pages and more with poetry. He was fluent, evidently, but he was abstract” (Woolf, 2018: 5).

Woolf gives the first overview of Orlando’s craft, presenting the main elements that characterize his work. In his dramas, one could find Kings and Queens – people of grand importance – with adventurous plots and sacred sentiments. His usage of language is elevated and not common in his mundane life, which might cast doubt on his sincerity. However, the author does remind us of Orlando’s youth and consequently, his juvenile artistic character.

In addition, Orlando, like all the other young poets, goes on to depict nature. To do so, he looks outside, at nature itself. While this seems like the most natural thing to do, the author reminds us that the green in nature does not equal green in literature; the two greatly differ. As a result, the young poet temporarily gives up writing. Woolf attributes her own writing difficulties to the eponymous character (Hawkes, 2022). This moment makes the reader a witness of the first, of many to come, challenges of the laborious art of writing.

Solitude, more precisely a passionate love for it, is another fundamental trait of Orlando. Whenever he was about to leave his room, he made sure not to meet anyone on the way. The young boy deeply valued his solitary time, as it gave him the freedom to feel one with the earth, as well as ponder and reflect on the profound questions of life. It is exactly this ‘alone time’ that is essential in the artistic process, providing the artist with the needed mental space to thoroughly explore their thoughts and feelings. Away from the world and its distractions, artists like Orlando can create substance for their art and later translate it into writing.

Artists are often attracted to solitude due to the misunderstood nature of their craft. Many of them, including our Orlando, find themselves without like-minded peers with whom to discuss the process of creation, particularly at a young age when the process is enigmatic even to them. Thus, isolation becomes a constant companion to their artistic journey.

Despite this inherent loneliness, or perhaps because of it, Orlando experiences a cathartic moment upon encountering another artistic soul for the first time. Rushing on his way to the banqueting hall, something interrupts his run. He notices a man with a pen in his hand and paper in front of him. The man is not currently writing, he is in a pensive mood instead. To be a witness of this pre-writing thought process feels sacred to Orlando, similar to observing a noble act.

“Was this a poet? Was he writing poetry? ‘Tell me’, he wanted to say, ‘everything in the whole world’— for he had the wildest, most absurd, extravagant ideas about poets and poetry — but how speak to a man who does not see you? who sees ogres, satyrs, perhaps the depths of the sea instead?” (Woolf, 2018: 8).

As can be seen, Orlando holds poets in the highest esteem, to the point that he does not consider himself worthy even of their talk. Moreover, the poets, according to him, inhabit another world altogether, resulting in completely dismissing the things and people around them. This first picture of a real poet is engraved in the mind of the young artist and will follow in later periods of life.

During these formative years, Orlando experiments with different forms of literature, such as poems, tragedies, histories, and sonnets. His way of living as well as his style of writing mirrors the spirit of the Elizabethan age. Woolf describes this period as a time of extremes, with different morals and even different weather. In the words of the novel:

“Sunsets were redder and more intense; dawns were whiter and more auroral. Of our crepuscular half-lights and lingering twilights they knew nothing. The rain fell vehemently, or not at all. The sun blazed or there was darkness. Translating this to the spiritual regions as their wont is, the poets sang beautifully how roses fade and petals fall. The moment is brief they sang; the moment is over; one long night is then to be slept by all” (Woolf, 2018: 11).

It was no surprise that Orlando, living in such an era of extremes, embraces intense emotions. He translates them into numerous writings, and the one worth distinguishing is his principal poem titled ‘The Oak Tree’. Piazzola explains that Orlando: A Biography is a writing about writing and artistic creation (1999). The young poet starts to mature in his craft, as he embarks on more serious reflection of poetry, ambition, desire, and fame.

He struggles to perfect his verse and here Woolf illustrates in depth the difficulty of writing. Regardless of talent, artistic composition requires great time and effort; it takes days, months, and even years, consisting of a myriad of emotions. Defeated by the weight of this solitary act, Orlando is encouraged to seek fellow writers. The protagonist is hopeful to find not only a friend in them but also a guide and mentor to accompany him on this journey. His expectations are grand, he regards poets as nothing short of gods.

Nicholas Greene is the first writer whom Orlando comes to know on a personal level. Upon their initial meeting, Orlando is inevitably disappointed by the writer’s unremarkable appearance. As they engage in a discussion about ordinary matters the disappointment heightens. However, when the topic finally turns to poetry, Nicholas transforms into his artistic self, speaking passionately about his craft. This change brings sheer bliss to Orlando who listens carefully, eager to grasp as much as he can about his dear art. However, in contrast to Orlando’s naïve belief in Nick, this shared knowledge about arts does not prove in the end to be exactly positive (Piazzola, 1999).

