The-Eighteenth-Century(1688-1788)

PartIVTheEnlightenmentCenturyTheAgeofReason(1688——1780)I.SocialBackgroundII.TheIdeologicalandCulturalMovementIII.TheNeoclassicismIV.LiteratureofthetimeI.SocialbackgroundAftertheGloriousRevolution,WhigandTorywereestablished.Theformeronerepresentedtheinterestsofthemoneyedclass,whilethelatteronerepresentedtheroyalists.thetalkbetweenWhigandTory1.InpoliticsI.SocialbackgroundGeorgeHanover(GeorgeI):comingfromtheGermanHanoverianHouse,hewasabsolutelyafigurehead.Theconstitutionalmonarchywasfurtherconsolidatedtoguaranteethecontrollingpowerofthebourgeoisie.1.InpoliticsAnotherthingwhichneedsattentionisthatinthatperiodEnglandfoughtmanywarswithFrance,Spain,etc.2.InMilitaryAffair:InthosewarsEnglandroseasavictormakingitthestrongestcountryinnavyandeconomyandconsiderablystretchingitsoccupiedlandoverseesextendingfromthewestofCanadatotheeastofIndia.AnislandoftheBritishWestIndiesIn1769,JamesWattinventedthesteamengine.Britainbecametheworld’snumberonecapitalistandimperialistcountry.AdamSmithpublishedAnInquiryintotheNatureandCausesoftheWealthofNations,aclassicpieceinpoliticaleconomics.3.InEconomyTheappearanceofUnitarianismwasasteptowardDeism,foritadvocatedoneGodinsteadofthetrinity,andthatoneGodgraduallybecameidenticaltotheNatureChristianitybecamemoreindividualised4.InReligionII.TheIdeologicalandCulturalMovementEnlightenmentwasanintelligentmovementbeganatthebeginningofthe18thcenturyinEurope.Thismovementwas,onthewhole,anexpressionofthebourgeoisagainstfeudalism.TheEnlightenmentfoughtagainstclassinequality,stagnation,prejudicesandothersurvivalsoffeudalism.Theyalwaystemptedtoplaceallbranchesofscienceattheserviceofmankindbyconnectingthemwiththeactualneedsandrequirementsofpeople.TherepresentativesoftheEnlightenmentinEnglandliteraturewereJosephAddisonandRichardSteel,theessayists,andAlexanderPope,thepoetII.TheIdeologicalandCulturalMovementMostoftheEnglishwriterswereEnlighteners.Theyfellintotwogroups—themoderategroupandtheradicalgroup.ThemoremoderateEnlightenerssupportedtheprinciplesoftheexistingsocialorderandconsideredthatpartialreformswouldbesufficient.ThefamouswritersareAlexanderPope,JosephAddison,RichardSteel,DanielDefoeandSamuelRichardson.TheradicalEnlightenersstruggledformoreresolutedemocratizationinthemanagementofthegovernment,anddefendedtheinterestsoftheexploitedmasses,thepeasantsandtheworkingpeopleinthecities.TherepresentativesareJonathanSwift,HenryFielding,TobiasGeorgeSmollett,OliverGoldsmithandRichardBrinsleySheridan.II.TheIdeologicalandCulturalMovementa.Politicalwritings:theriseofthepoliticalpartiesledtotheappearanceofpamphletwarsofpoliticalwritingsattractingmanywriterstoworkforeitherofthepartiesorbothalternatively.b.Theriseofnewspapersandmagazines:thereasonfortherise:Bothpartieshadtheirrespectiveonestoexpresstheiropinions.Theriseofthemiddleclassdemandedentertainmentandeducationandtheyneedtoexpresstheirviewstoo.c.Coffeehouses:wherepeoplegatheredtoexchangeideasandthustheyhelptodeterminetheliterarytrendofthetimed.Thenewmorality:TheemphasisonreasonThedevelopmentoftoleranceofdifferentopinionsinpoliticsandreligione.Theinfluenceofscienceandtechnology:PrincipiaMathematicain1687byNewton(1642——1727)ThenewepistemologyofJohnLocke(1632——1704)f.Frenchinfluence——Augustanism——neoclassicismstressingtolearnfromtheclassicalsIII.NeoclassicismTheAgeofNeoclassicism:TherepresentativewritersofthisperiodlikePopeandSwiftadmireandfollowthestylesofancientpoetsunderthereignofRomanEmperorAugustus(27BC-14AD),thisperiodinEnglishliteraryhistoryisalsonamedtheAugustanAgeinametaphoricalmanner.TheAgeofReason:Writersemphasizedonthecentury’sspiritofworshippingreasonandtheireffortstoabidebywritingrulesguidedbyreason.1Reasonratherthanemotionandformratherthancontentwereemphasized.2Mostofthewritingsatthetimeweredidacticandsatirical.Thecharacteristicsofneoclassicism3.Theclosedcouplet(acoupletinwhichthetwolinesformacompleteunitofthought)wastheonlypossibleverseformforseriousworkforelegance,correctness,appropriatenessandrestraintwerepreferred.4.Itisexclusivelya“town”poetry,cateringtotheinterestsofthe“society”ingreatcities.Thehumbleraspectoflifeareneglectedanditshowedinmostpartnoloveofnature,landscape,orcountrythingsandpeople,thoughThomsonpublishedthefirstofhisnaturepoems,Winterasearlyasafter17266Anageofprose,especiallythelatterpartthecentury5LacksoftheromanticelementsandhostiletomedievalliteratureIV.Literatureofthetime:TheMajorwriters:1.DanielDefoe2.JonathanSwift3.JosephAddison4.AlexanderPope5.SamuelJohnson6.HenryFieldding7.ThomasGray8.RichardBrinsleySheridan9.RobertBurns10.WilliamBlakePartIVTheEnlightenmentCenturyTheAgeofReasonI.SocialBackgroundII.TheIdeologicalandCulturalMovementIII.TheNeoclassicismIV.LiteratureofthetimeTheMajorLiteraryForms1Poetry2Prose3FictionTheChiefRepresentativesofPoetry1.Neoclassic:AlexanderPope2.SentimentalTopographicalpoetryGraveyardpoet3.Pre-romanticTheScottishBard1.AlexanderPope(1688-1744)hewasdeformedandself-educated.heworkedhardagainstpoorhealthandunfavorableconditionsandgainedaprofoundknowledgeofboththeclas