Literary Periods: Neoclassical and Restoration

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Questions and Answers

What characteristic of the Neoclassical Period is also referred to as the 'Enlightenment'?

Increased reverence for logic and disdain for superstition

What historical event in America occurred during the Neoclassical Period?

America's revolution against England

Which literary influences dominated poetry and drama during the Restoration Period?

French and Classical influences

Who are the prominent English writers of the Augustan Age?

Addison, Steele, Swift, and Alexander Pope Signup and view all the answers

What marks the transition toward Romanticism in the Age of Johnson?

The emergence of writers like Robert Burns, Thomas Gray, Cowper, and Crabbe Signup and view all the answers

What is the Neoclassical tendency in the Age of Johnson?

The representation of writers like Dr. Samuel Johnson, Boswell, and Edward Gibbon Signup and view all the answers

What is the equivalent period in America during the Age of Johnson?

The Colonial Period Signup and view all the answers

What intellectual movement did the Neoclassical Period witness against earlier Puritanism?

Deism Signup and view all the answers

What is the time period of the Neoclassical Period, also known as the Enlightenment Period?

c. 1660-1790 Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of the Neoclassical Period in literature?

Increased influence of Classical literature Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the literary movement that emerged during the Enlightenment Period?

Neoclassical Signup and view all the answers

What is the approximate time period during which the Enlightenment Period overlaps with the Caroline Age?

1625-1649 Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the Enlightenment Period in the context of English literature?

It marks a shift towards classical influences and forms Signup and view all the answers

How does the Enlightenment Period differ from the earlier periods of English literature?

It is marked by a renewed interest in Classical literature Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between the Enlightenment Period and the Commonwealth Period?

They are successive periods in English literary history Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary intellectual influence on literature during the Enlightenment Period?

Classical literature Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the Elizabethan Age in the context of literary movements?

The Elizabethan Age (1558-1603) is a significant period in literary history, marked by the flourishing of English literature, particularly in the works of William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. Signup and view all the answers

How do literary movements help in analyzing literary texts?

Literary movements help in analyzing literary texts by highlighting the social, cultural, economic, and political contexts in which they were written. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary feature of the Classical Greek Period in literary history?

The Classical Greek Period (800-200 BCE) is characterized by the emergence of renowned writers and philosophers such as Gorgias, Aesop, Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Euripides, and Sophocles. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the Romantic Period in literary history?

The Romantic Period (1785-1832) is a significant literary movement that emphasizes emotion, imagination, and individualism, marked by the works of writers such as William Wordsworth and John Keats. Signup and view all the answers

What are the key characteristics of the Homeric or Heroic Period in literary history?

The Homeric or Heroic Period (1200-800 BCE) is characterized by the oral transmission of Greek legends, including Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey, and is marked by a chaotic period of warrior-prince wandering sea-traders, and fierce pirates. Signup and view all the answers

How do literary movements help in categorizing authors and literary works?

Literary movements help in categorizing authors and literary works by identifying common features, time, place, and context. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the Renaissance in literary history?

The Renaissance (1500-1660) is a significant literary movement that marks a revival of classical learning and culture, characterized by the emergence of humanism and the works of writers such as William Shakespeare. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary feature of the Classical Roman Period in literary history?

The Classical Roman Period (200 BCE-455 CE) is characterized by the dominance of Roman power and culture, which gave way to Greek culture when Rome conquered Greece in 146 CE. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

The Neoclassical Period (Enlightenment)

Marked by the rise of Deism, intellectual backlash against Puritanism, and America's revolution against England
Characterized by increased reverence for logic and disdain for superstition

Restoration Period (c. 1660-1700)

Marks the British king's restoration to the throne after a long period of Puritan domination in England
Dominance of French and Classical influences on poetry and drama
Notable writers include John Dryden, John Lock, Sir William Temple, and Aphra Behn in England, and Jean Racine and Molière abroad

The Augustan Age (c. 1700-1750)

Marked by the imitation of Virgil and Horace's literature in English letters
Principal English writers include Addison, Steele, Swift, and Alexander Pope
Voltaire is the dominant French writer of this period

The Age of Johnson (c. 1750-1790)

Marks the transition toward the upcoming Romanticism, although still largely Neoclassical
Major writers include Dr. Samuel Johnson, Boswell, and Edward Gibbon, representing Neoclassical tendencies
Writers like Robert Burns, Thomas Gray, Cowper, and Crabbe show movement away from the Neoclassical ideal
In America, this period is called the Colonial Period, including colonial and revolutionary writers like Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Thomas Paine

Romantic Period (c. 1790-1830)

Romantic poets write about nature, imagination, and individuality in England
Notable Romantics include Coleridge, Blake, Keats, and Shelley in Britain, and Johann von Goethe in Germany
In America, this period is called the Transcendental Period, with Transcendentalists including Emerson and Thoreau
Gothic writings overlap with the Romantic and Victorian periods

Late or "High" Medieval Period (c. 1200-1485 CE)

Marked by the Middle English writings of Geoffrey Chaucer, the "Gawain" or "Pearl" Poet, the Wakefield Master, and William Langland
Other writers include Italian and French authors like Boccaccio, Petrarch, Dante, and Christine de Pisan

The Renaissance and Reformation (c. 1485-1660 CE)

The Renaissance takes place in the late 15th, 16th, and early 17th century in Britain, somewhat earlier in Italy and southern Europe, and somewhat later in northern Europe

Early Tudor Period (1485-1558)

The Wars of the Roses ends in England with Henry Tudor (Henry VII) claiming the throne
Martin Luther's split with Rome marks the emergence of Protestantism, followed by Henry VIII's Anglican schism, creating the first Protestant church in England
Edmond Spencer is a sample poet

Elizabethan Period (1558-1603)

Queen Elizabeth saves England from both Spanish invasion and internal squabbles at home
Her reign is marked by the early works of Shakespeare, Marlowe, Kydd, and Sidney

Jacobean Period (1603-1625)

Shakespeare's later work, Aemilia Lanyer, Ben Jonson, and John Donne

Caroline Age (1625-1649)

John Milton, George Herbert, Robert Herrick, the "Sons of Ben" and others write during the reign of Charles I and his Cavaliers (The Cavalier Poets)

Commonwealth Period or Puritan Interregnum (1649-1660)

Under Cromwell's Puritan dictatorship, John Milton continues to write, but we also find writers like Andrew Marvell and Sir Thomas Browne

The Importance of Studying Literary Movements

Helps categorize authors, literary works, and topics according to common features, time, place, and context
Allows for comparison and contrast between different literary movements
Highlights the aspects of each movement and the contribution of each author
Analyzes literary texts regarding social, cultural, economic, and political contexts