Characteristics of Neo - classical Age ( Assignment)
By Name : Bhaliya Hansa G.
Roll. No. : 10
Paper No. : 2 The Neo classical Literature
Class: M. A. Sem - 1
Topic : characteristics of Neo-classical
Age
Enrollment No: 2069108420190004
Email ID :hansabhaliya20@gmail.com
Submitted : Department of English M. K.
University
Signture
The Meaning
The word neoclassicism has derived from Greek “neos” means “new” and Latin “classicus” means “relating to ancient Greek or Latin principles of the forms of art.” The neoclassicism was a movement against the too much use of individualism and imagination in literature as well as the violation of classical rules and regulations in literature. The followers of the classical literature tried to put the classical norms back in literary forms and other arts also.
General characteristics of the Age:
⇨ The Historical background:
The period of English history from 1700 to 1798, commonly referred to as the Pseudo-classical or Neo-classical age, may conveniently be divided into two; The early half from 1700-1740, may be called the Age of Pope, for Pope was the leading poet and man of letters of the period, the later half of the century from 1740-1798 may be called the Age of Dr. Johnson, for Dr. Johnson was its leading literary figure. During this time first Queen Anne and then the three Georges ruled over England. Matthew Arnold refers to the period as, "Our admirable and indispensable 18th century", for the age saw the rise of the social Essay and the Novel, and the development of the modern prose style.
Religion and the Rise of Feeling:
This renaissance of feeling is best illustrated in the case of religion. In the age of Pope Religion had been formal, utilitarian and un-spiritual. The preachers no longer tried to convince by appealing to the reason, rather they tried to move by appealing to the emotions. They no longer cared for propriety and correctness; rather they preached with impassioned tones and gestures. The sentimentalism of the age takes various forms.
The Age of complacency:
there is one word besides ‘façade’ that describes the neoclassical period, it is ‘complacency.’ This was an age where comfort was celebrated. The British felt relatively invincible politically, which led to an assumption of their moral and intellectual supremacy. It is the age of the rise of the Middle Class. It is an age of conspicuous consumption; Martha Stewart would have felt right at home. For the first time periodicals are filled with advertisements for home decorations, fashions, and furniture. Architecture enters the Baroque period. It becomes very important to wear clothing by the best designers, to have your hair done by the best hairdressers, and so on, and so forth. People whose parents were servants now had servants themselves.
The Emergence of the middle class :
Another important feature
of the age in the emergence of the
Middle class which gradually gained in
importance in politics, in life and in
society.
The spirit of the age :
After the succession of the House of Hanover the first half of the eighteenth century was a period of stabilization and steadily growing wealth and prosperity. The evils of the approaching Industrial Revolution had not yet been realized, and the country, still free from any suggestion of acrimonious class consciousness, underwent a period of comfortable aristocratic rule, in which local government rested on the squires, typified by Sir Roger DE Coverley. It was an age of tolerance, moderation, and common sense, which, in cultured circles at least, sought to refine manners and introduce into life the rule of sweet reasonableness. The balance of political power in spite of the fifty years superiority of the Whig oligarchy, was so even as to preclude fanatical party policies, while the established church pursued a placid middle way and all religion was free from strife over dogma and the fanaticism which it called ‘enthusiasm’ until Wesley and Whitefield began the Evangelical Revival. This middle way of control and reason, and the distrust of ‘enthusiasm’, are faithfully reflected in the literature of the period.
The marketplace of Literacy :
All these changes meant profound changes for literature. The emphasis on self-reflection meant that genres like diaries, letters, and essays were more popular—and often read alone, in a separate reading room or ‘closet’ within the home. At the same time the new social fluidity meant that genres like the newspaper and periodical, the novel, the popular ballad, and the theatre would also find widespread public audiences. It is the age of the penny dreadful and the lending library.
