FEATURES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF 18TH CENTURY ENGLISH LITERATURE PDF

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Following the Restoration of the Stuart King, Charles II, to the throne of England in 1660, 17th-century society's manners grew very crude, politics scandalously corrupt, and society's overall tone savage. People quickly became tired of the fashionable circles' outlandish behaviour, and the early ei...

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FEATURES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF 18TH CENTURY ENGLISH LITERATURE INTRODUCTION: Following the Restoration of the Stuart King, Charles II, to the throne of England in 1660, 17th-century society's manners grew very crude, politics scandalously corrupt, and society's overall tone savage. People quickly became tired of the fashionable circles' outlandish behaviour, and the early eighteenth century saw a determined attempt at moral reformation.

The Augustan Age, the Neoclassical Age, and the Age of Reason have all been used to describe the eighteenth century in English literature. The title 'Augustan Age' originates from many of the period's writers' intentional imitations of the original Augustan writers, Virgil and Horace. The Augustan Age was defined as the time following the Restoration and ending with Alexander Pope's death in 1744. Pope and John Dryden were famous poets of the time, while Jonathan Swift and Joseph Addison were major prose writers. Although he composed Restoration-style ribald comedies, his verse satires were widely liked by the generation of poets who

followed him, and his essays on literature were very much in a neoclassical mood. Despite the fact that other writers such as Jonathan Swift and Daniel Defoe had a longer lasting effect, Alexander Pope's name is more closely connected with the time known as the Augustan Age than any other. This is due in part to the name politics inherent in literary history: many of the early forms of prose storytelling prevalent at the period did not fit into a literary epoch labelled as neoclassical. The literature of this period that adhered to Pope's aesthetic principles (and thus qualifies as 'Augustan') is distinguished by its striving for harmony and precision, urbanity, and imitation of classical models such as Homer, Cicero, Virgil, and Horace, as seen in the minor poet Matthew Prior's work. The crisp heroic couplet was popular in rhyme, and essay and satire were popular in prose. Any simplistic characterization of this time, however, would be inaccurate; as important as it was, the neoclassical impetus was only one strain in the literature of the early eighteenth century. However, its adherents were the defining voices in literary circles, and as a result, 'neoclassicism' is frequently used to define the period.

'Neoclassicism: The desire for betterment was a hallmark of this era's writing, particularly that written by middle-class writers who were most affected by moral issues. People of

this era, on the other hand, were just as antagonistic to the Puritans' religious fervour and extremism. As a result, while England began to reclaim moral territory, she did not reclaim the Elizabethan era's lofty emotion or spiritual zeal. People lapsed into a frigid indifference as a result of their fear of the Puritans' emotional excesses. Virtue was preached and urged, but any display of seriousness, even in the pulpit, was considered as 'enthusiasm' and thus startlingly bad taste. 'Good sense' became the idol of the day, which signified a love of the practical and rational and a dislike of the extravagant, mystical, and visionary.

This is evident in the sphere of religion, where rationality and usefulness were the dominant ideals. The literature of the time is marked by a similar coldness and lack of emotion, as well as a comparable inclination toward shallowness in ideas and formality in presentation. It is a literature of intelligence that rarely delves much further than wit and fancy, rather than a literature of emotion, passion, or creative force, which are vital characteristics of high-class writing. Spontaneity and simplicity are surrendered in this literature to the dominating obsession for beauty and accuracy. This is true even of poetry, which seldom ventured beyond the

concerns of that restricted world of constricted interests, and found its notoriety in coffee houses and drawing rooms, depending for its content upon the politics and the conversation of the hour; and the couplet was its recognised clothing, Such poetry, no matter how intelligent, was always more or less transient; it lacked the depth and understanding of important things that alone ensures literary durability. And the pursuit of style refinement too frequently led in stilted sympathies and icy conventionalism.

