(Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University)
Name :- chintavan n bhungani
Semester:- M.A SEM 1
Roll no:- 06
Paper no:- 02NEO CLASSICAL AGE
Enrollment no:- PG15101006
Email id:- cnbhungani7484@gmail.com
Bloge id:- chintavanbhungani201517.blog.spot.com
Topic:- Q.The history of the age/ background reading of neo-classical literature and characteristics of Augustan age? ANS: - The eighteenth century in English literature has been called the Augustan, the neoclassical age, and the age of reason. The term ‘the Augustan age’ comes from the self-conscious imitation of the original Augustan writers, Virgil and Horace, by many of the writers of the period specifically Augustan age was the period of the restoration era of the death of alexander pope(1690-1744) the major writers of the age were pope and john Dryden forms the link between restoration Augustan literature; all though he wrote ribald comedies in the restoration vein his verse satires were highly admired by the generation of the poets who followed him, and his writings on literature were very much in neo-classical spirit but more than any other it is the name of alexander pope which is associated with the epoch none as the Augustan age despite the fact that the other writers such as Jonathan swifts and DanielDefoehad a more lasting influence. This is partly a result of the politics of naming inherent in literary history: many of the early forms of prose narrative common at this time did not fit to a literary era which defines itself as neo-classical.
vHistory of the period:-
The revolution of 1688, which banished the last of the Stuart kings and called William of orange to the throne, marks the end of the long struggle for political freedom In England. Thereafter the Englishman spent his tremendous energy, which his forbears had largely spent in fighting for freedom, in endless political discussions and in efforts to improve his government. In order to bring about reforms, votes were now necessary; and to get votes the people of England must be
Approached with ideas, facts, arguments, information. So the newspaper was born,[182] and literature in its widest sense, including the book, the newspaper, and the magazine, became the chief instrument of a nation's progress.
· Definition
Neoclassical literature was written between 1660 and 1798. This time period is broken down into three parts: the Restoration period, the Augustan period, and the Age of Johnson.
Writers of the neoclassical period tried to imitate the style of the Romans and Greeks. Thus the combination of the terms 'neo,' which means 'new,' and 'classical,' as in the day of the Roman and Greek classics. This was also the era of The Enlightenment, which emphasized logic and reason. It was preceded by The Renaissance and followed by the Romantic era. In fact, the neoclassical period ended in 1798 when Wordsworth published the Romantic 'Lyrical Ballads'.
vSocial development:-
The first half of the eighteenth century is remarkable for the rapid social development in England. Hitherto men had been more or less governed by the narrow, isolated standards of the middle Ages, and when they differed they fell speedily to blows. Now for the first time they set themselves to the task of learning the art of living together, while still holding different opinions. In a single generation nearly two thousand public coffeehouses, each a center of sociability, sprang up in London alone, and the number of private clubs is quite as astonishing. [183] this new social life had amarked effect in polishing men's words and manners. The typical Londoner of Queen Anne's day was still rude, and a little vulgar in his tastes; thecity was still very filthy, the streets unlighted and infested at night by bands of rowdies and "Mohawks"; but outwardly men sought to refine their manners according to prevailing standards; and to be elegant, to have "good form," was a man's first duty, whether he entered society or wrote literature. One can hardly read a book or poem of the age without feeling
This superficial elegance. Government still had its opposing Tory and Whig parties, and the Church was divided into Catholics, Anglicans, and Dissenters; butthegrowing social life offset many antagonisms, producing at least the outward impression of peace and unity. Nearly every writer of the age busied himself with religion as well as with party politics, the scientist Newton as sincerely as the churchman Barrow, the philosophical Locke no less earnestly than the evangelical Wesley; but nearly all tempered their zeal with moderation, and argued from reason and Scripture, or used delicate satire upon their opponents, instead of denouncing them asfollowers of Satan. There were exceptions, of course_; _ but the general
Tendency of the age was toward toleration. Man had found himself in thelong struggle for personal liberty; now he turned to the task of discovering his neighbor, of finding in Whig and Tory, in Catholic and Protestant, in Anglican and Dissenter, the same general human characteristics that he found in himself. This good work was helped, moreover, by the spread of education and by the growth of the national
Sprit, following the victories of Marlborough on the Continent. In the midst of heated argument it needed only a word--Gibraltar, Blenheim, Ramillies, Malplaquet--or a poem of victory written in a garret [184] to
Tell a patriotic people that under their many differences they were all
Alike Englishmen.