Literary characteristics of the age:
The political and social changes, which exhibit the supremacy of good sense, rationality and avoidance of enthusiasm, left an indelible influence on the literature of the Age of Pope. Summing up the characteristics of the literature of this period, Hudson remarks: "The same temper marks the literature of the age, which exhibits a similar coldness and want of feeling, and a similar tendency towards shallowness in thought and formality in expression. It is a literature of intelligence , of wit, and of fancy, not a literature of emotion, passion, or creative energy; and in it spontaneity and simplicity are sacrificed to the dominant mania of elegance and correctness.
The predominance of prose :
The age of Pope intensified the movement that, as we have seen, began after the Restoration. The drift away from the poetry of passion was more pronounced than ever, the ideals of ‘Wit’ and ‘common sense’ were more zealously pursued, and the lyrical note was almost unheard. In its place we find in poetry the overmastering desire for neatness and perspicuity, for edge and point in style, and for correctness in technique. These aims received expression in the devotion to the heroic couplet, the aptest medium for the purpose. In this type of poetry the supreme master is Pope; apart from him the age produced no great poet. On the other hand, the other great names of the period-Swift, Addison, Steele, Defoe- are those of prose- writers primarily, and prose- writers of a very high quality
1) political writing :
We have already noticed the rise of the two political parties, accompanied by an increased acerbity of political passion. This development gave a fresh importance to men of literary ability, for both parties competed for the assistance of their pens, bribed the author with places and pensions, and admitted them more or less deeply into their counsels. In previous ages authors had to depend on their patrons, often capricious being or upon the length of their subscription lists; they now acquired an independence and an importance that turned the heads of some of them. Hardly a writer of the time is free from the political bios. After being a Whig, Swift became a virulent Tory; Addison was a tepid Whig; Steele was Whig and Tory in turn. It was indeed the Golden Age of political pamphleteer, and the writers made the most of it
2) The clubs and coffee - houses :
Politicians are necessarily gregarious, and the increased activity in politics led to a great addition to the number of political clubs and coffee-houses, which became the foci of fashionable and public life. In the first number of the Tatler Steele announces as a matter of course that the activities of his new journal will be based upon the clubs. All accounts of Gallantry, pleasure, and Entertainment shall be under the article of White’s Chocolate-House; poetry under that of wills coffee-House; Learning under the title of Grecian; foreign and Domestic News you will have from Saint James’ coffee-house. These coffee-houses became the ‘clearing-houses’ for literary business, and from them branched purely literary associations such as the famous scribblers and Kit-Cat Clubs, those haunts of the fashionable writers which figure so prominently in the writings
3) periodical writing :
The development of the periodical will be noticed elsewhere. It is sufficient here to point out that the struggle for political mastery led both factions to issue a swarm of Examiners, and similar publications. These journals were run by a band of vigorous and facile prose- writers, who in their differing degrees of excellence represent almost a new type in our literature.
4) The New publishing Houses :
The interest in politics, and probably the decline in the drama, caused a great increase in the size of the reading public. In its turn this aroused the activities of a number of men who became the forerunners of the modern publishing houses. Such were Edmund Curll (1675-1747), Jacob Tonson (1656-1736), and John Dunton (1659-1733). These men employed numbers of needy writers, who produced the translations, adaptations, and other popular works of the time. It is unwise to judge a publisher by what authors say of him, but the universal condemnation leveled against Curll and his kind compels the belief that they were a breed of scoundrels who preyed upon author. The miserable race of hack-writers- venomously attacked by Pope in The Dunciad- who existed on the scanty bounty of such men lived largely in a thoroughfare near moor fields called Grub Street, the name of which has become synonymous with literary drudgery.
5) The New morality :
immorality of the Restoration, which had been almost entirely a court phenomenon and was largely the reaction against extreme Puritanism, soon spent itself. The natural process of time was hastened by opinion in high quarters. William 3 was a severe moralist, and Anne, his successor, was of the same character. Thus we soon see a new tone in the writing of the time and a new attitude to life and morals. Addison, in an early number of The Spectator, puts the new fashion in his own admirable way.
" I shall Endeavor to enliven morality with wit, and to temper with morality.’’
Another development of the same spirit is seen in the revised opinion of women, who are treated with new respect and dignity. Much coarseness is still to be felt, especially in which Swift, for instance, can be quite vile; but the general upward tendency is undoubtedly there.