THE GRAVEYARD POETS AND NATURE:

However, Neoclassicism was not the only literary trend of the time. Two schools of poetry rejected many of the neoclassical poets' decorum ideals and foreshadowed numerous of Romanticism's topics. The so-called nature poets, for example, viewed nature as a huge and often even threatening reality, rather than an organised pastoral backdrop. They preferred to personalise their encounters with nature rather than taking a methodical approach. Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea, was a country poet in an urban period, and the poems in Miscellany Poems by a Lady (1713) were mainly devoid of neoclassical standards and often observations of nature. Her contemporaries dismissed her as nothing more than a feminine wit, but

Romantic writers, notably William Wordsworth, loved her much. James Thomas, whose poetical masterpiece The Seasons, which published in distinct volumes from 1726 to 1730 and began with winter, was the most popular poem of the century, was another famous poet of this school. He differed from neoclassical writers in many areas in his presentation of nature, including vast vistas and minute details in contrast to restricted, generic landscapes; exuberance instead of equilibrium; and a concern with the strange and unknown, to mention a few.

This was also a key concern among the Graveyard School poets. Edward Young, whose early verses were in the Augustan tradition, was the most prominent of them. However, the sad thoughts against a backdrop of graves and death in his most renowned work, The Complaint: or, Night Thoughts on Life, Death, and Immortality (1742-45), mark a fundamental divergence from the traditions and convictions of the preceding age. While the neoclassicists saw melancholy as a flaw, The Complaint's overarching theme is a sympathetic and reflective contemplation of loss. It was almost as popular as Thomas' The Seasons, and it was translated into several major European languages.

THE AUGUSTAN AGE OR THE CLASSICAL AGE:

The Classical and Augustan epochs of English literature are commonly referred to as the Classical and Augustan epochs of English literature, respectively. Poets and critics of the time felt that the work of classical antiquity's writers, particularly Latin writers, provided the greatest of examples and the highest standards of literary taste, and they attempted to replicate these models. Second, they, like these Latin writers, had little or no confidence in the promptings and direction of individual genius, but they had a lot of faith in the laws and norms set by the past authorities. "The finest of the present poets in all languages are those who have closest replicated the ancients," Walsh wrote to Pope in 1706. This succinctly conveyed the notion of classicism. In the well-known lines from his Essay on Criticism, Pope himself reaffirmed this idea.

The poets of this time believed that by mimicking the ancients' models and following their rules and standards, they were producing work that would be considered classic or first-rate. But the truth is that they just followed their rules mechanically and emulated ancient classic writers in terms of work structure and

technique; otherwise, they lacked brilliance. As a result, the period is also known as the Age of False or Pseudo-Classicism.

To begin with, the label 'Augustan' was employed as a word of high acclaim since those who used it truly felt that the Age of Pope was the finest age of English literary, just as the Age of Augustans was the best age of Latin literature. However, not everyone shares this viewpoint, and as a result, the term's original meaning has vanished. However, for the purpose of convenience, the epithet is kept. Its purpose is to highlight the parallels between English writing from the first half of the 18th century and Latin literature from the time of Virgil and Horace. Men of letters were reliant on great benefactors in both circumstances, and a critical attitude persisted in both. In both circumstances, the literature generated by a totally manufactured civilization was a literature of self-conscious and planned art, rather than unfettered creative endeavour and inspiration.

"Our Exceptional and Unavoidable Eighteenth Century."

Pope's era (and, for that matter, the entire 18th century) was one of reason and prose—"our lovely 18th century," as Arnold phrased it, "the age of prose." Despite the fact that they did not produce great poetry, the writers of the time accomplished important labour in the service of literature:

• They established (as Saintsbury points out) English grammar for prose use, laying the groundwork for true prose style in English literature.

• They established a "etiquette" or norm to prohibit metaphysical poetry's ludicrous extravagances (e.g., depicting a lady's eyes as "walking baths").

• Both in poetry and prose, they offered order and harmony. Their poetry, lacking in imaginative depth, was undoubtedly of a lower level, but Steele and Addison's writing, Defoe's novels, and Swift's work are works that any era may be proud of.

