Assignment 105A:Neo-Classical Age and It’s Characteristics

This Blog is an Assignment of Paper no.105(A)  History of English Literature from 1350 to 1900. In this assignment I am dealing with the topic Neo-Classical Age and It’s Characteristics.

Information:

• Name : Rajeshvariba H. Rana 
• Roll No. : 18
• Enrollment No. : 4069206420220023
• Semester : 1st
• Paper No. :  105(A)
• Paper Code : 22396
• Paper Name : History of English Literature from 1350 to 1900
• Topic : Neo-Classical Age and It’s Characteristics 
• Submitted to: Smt.S.B.Gardi,Department of English,MKBU                        
• E-mail : rhrana148@gmail.com 

Neo-Classical Age and It’s Characteristics

Neoclassicism in English literature refers to a movement which flourished between 1660 and 1798. The term refers to a style that is based on, but different from, the classic structures of the Roman and Greek writers of old. 

1700-1750: The Age of Pope

1700-1745:Augustan Age/ Neoclassical Period 

1745-1783: The Age of Sensibility 

1740-1800: The Age of Transition 

Neoclassicism began after the Renaissance. Whereas the Renaissance focused on lifting the individual and making people larger than life and limitless in their potential, neoclassicism placed the individual in the context of society. The individual became flawed, and passion needed to be curved by reason.

When the Stuart line was restored to the throne of England in 1660, the event marked the beginning of an extended period of controversy and formulation intellectual and literary, as well as political. The enthronement of Charles II was, in fact, a literary turning point as distinctly as it was a military and political marker. Most obviously, it inaugurated several decades of prodigal composition.

It is this phase of literary history that has come to be called Neo - Classicism .

started in 1660 when the Stuarts returned to the throne and the Enlightenment was in full swing. When the neoclassical period was the predominant style, artists like Daniel Defoe and Samuel Johnson flourished.

The publication of Wordsworth's Lyrical Ballads in 1798, however, marked the end of the neoclassical time period. These poems ended Neoclassicism and began the Romantic Age. Whereas Neoclassicism looked to the beauty of order, Romanticism later emphasised the individual and put more weight on the imaginative and personal.

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.

The Restoration Period :

The name comes from the restoration of the monarchy after the return of Charles II after Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth. The Restoration Period lasted from 1660-1700. Writers of this age, Dryden and Milton, endeavoured to use sublime, grand and impressive style, scholarly allusions, and mythology to curb the intense use of imagination.

Neoclassical Era :

Neoclassicism was a child of the Age of Reason (the Enlightenment), when philosophers believed that we would be able to control our destinies by learning from and following the laws of nature (the United States was founded on Enlightenment philosophy). Scientific inquiry attracted more attention. 

The primary Neoclassicist belief was that art should express the ideal virtues in life and could improve the viewer by imparting a moralising message. It had the power to civilise, reform, and transform society, as society itself was being transformed by new approaches to government and the rising forces of the Industrial Revolution, driven by scientific discovery and invention.

Neoclassical architecture was based on the principles of simplicity, symmetry, and mathematics, which were seen as virtues of the arts in Ancient Greece and Rome. It also evolved the more recent influences of the equally antiquity-informed 16th century Renaissance Classicism.

The Augustan Period was named after the Roman emperor Augustus. The Augustan Age is also called the Age of Pope. The Pope was the leading poet in this age. The Augustan Age lasted from 1700 to 1750.

Some popular types of literature included:

Parody

Essays

Satire

Letters

Fables

Melodrama, and

Rhyming with couplets

Major Poets :

1. Alexander Pope [1688-1744]

2. Dr Samuel Johnson [1709-1784]

3. Thomas Gray [1716-1771]

4. William Collins [1721-1759]

5. Oliver Goldsmith [1730-1774]

6. William Cowper [1731-1800]

7. George Crabbe [1754-1832]

8. Robert Burns [1759-1796]

9. William Blake [1757-1827]

Major Novelists :

Jonathan Swift [1667-1745]

Daniel Defoe [1660-1731]

Samuel Richardson [1689-1761]

Laurence Sterne [1713-1768]

Henry Fielding [1707-1754]

Tobias Smollett [1721-1771]

Major Prose Writers :

Joseph Addison [1672-1719] 

Richard Steele [1672-1729] 

John Arbuthnot [1667-1735]

Characteristics :

Imitation :

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.

Dryden's translation of Virgil's poetry influenced the great writers of the Augustan age.

Rationalism :

Rationalism is the most essential feature of neoclassical poetry. Neoclassical poets viewed reason as the mainspring of learning, knowledge and inspiration for their poetry. Neoclassical poetry is a reaction against the renaissance style of poetry. It is a unique outcome of intellect, not fancy and imagination. Unlike romantic poetry, which is entirely the result of sentiments of the poet, neoclassical poetry is a simulated, fabricated, and stereotypical type of poetry. In romantic poetry, sentiments play a vital role in the writing of poetry, while in neoclassical poetry; reason and intellect are dominant elements. You might have heard about Coleridge and Wordsworth, who wrote poetry thoroughly at the impulse of their imagination. They didn’t lay emphasis on the reason to compose poetry. The neoclassical poets made an effort to disregard imagination, emotion and feelings, while composing their poetry. That is the reason; their poetry may be branded as artificial and synthetic.