Neoclassical poetry
Neoclassical poetry is characterized as such because it reflects the ideas of the neoclassical period in history, which occurred in the 17th and 18th centuries. Some of the major themes during this period included the importance of reason, morality, and order. In both content and form, these themes were emphasized in neoclassical poetry.
" In poetry, the tradition continued of brilliant topical satire and of didactic poetry that frequently was more tedious than brilliant. Appeal was normally sought to what was variously called Reason, Nature, or Common Sense. Polish and elegance of form were of more importance than subtlety or originality of thought." So Moody and Lovett comment on the poetry of this period.
Major poets :
Alexander Pope (1688-1744). Born in 1688, Pope wrote tolerable verse when he was twelve years old. He was the son of a London tradesman. His tiny and delicate physical constitution, and his faith in Roman Cathlicism greatly influenced his career as a poet. Due to his ill health he was privately educated, and could not cultivate the knowledge of the world of nature or of the world of human heart. By reason of the sweeping laws against the entrance of Catholics into public service, he was shut out from the ordinary career of Englishmen in Parliament, the Church, or the Army. So, he dedicated his whole life to literature. Other men of letters of his age had other engagements but he rose only to be a poet. W. J. Long remarks: "Swift was a clergeyman and politician, Addison was Secretary of State, other writers depended on patrons or politics or pensions for fame and a livelihood; but Pope was independent, and had no profession, but literature." Pope received very little school education, but he privately studied English books and picked up a smattering of the classics.
Matthew Prior's (1664-1721) first work is a parody of Dryden's The Hind and the Panther, entitled The Town and Country Mouse (1687). It was written in collaboration with Charles Montagu. His other works are Alma, or The Progress of the Mind (1718) and Solomon on the Vanity of the World (1718). Alma is an imitation of Butler's Hudibras and Solomon is written in heroic couplet. Prior's longer poems lack in strength, power and passion. Prior's reputation rests on his shorter pieces which are The Chameleon, The Thief and the Cordelier, and a number of poems, To Chole.
John Gay (1685-1732) is best remembered for his Fables (1727), which is colloquial, easy, octosyllabic, and The Beggar's Opera (1728), which is a famous play. It contains some pretty songs and much genuine but boisterous humour. Gay's chief poetic works are The Rural Sports (1713), written in the heroic couplet, The Shepherd's Week (1714), What d' Ye Call It (1715), a pastoral farce, and Trivia or The Art of Walking the Streets of London (1716), a witty parody of the heroic style. Gay mirrors the manners and outward show of his
John Gay (1685-1732) is best remembered for his Fables (1727), which is colloquial, easy, octosyllabic, and The Beggar's Opera (1728), which is a famous play. It contains some pretty songs and much genuine but boisterous humour. Gay's chief poetic works are The Rural Sports (1713), written in the heroic couplet, The Shepherd's Week (1714), What d' Ye Call It (1715), a pastoral farce, and Trivia or The Art of Walking the Streets of London (1716), a witty parody of the heroic style. Gay mirrors the manners and outward show of his age.
Edward Young (1683-1765) wrote varied kind of poetry. His Last Day (1714) and The Force of Religion (1714) are moralizings written in the heroic couplet. The Love of Fame (1725-28) shows an advance in the use of the heroic couplet. He is remembered for The Complaint or Night Thoughts on Life, Death and Immortality (1742), which is written in the blank verse. It was occasioned by the death of his wife. It is a lengthy poem of sententious reflection and shows considerable technical skill in the management of the blank verse, but it is handicapped by a stilted, theatrical phraseology. It anticipates the "Churchyard School" of poetry.
Samuel Garth's (1661-1719) The Dispensary (1699) is a satire on the Society of Apothecaries. It is written in the couplet.
⇨ William Somerville (1675-1742) wrote The Chase, a gloomy and sombre poem, imitating the 'Churchyard School' of poetry.
Conclusion :
Thus, We can say that such characteristics were there during 18th century which were reflect by play, drama, novel, poetry and other literary arts. Reflection of society and behavior of contemporary time.