v‘Neoclassicism’
the work of Dryden, pope ,swift Addison and Johangay, as well as many of their contemporaries, exhibit qualities of order, clarity and stylistic decorum, that were formulated in the major critical documents of the age: Dryden’s an essay of dramatic poesy(1668), and pope’s essay on criticism(1711). These works, forming the basis for modern English literary criticism, insist that ‘nature’ is the true model and standard of writing. This ‘nature’ of Augustans, however, was not the wild, spiritual nature of the romantic poet would later idealize, but nature as derived from classical theory: a rational and comprehensible moral order in the universe, demonstrating god’s providential design. The literary circle around pope considered homer preeminent among ancient poets in his description of nature and concluded in a circuitous feat of logic that the writer who ‘imitates’ homer is also describe nature. From this follows the rule inductively based on the classical that pope articulate in his essay on criticism:
Characteristics of Neoclassical Literature
Neoclassical literature is characterized by order, accuracy, and structure. In direct opposition to Renaissance attitudes, where man was seen as basically good, the neoclassical writers portrayed man as inherently flawed. They emphasized restraint, self-control, and common sense. This was a time when conservatismflourished in both politics and literature.
Some popular types of literature included:
- An Age of prose
- Essays
- Satire
- Letters
- Fables
- Melodrama, and
- Rhyming with couplets
Ø An Age of prose:-
In every preceding age we have noted especially the poetical works, which constitute, according to Matthew Arnold, the glory of English literature. Now for the first time we must chronicle the triumph of English prose. A multitude of practical interests arising from the new social and political conditions demanded expression, not simply in books, but more especially in pamphlets, magazines, and newspapers. Poetry was inadequate for such a task; hence the development of prose, of the "unfettered word," as Dante calls it,--a development which astonishes us by its rapidity and excellence. The graceful elegance of Addison's essays, the
Terse vigor of Swift's satires, the artistic finish of Fielding's novels, the sonorous of Gibbon's history and of Burke's orations,--these have no parallel in the poetry of the age. Indeed, poetry itself became prosaic in this respect, that it was used not for creative works of imagination, but for essays, for satire, for criticism,--for exactly the same practical ends as was prose. The poetry of the first half of the century, as typified in the work of Pope, is polished and witty enough, but artificial; it lacks fire, fine feeling, and enthusiasm, the glow of the Elizabethan Age and the moral earnestness of Puritanism. In a word, it interests us as a study of life, rather than delights or inspires us by its appeal to the imagination. The variety and excellence of prose works, and the development of a serviceable prose style, which had been begun by
Dryden, until it served to express clearly every human interest andEmotion,--these are the chief literary glories of the eighteenth century.
ØSatire:-
In the literature of the preceding age we noted two marked tendencies,--the tendency to realism in subject-matter, and the tendency to polish and refinement of expression. Both these tendencies were continued in the Augustan Age, and are seen clearly in the poetry of Pope, who brought the couplet to perfection, and in the prose of Addison. A third tendency is shown in the prevalence of satire, resulting from the unfortunate union of politics with literature. We have already noted the power of the press in this age, and the perpetual strife of political parties. Nearly every writer of the first half of the century was used and rewarded by Whigs or
Tories for satirizing their enemies and for advancing their special political interests. Pope was a marked exception, but he nevertheless followed the prose writers in using satire too largely in his poetry. Now satire--that is, a literary work which searches out the faults of men or institutions in order to hold them up to ridicule--is at best a destructive kind of criticism. A satirist is like a laborer who clears away the ruins and rubbish of an old house before the architect and builders begin on a new and beautiful structure. The work may sometimes be necessary, but it rarely arouses our enthusiasm. While the satires of Pope, Swift, and Addison are doubtless the best in our language, we hardly place them with our great literature, which is always constructive in spirit; and we have the feeling that all these men were capable of better things than they ever wrote.