Greene, despite being a significant name in the literary sphere, has nothing pleasant to say about contemporary literature. This is how Woolf presents him: “All he could say, he concluded, banging his fist upon the table, was that the art of poetry was dead in England” (Woolf, 2018: 46). Orlando finds it hard to agree and mentions the names of their contemporaries – Shakespeare, Marlowe, Ben Jonson, Browne, Donne. Greene mockingly dismisses these names, insisting that true literary value is found only in the works of previous ages.

Nicholas asserts that the Greek era was the great age of literature, further claiming that the Elizabethan age is inferior in every aspect. He argues that in ancient times, men savoured something divine in themselves, whereas contemporary writers are willing to sacrifice the integrity of their books for monetary gain. In this light, he advises his younger friend to draw wisdom from antique books and imitate them if he wishes to produce anything worth reading. However, the critic himself acknowledges that to write with such disregard for payment, one must already be financially secure.

After six weeks as a guest of the wealthy nobleman, Nick is ready to take his leave. Orlando gathers the courage to share his play with the author, hoping to learn his opinion. The experienced author does not give any particular feedback and they part ways. Silence, an ideal writing condition for Orlando, does not similarly suit Greene, who finds himself unable to write in such an utterly silent environment.

It is interesting to have a change of scenery from the spacious aristocratic mansion to Greene’s modest and noisy home. Returning from the countryside, the writer enters his chaotic house filled with men, women, and children running around. This bustling environment serves as Greene’s ideal atmosphere for writing. As it happens with writers who draw inspiration from their recent trips or visits, he also channels his experiences into his work. In this case, he writes a satire about a Lord, who is no other than Orlando. He even ridicules The Death of Hercules, the play entrusted to him. Completing it in one sitting, Greene goes on to publish his satire.

Back in his aristocratic setting, Orlando receives Greene’s satirical pamphlet. The young poet who had welcomed his literary companion with utmost hospitability and admiration, feels betrayed in the cruellest manner possible. He believed writers to be of a noble cast, unfortunately, this illusion is shattered as he reads the satiric piece about him. This experience profoundly affects him, as illustrated by the passage:

“Thus, at the age of thirty, or thereabouts, this young Nobleman had not only had every experience that life has to offer, but had seen the worthlessness of them all. Love and ambition, women and poets were all equally vain. Literature was a farce” (Woolf, 2018: 51).

Despite the disillusionment with people, Orlando remains devoted to his books. Nick’s criticism wounds him and now he can almost picture the writer judging his writing. In protest against Nick’s advice, Orlando makes a resolute oath regarding his art, as an attempt to break free from exterior influences:

“‘I’ll be blasted’, he said, ‘if I ever write another word, or try to write another word, to please Nick Greene or the Muse. Bad, good, or indifferent, I’ll write, from this day forward, to please myself’” (Woolf, 2018: 54).

Moreover, another transformation happens to him – he grows. Until now, he had appreciated only writers, but he begins to look back to his ancestors and realizes that they left behind something even more humane than words: a house and a lived existence in it. Life, not only literature, finds a home in the more mature heart of Orlando. He seeks to understand life with the help of literature (Thirriard, 2019). In this newfound harmony, he tends to an abundance of guests in his house yet occasionally retreats to the privacy of his room to keep polishing ‘The Oak Tree, A Poem’. Together with his character, his writing style has also changed.

As Wolf’s novel progresses throughout the ages, the protagonist undergoes another vital change: a shift in gender. The 18th century finds Orlando as a woman, and with this transformation from “he” to “she”, this essay will employ the corresponding pronouns when referring to Orlando. Our protagonist, now more sociable, decides to visit literary salons. Although the primary illusions about poets were broken by Nick, she still esteems writers above other people. Therefore, she is ecstatic to be in the presence of these “wits”, as she calls them.

The 18th-century literary salons were places of gathering for people of high importance in society. Woolf describes them as enchanted places where one expects to hear intellectual conversations, finding joy in the mere expectation. In truth, nothing witty is ever said. This portrayal can be considered as a critique of literary circles, suggesting they are vain and insincere. Alternatively, it could present the unavoidable mediocrity that pervades even among the brightest of minds.

Alexander Pope is another illustrious artist whom Orlando encounters. He is introduced to society as an eccentric who dares to utter words of wisdom when no one else does. Surely, Orlando is drawn to such a mind and proposes an invitation for them to go home together. On the way home, in their chariot, an exquisite play of light and darkness occurs. When they are in the light, Orlando is aware of the reality of her companion and sees him as a normal man. However, in the darkness, her thoughts romanticize his entire persona as well as their acquaintance. The coach moving from light to darkness symbolizes the transition from raw truth to coloured imagination.