Restrictions of the POPE'S age:

There is no question that the Pope's age has limitations. Its literature was mostly town literature, and as a result, the vision of life reflected in it was restricted. It lacks both depth and breadth of appeal. Form and regulation were more important to the writers than spontaneity and freedom. However, we must not overlook the important contributions of the era's writers. They expanded the realm of literature by: • perfecting satire and heroic couplets, • producing instances of superb writing style (unrivalled even now), • reshaping the essay, and • laying the groundwork for the novel's birth. Thus, the age of Pope, with its principles of reason and good sense, created new things and made a real addition to English literature, rather than just replicating and perpetuating the patterns of previous centuries. It lacked poetry without a doubt, but excelled in prose.

THE AUGUSTAN AGE OF SATIRE: The Augustan period is notable for the growth of satire. The social and political circumstances of the time were ideal for the growth of satire. The fashionable society of the day was immoral and corrupt, with a plethora of vices and follies. For smart men like Addison, Steele, and Pope, this was a source of concern. Addison and Steele published modest satires in the 'Spectator' and the 'Tatler' not to reform but to entertain himself and others by mocking the unfortunate and foolish.

Pope's sharp brain couldn't help but see the emptiness of life around him, and as a natural satirist, he couldn't help but mock it. The political life of the time was the second reason for the emergence of satire. It was a moment of tainted politics and shady political manoeuvring. The top politicians of the day competed for the right to criticise and attack their opponents. As a result, writers of both prose and poetry who could write for this purpose were in high demand. As a result, the literature of this period became mostly satirical, as are practically all of Pope's writings. The heroic couplet, which was the most common form of poetry at the time, was well suited to sarcasm.

The poets' usual focus is town life.

Life meant simply the life of fashionable society in the town to the authors of this time, both prose and poetry. They were uninterested in anything outside of this existence. Furthermore, because these authors mainly capture the surface elements of this period, the literature of this period is essentially a literature of manners. Great authors, such as Shakespeare, capture the essence of human nature as it has always been and will continue to be. The Augustan authors, on the other hand, simply depict the false manners of a frivolous society.

THE CLASSICAL SCHOOL OF POETRY'S CHARACTERISTICS INCLUDE: The following are the main features of poetry in the time of Dryden and Pope:

1. Classical poetry is, for the most part, the result of plain intelligence interacting with life and things. 2. It is severely lacking in passion and imaginative play. 3. It is satirical (Dryden's "Mac Flacknoe," Pope's Dunciad') and didactic (Pope's "moral Epistles"). 4. It's a poetry of debate and critique, of politics and people. 5. Almost all of it is 'town poetry.' Its central issue is'society's' interest in the main cultural hubs. 6. It ignores the humbler aspects of life and the average man; 7. and it has no genuine affection for environment, scenery, and countryside things and people.

8. It is nearly totally devoid of all those qualities that we loosely label 'romantic.' In an era when people distrusted emotions and 'enthusiasm,' all that relished romanticism disturbed their accepted concepts of reasoning and 'good sense.' 9. The critical taste of the period was disparaging of Chaucer, Spenser, and even Shakespeare, whom they saw as "rude" and barbarous. 10. It was particularly antagonistic to everything associated with the Middle Ages, particularly its chivalry excess, and idealism's scepticism of romantic literature and art is mirrored in the poetry of the period. 11. The creation of a very artificial and conventional style, which quickly became standardised into a regular classic poetic language, was fueled by an extreme dedication to form and a love of superficial polish. 12. Classical embroidery of various kinds was used in season and out of season until it was threadbare disappeared before the emergence of a false sense of refinement, and high-sounding phrases and pompous circumlocution were substituted for plain and direct expressions, even when the subject matter was of the simplest and most commonplace kind. The simple 'God rest his soul' of old ballads would be transformed pompously 'Eternal blessings on his shade attend' by poets of the day; and colloquialism into magnificent poetry, Wordsworth was shortly to protest this sort of language and style.

13. Due to its epigrammatic terseness, the closed couplet was the only conceivable form for any significant work in verse at the time, and the form matched well to the type of poetry that was fashionable at the time. It was, however, too small and rigid to be used as a vehicle for high passion or creativity, and it quickly became tedious. Pope was the pinnacle of closed couplet mastery. 14. The poetry of the time of Dryden and Pope was, on the whole, not very excellent. It was only second-rate because it lacked the wide appeal of Milton's Elizabethan poetry and subsequent romantic poetry. 15. It had no effect on the heart. It was merely a head tax.