Ø THE CLASSIC AGE:-
The period we are studying is known to us by various names. It is often called the Age of Queen Anne; but, unlike Elizabeth, this "meekly stupid" queen had practically no influence upon our literature. The name Classic Age is more often heard; but in using it we should remember clearly these three different ways in which the word "classic" is applied to literature: (1) the term "classic" refers, in
General, to writers of the highest rank in any nation. As used in our literature, it was first applied to the works of the great Greek and Roman writers, like Homer and Virgil; and any English book which followed the simple and noble method of these writers was said to have a classic style. Later the term was enlarged to cover the great literary works of other ancient nations; so that the Bible and the Avestas, as well as the Iliad and the Adenoid, are called classics. (2) Every national literature has at least one period in which an unusual number of great writers are producing Books and this is called the classic period of a nation's literature. Thus the reign of Augustus is the classic or golden age of Rome; the generation of Dante is the classic age of Italian literature; the age of Louis XIV is the French classic age; and the age of Queen Anne is often called the classic age of England. (3) The word "classic" acquired an entirely different meaning in the period we are studying; and we shall better understand this by reference to the preceding ages. The Elizabethan writers were led by patriotism, by enthusiasm, and, in general, by romantic emotions. They wrote in a natural style, without regard to rules; and
Though they exaggerated and used too many words, their works are delightful because of their vigor and freshness and fine feeling. In the following age patriotism had largely disappeared from politics and enthusiasm from literature.
Major Writers: of neo-classical age
• Alexander Pope:
His works: •The pastorals’• Essay on man, • Essay on criticism reflects his desire to rival Boil au’s art poetic. •The Rape of the Lock. ••• Steel and Addition: • The tattler in 1709 and the spectator in 1711.The spectator include representative of various section of society. The work Addition reveals at once the charm of the old England and the coming of the new
• Jonathan swift:
Jonathan swift
Jonathan swift one of the best writer of the neo-classical age. An Excerpt from chapter 3 part 1 of Gulliver’s travels Gulliver’s travels Jonathan swift best fictional works, contain four part each about one particular voyage during which Gulliver has exeparticular
Adventures on some remote are land after he has met with ship week or piracy. Gulliver’s travels are also an artistic mast earpiece he fined that author of master of prose. Jonathan swift on of best a mother of neo-classical age and he wrote so many good novels.
Battle of the books• the first noteworthy book published in 1704, It is about the dispute between ancient and modern author. Swift gives the theme a half allegories mock heroic satire in which the books in a liberty at length.
• Dr. Johnson: The produced two satire, London [1738] and The Vanity of Human Wishes. [1749] “Irene” is a tragedy in this work he observed the rules of French rhetorical tragedy.•“Rambler” and “Idler” are the results of his own personal reflection on the life.
• Oliver Goldsmith [1730- 74]
Traveler [1764] records his impressions, as a Traveler on foot across the continent of France, Switzerland and Italy and reflects agreeably on the character these various countries. In 1770 he published his “Deserted Village" an idealization of the Irish Village of lessor in which his childhood was passed.
vConclusion:-
So this is the neo-classical age highly influence to Jonathan swift, alexander pope, olive goldsmith. And the age of classical, satire and age of prose. So first the first half of the eighteenth century is remarkable for the rapid social Development in England. Important age for English literature.. The middle and later stages of the
Eighteenth century shows a minor Renaissance that touched nearly all Europe.Theincrease in wealth and comfort coincided with general uplifting of the standard of the human intellect. In France particularly it was well marked, and it took for its sign and seal thelabours of the Encyclopedists and the social amenities of the oldersalons. Many of the leading English writers, including Gibbon, Hume, and Sterne, visited Paris, which was the hub of European culture.
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