‘And that sweet city with her dreaming spires, She needs not June for beauty’s heightening, Lovely all times she lies…’
A tendency to romanticise
It is very easy to paint a romantic image of Oxford. We all do this, mainly because there’s a lot of truth to the romanticisation. Walk through Oxford’s cobbled streets and you’ll find yourself surrounded by beautiful, stone buildings. Leave at golden hour and you’ll watch those buildings glow. Oxford readily becomes a shorthand for somewhere else, a magical place unlike any other.
And so, Oxford has always been a source of inspiration for works of art and literature, Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings being only two of the most famous. The quotation above is from Matthew Arnold’s Thyrsis (1865), a poem widely regarded as one of the writer’s finest, in which he recalls the Oxford he explored as a student in the 1840s. His wonderful description of the city of dreaming spires is now well-known, and exemplary of this wider tendency to romanticise Oxford.
Importantly, this romantic image of the city is coupled with a romanticisation of The University of Oxford. Incoming students expect a world-class education unlike any other: Oxford will offer a system based on one-on-one tutorials with leading specialists and personalised content; you’ll also be immersed in a collegiate system and learn with plenty of like-minded students. And, of course, integral to this education will be Oxford’s lavish balls, three-course formals, and numerous other traditions.
One of the most illustrative examples of this romanticisation is the internet aesthetic of Dark Academia, an online trend which romanticises a time when the upper classes emphasised the importance of a liberal education. So-called dark academics view the study of classical literature, languages, architecture, art, and fashion as something good, joyful, and even alluring.
An image can be misleading
Yet Dark Academia is also a pertinent example for another reason. When the aesthetic first became popular on Tumblr around 2015, it was chiefly predicated upon Donna Tartt’s The Secret History (1922). The book’s plot follows a group of students at an elite university as they attempt to isolate themselves and engage in covert intellectual discussions with their professor. Over time, their secrets create a nest of intrigue and danger ensues.
Herein lies the real essence of Dark Academia, as an aesthetic which romanticises not just liberal education, but the mysterious and illicit aspects of that education – riddles, cults, secret clubs, and all that contributes to the exclusivity of an educated person’s behaviour and intellect. It highlights a mode of education and simultaneously suggests there is more to that experience than meets the eye. The same can be said of the Oxford experience.
That the university itself has a deeply questionable history is well-known and should continue to be questioned, as should the reasons why Oxford has produced so many controversial alumni. Yet the day-to-day life at the university can also undermine expectations. A combination of short terms, extensive workloads, and an inadequate support system can easily create an overly intense and often toxic work culture. In turn, much of the little downtime you have can easily be spent contributing to an excessive drinking culture, or trying to get into exclusive events. And whatever they do, many students will inevitably undergo bouts of Imposter Syndrome and begin to question their ability and whether they deserve a place at Oxford. Of course, this isn’t true for everyone, nor is it a fair summary of studying at Oxford. Yet these are some of the problems that may arise in an environment that can push you to your limits.
In trying to reach the Oxford life, the romanticised Oxford experience we might envisage or remember, we can forget what’s happening around us and lose ourselves in this far more challenging world. We can forget that, while it is very easy to paint a romantic image of Oxford, no such romanticisation is fully true to reality.
This is one of the central messages of Arnold’s Thyrsis. Written to eulogise his late friend Arthur Hugh Clough, the poem presents Clough as a shepherd-poet and describes the Oxford countryside they oversaw together. Yet, while Arnold recalls the Oxford they explored together fondly, this image is juxtaposed with the Oxford he finds at the time of writing. Arnold arrives in the city and bemoans the fact that Oxford is not what it used to be, ‘How changed is here each spot man makes or fills!’. Over time, he himself comes to question whether ‘Lovely all times she lies’.
How to embrace the Oxford experience
Importantly, this isn’t a criticism of Oxford, although there are certainly things to criticise. I loved my experience and wouldn’t change a thing about my time at Oxford – I already miss walking through those cobbled streets and looking up at those dreaming spires. I am also a firm believer in the power of romanticisation, enabling us to better appreciate the beauty of the world around us.
Rather, this is a consideration of some of the risks associated with going to Oxford with a particular image in mind and trying to live the Oxford experience. It is a consideration of the dangers we face when we romanticise, or become too enveloped in ephemeral internet trends. More than anywhere else, Oxford can be whatever you make of it, and that is both its beauty and its curse.
And so, how do we make the most of our time at Oxford? How do we truly embrace the experience of studying here? While there is no magic solution, and this will depend largely on your personality and priorities, I can look back on my three years and point to what I think helped me most. First, find your people. Oxford is fortunate to have some of the most inspiring and caring people studying at its university and you’ll eventually find your group among them. And when you do, you’ll find any problems are easier to face. Second, make the most of the incredible academics you meet and the opportunities you are granted. Third, at the same time, maintain an open mind and try as many new experiences as you can.And lastly, and most importantly, don’t fall into any idea of how we should be at university. Don’t create “a kind of picturesque drama” of your life, but instead ask yourself why you’re doing whatever you’re doing and follow that. Embrace the Oxford image, but also make the Oxford experience your own!