Objectivity :

Objectivity is another important feature of neoclassical poetry. As these poets were completely against subjectivity in poetry, they endeavoured hard to write objective poetry. They avoided giving vent to their feelings; rather they dwelt upon the miseries, hardships and problems of the people around them. That is why; we find very little information about the lives of neoclassical poets in their poetry.

Classical Rules :

The neoclassical poets were undoubtedly great adherents of classical rules. They went all out to revive Classicism in their poetry by following each and every rule of Classicism. Their highest concern was to adhere to the classical rules and employ them in their poetry as much as possible. That is the reason; neoclassical poetry is also labelled as Pseudo Classical Poetry. They respected the classical rules a great deal.

Scholarly Allusions :

The neoclassical poets always loved to make use of scholarly allusions in their poetry. As they were all highly educated and well-versed in various fields of study, they knew a lot about religious, biblical, and classical literature. Allusions helped them to convey their message to their readers effectively and easily. That is why; their poetry is brimming with allusions to classical writers i.e., Virgil, Horace and Homer. They desired to write in the manner of their classical masters.

The acceptance of physical materialism was essential to Neo - Classicism. Though they constantly, often shrilly, denigrated the Materialism of both Ancients ( for example, Democritus, Epicurus, Lucretius ) and Moderns ( Leibnitz, the Cartesians, Hobbes), the Neo - Classicists themselves held to a materialistic view of the universe. They were forced to do so partly because of their insistence on common sense. Their eyes told them that matter existed. To aver, as Bishop Berkeley did, that weight, colour, mass, and motion were " ideas " existing apart from matter was to deny the evidence of one's senses, and no sane man could do that.

Realism :

Realism is the hallmark of neoclassical poetry. The neoclassical poets, unlike romantic poets, were not living in their own world of imagination. They were hard realists and they presented the true picture of their society. They didn’t turn their eyes from the harsh realities of life. They were keen observers and dwelled upon what they experienced with their open eyes in their poetry. These poets were not escapists like romantic poets, who turned their back to the harsh realities of life and tried to escape from them with the help of their imagination. Neoclassical poets were men of action and practically lived in the midst of people. They had a very keen observation of their society. They avoided abstract ideas, imaginative thoughts and idealism in their poetry.

Didacticism :

Neoclassical poets rebelled against the romantic nature of poetry of the Renaissance Period. Romantic poets loved to compose poetry just for the sake of poetry like John Keats. They tried hard to sidestep morality and didacticism in their poetry. Their foremost purpose was to give vent to their feelings. On the other hand, the neoclassical poets laid stress significantly on the didactic purpose of poetry. They endeavoured to fix the teething troubles of humanity through the magical power of poetry. The neoclassical poets were chiefly concerned with the didactic aspects of their poetry. That is the reason; most of the neoclassical poetry is replete with didacticism to a great deal.

Enlightenment :

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.

Therefore, Neoclassicism continued the connection to the classical tradition because it signified moderation and rational thinking but in a new and more politically-charged spirit (“neo” means “new,” or in the case of art, an existing style reiterated with a new twist.

Heroic Couplet :

The neoclassical poets were primarily responsible for the reputation of heroic couplets in the history of English literature. They were the champions of heroic couplet. No poet, in the history of English literature, can compete with the mastery of neoclassical poets in handling heroic couplets. 

They excelled each and every poet in this regard. Chaucer was the first poet, who employed heroic couplet in his poetry. Though many renowned poets of the world tried their hands on heroic couplets.

Poetic Diction :

Poetic diction of neoclassical poetry is completely different from that of romantic poetry. In romantic poetry, the diction is flexible and easy to use, while in neoclassical poetry, it is restrained, concrete and rigid. 

The neoclassical poets were fond of using a different language for poetry. They thought that there should be a dividing line between the language of prose and poetry. They laid emphasis on specific styles for poetry. They were of the view that decorum, specific style and mannerism are the vital elements of poetry. 

Alexander Pope was very conscious about the language of his poetry. He says in Essay on Criticism:

"Expression is the dress of thought, and still

Appears more decent as more suitable.

A vile Conceit in pompous words express'd

Is like a clown in regal purple dress'd

For diff'rent styles with diff'rent subjects sort,

As sev'ral garbs with country, town, and court."

End of The Age :

The publication of Wordsworth's Lyrical Ballads in 1798, however, marked the end of the neoclassical time period. These poems ended Neoclassicism and began the Romantic Age. Whereas Neoclassicism looked to the beauty of order, Romanticism later emphasised the individual and put more weight on the imaginative and personal.

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