“It was happy for Orlando, though at first disappointing, that this should be so, for she now began to live much in the company of men of genius. Nor were they so different from the rest of us as one might have supposed. Addison, Pope, Swift, proved, she found, to be fond of tea” (Woolf, 2018: 115).

As Orlando becomes frequently acquainted with these men of genius, she becomes aware of their humanness. Indeed, they have gifted the world with their masterpieces, but they still have their lunch, tea, and ordinary lives, just like everybody else. This is an important, albeit obvious, observation because it brings these literary gods down to earth, closer to the readers.

Time passes and Orlando now welcomes the 19th century, entering the Victorian era. The changes of the new century are evident both in the surroundings and the inner world of people, including the realm of literature.

“Thus the British Empire came into existence; and thus — for there is no stopping damp; it gets into the inkpot as it gets into the woodwork — sentences swelled, adjectives multiplied, lyrics became epics, and little trifles that had been essays a column long were now encyclopaedias in ten or twenty volumes” (Woolf, 2018: 127).

In this new age, Orlando meets an old companion, Nick Greene. The last time they encountered each other, Orlando was a young boy and Greene was a struggling writer; now, Orlando is a grown woman whereas Nick is a Knight and the most prominent critic of the Victorian era. When they turn to literary matters, Nick repeats the same sentiments about literature as he did three hundred years ago, though the names of authors have changed.

“‘ah! my dear lady, the great days of literature are over. Marlowe, Shakespeare, Ben Jonson — those were the giants. Dryden, Pope, Addison — those were the heroes. All, all are dead now. And whom have they left us? Tennyson, Browning, Carlyle!’— he threw an immense amount of scorn into his voice” (Woolf, 2018: 156).

It seems that critics only begin to appreciate authors once they are long gone. Each period complains that only the past was glorious. Woolf dwells on the topic of criticism in her work An Essay in Criticism where she refers to critics as “insignificant fellow creatures” (2015a: 85). Her disturbance with critics is projected in this novel as well where she expresses her scepticism about the value of literary criticism.

Sir Nicholas reads Orlando’s manuscript; however, this time he has only words of praise. He concludes that the poem should be published. This time, there is a significant change in Orlando as well: she is no longer dependent on the approval of others for her writing. She is now able to appreciate her poem outside the limits of these intellectuals, seeing it as something deeply personal. Orlando no longer seeks guidance from other writers, instead, her voice has become bravely authentic. Woolf poses a question in the aforementioned essay: “For why should not art be traditional as well as original?” (2015a: 87).

In final words, Woolf’s Orlando: A Biography is a magnificent tribute from one writer to another. Through the artistic creation of her friend Vita as the fictional Orlando, Virginia Woolf illuminates the process of writing and explores the nature of the artist across genders, centuries, and literary periods. The essay allows the reader to witness various encounters between artists, highlighting their similarities and differences. While Orlando, Nick, and Pope each have different artistic views, feelings, and styles, they are united in their journey through life with a pen in hand.

At a Glance:

Personal realization = Transformation (time, gender) + Encounters (artists, solitude).

The personal realization that Orlando achieves derived from transformation through time and genders, and encounters with other artists and his own solitude.

About the author

Lyra Goga is a teacher, writer, and literary translator based in Kosovo. She holds a BA in English Language and Literature, an MA in English Literature, and is currently a PhD candidate in Literature at the University of Prishtina, Kosovo. Lyra believes that through art we can change the world and make it a better place.

References

Hawkes, E. (2022) ‘Woolf’s ‘Magical Garden of Women,’’ in J. Marcus (ed.) New Feminist Essays on Virginia Woolf. The Macmillan Press LTD, pp. 52–53.

Piazzola, C. (1999) ‘She will be a poet[…]in another hundred years’ time’| Virginia Woolf’s ‘Orlando’ as a quest for incandescence. Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. University of Montana. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/1446/?utm_source=scholarworks.umt.edu%2Fetd%2F1446&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages.

Thirriard, M. (2019) ‘Biographical Truth as Represented in Virginia Woolf’s Orlando: A Biography,’ in J. Moulin, Y. Gouchan, and N. Phuong Ngoc (eds) La vérité d’une vie. Honoré Champion, p. 270.

Woolf, V. (2015a) ‘An Essay in Criticism,’ in Granite and Rainbow. Harcourt.

Woolf, V. (2015b) ‘The New Biography,’ in Granite and Rainbow. Harcourt, p. 150.

Woolf, V. (2018) Orlando: A Biography. Global Grey.