Neoclassical Criticism PDF

NEOCLASSICAL CRITICISM JOHN DRYDEN & ALEXANDER POPE  Neoclassicism refers to a broad tendency in literature and art enduring from the early seventeenth century until around 1750. It comprised a return to the...

NEOCLASSICAL CRITICISM JOHN DRYDEN & ALEXANDER POPE  Neoclassicism refers to a broad tendency in literature and art enduring from the early seventeenth century until around 1750. It comprised a return to the classical models, literary styles, and values of ancient Greek and Roman authors. Neoclassicism The neoclassicists reacted sharply against what they perceived to be the stylistic excess, superfluous ornamentation, and linguistic over- sophistication of some Renaissance writers.  The neoclassicists reacted against this idealistic tendency in Renaissance poetics. 2   Unlike Renaissance critics, the neoclassicists were less ambiguous in their emphasis upon the classical values Neoclassicism of objectivity, impersonality, rationality, decorum, balance, harmony, proportion, and moderation.  The neoclassical writers reaffirmed literary composition as a rational and rule-bound process, requiring a great deal of craft, labour, and study.  They tended to insist on the separation of poetry and prose, the purity of each genre, and the hierarchy of genres. 3  Unlike Aristotle, the neoclassicists generally placed the epic above tragedy. The typical meters and verse forms of the neoclassical poets Neoclassicism were the alexandrine in France and the heroic couplet in England. Much neoclassical thought was marked by a recognition of human finitude. 4   Two of the concepts central to neoclassical literary theory and practice were “imitation” and “nature,” which were intimately related.  Imitation has two senses in neoclassical Neoclassical criticism  In one sense, it refers to the external world and, Concepts: primarily, of human action.  This sense was a reaffirmation of the ideals of objectivity Imitation and impersonality.  It also refers to the imitation of classical models, especially of Homer and Virgil.  These two aspects of imitation were often identified with the concept of “Nature” 5   The main streams of English neoclassical criticism were most pronounced by Neoclassicism  John Dryden in England  Alexander Pope 6 Alexander Pope (1688–1744)  Pope’s An Essay on Criticism (1711) is perhaps the clearest statement of neoclassical principles in any language.  An Essay on Criticism is written in verse, in the tradition of Horace’s Ars poetica.  Pope here not only delineates the scope and nature of good literary criticism, but redefines classical virtues in terms of “nature” and “wit,” as necessary to both poetry and criticism. 7 The Proper Role of the Critic  Pope points out that both the best poetry and the best criticism are divinely inspired.  He sees the endeavour of criticism as a noble one.  The critic must be conversant with every aspect of the author whom he is examining.  Pope insists that the critic bases his interpretation on the author’s intention.  The critic has to recognize the overall unity of a work, and thereby to avoid falling into partial assessments based on the author’s use of poetic conceits, ornamented language, meters, as well as judgments which are biased toward either archaic or modern styles or based on the reputations of given writers.  The critic needs to possess a moral sensibility, as well as a sense of balance and proportion. 8  The Proper Role of the Critic  For Pope, the qualities of a good critic are primarily attributes of humanity or moral sensibility rather than aesthetic qualities.  The only aesthetic quality that the critic needs is “taste.”  Pope’s central advice to both poet and critic is to “follow Nature”.  The features attributed to Nature include permanence or timelessness and universality.  Nature is a force which expresses the power of the divine of expressing the order, harmony, and beauty of God’s creation.  Nature provides the eternal and archetypal standard against which art must be measured.  The critic’s task here is to recognize the superiority of great wit. 9  Pope insists that the rules of nature were merely discovered, not invented, by the ancients.  Pope’s advice, for both critic and poet, is clear: “Learn hence for Ancient Rules a just Esteem; / To copy Nature is to copy Them”.  Neoclassicism calls for objectivity, rationality, reason and balance.  The Proper Role of the Poet  The poet task is twofold:  He has to find the expression that will most truly convey nature.  He has to ensure that the substance he is expressing is indeed a “natural” insight or thought.  What the poet must express is a universal truth which we will instantly recognize as such.  Pope urged organic unity and wholeness.  For Pope, the expression or style must be suited to the subject matter and meaning.  Pope advises both poet and critic to avoid extremes.  According to him, those who go to excess in any direction display great pride or little sense. 11   The neoclassical vision of nature was very different from the meanings later given to it by the Romantics.  The neoclassical writers saw the ancients as Neoclassical having already expressed the fundamental Concepts: laws of nature.  Hence, modern writers should follow the Nature path of imitation already paved by the ancients. 12