POPE AS AN 18TH-CENTURY REPRESENTATIVE POET:

A representative poet is one who captures the life and ideals of the era in which he lives through his poetry. He is not a teenager who defies his age. Rather, he embraces its ideas and expresses them via poetry. Pope embraces the ideals of eighteenth-century poetry and incorporates them into his own writing. The heroic couplet finds its pinnacle in his hands. It's hard to improve on Pope's poetry since each phrase is so well-crafted. The ethos of the Neo-classical era is best expressed

via satire. Since Pope is the age's emblematic poet. Pope embraces the literary ideas of his poetry, which is generally caustic in character. His Essay on Criticism is a compendium of Neo-classical era literary notions. He recognised his own literary ideal, could articulate it critically as few others could, and constructively as no other man in the world could. A great piece of art is the most characteristic product of its period, notwithstanding its universal appeal. It is anchored in modern social and cultural life and expresses, implicitly or overtly, the essence and fullness of existence. It is an unavoidable requirement for a piece of art's excellence. It nearly always fails to be universal in its appeal if it isn't of its own generation. It is a superb poetry in every sense of the word, and it accomplishes all of this brilliantly. Its major concentration is on capturing the characteristics of the aristocratic elite of the time.

The Rape of the Lock paints a vivid and comprehensive portrait of the twentieth century. The Rape of The Lock is about aristocratic society and paints a lovely picture of its characteristics. This portrayal is abundantly suggested through the mock-epic exploits of Lord Petre and Belinda – the society's representative figures – rather than word-pictures or descriptive passages. The English aristocracy of the 18th century was a newly developed elite that sprang from England's commercial

success following the Armada triumph. The aristocracy was predominantly urban, with easy access to money through trade and commerce, as well as land hoardings in some classes. They were opulent folks who spent their time playing idle games and having a good time. Being affluent, with a newfound passion for money and a fashion frenzy, primarily influenced by the French, whose influence had come via the Restoration. They were engrossed in trivialities, gossip, sex-intrigues, and wooing women. The ladies of the day relished the opportunity to be wooed and play coquets with the males.

A look back in time to the eighteenth century: The Rape of the Lock is a reflection of this type of society, with Lord Petre and Belinda as its exemplars. Belinda is shown as radiant and attractive as the sun, and lap-dogs were an important part of their life. The way Pope categorises lap-dogs and lovers, as though lovers are no better than lap-dogs, is noteworthy. Glittering clothes, parties, and dances with sexual intents underlying were all common hallmarks of the aristocratic society. The sexintrigues of the dance balls are depicted in Ariel's words, which Belinda hears while dreaming. The females spent more time applying beauty aids, including a wide range of cosmetics from faraway nations. They were always on a mission to

win their lover's heart. They sat in the restrooms for hours, played card games, danced, and regarded the dressing table as a sacred space. The sole art that these ladies devoted themselves to was coquetry: rolling the eyeball for stealthy looks or winking in a debonair, seemingly indifferent manner, flushing at the perfect moment to capture appreciative gazes were the manners that they worked hard to master. Both the women and the brave young men were fickle-minded, inconsistent, and untrustworthy, trivialising important human relationships. Their manner of life consisted of pretence, deception, and hypocrisy. Levity was a prevalent trait among them. The image below depicts them.

Pope goes into great depth on the ladies' persistent desire to enhance their appearance through artificial methods. The typically serious aspects of life had lost their significance for these ladies. Trivialities dominated their moods and passions. They'd get agitated or furious about little matters. In other words, these females lacked any sense of morality or a serious, significant purpose in life. The loss of their spouses had the same impact on them as the death of their lap-dog or the breaking of China jars. To them, honour was nearly meaningless. The loss of virginity was as little as the discoloration of brocades. They had no concept of church. Missing a church service was not regarded a significant matter, but missing

a ball was. The loss of a necklace was more serious than losing a heart or engaging in sex. All of this demonstrates that the eighteenth-century nobility was rife with moral ambiguity. Their lives had lost their sense of purpose. Men were primarily preoccupied with increasing their wealth and having sexual adventures with fashion-obs...