Survey of European Literature PDF

**SURVEY OF EUROPEAN LITERATURE** **BAROQUE LITERATURE** - Baroque literature was created between the 16^th^ and 18^th^ centuries. It is generally defined as featuring between the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods. - Throughout this period, writers were interested in using **liter...

**SURVEY OF EUROPEAN LITERATURE** **BAROQUE LITERATURE** - Baroque literature was created between the 16^th^ and 18^th^ centuries. It is generally defined as featuring between the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods. - Throughout this period, writers were interested in using **literary devices** quite heavily. These included examples of **metaphors and symbols.** - Religious themes, those that were approved by the Roman Catholic Church, were also quite popular. - ***Paradise Lost*** was published by **John Milton in 1667**. It's an epic poem or a long, narrative work of poetry. It details the Biblical story of the **"Fall of Man."** It includes details about the temptation of Adam and Eve by Satan and what happened after their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. It also features Satan as one of the primary characters. **ENLIGHTENMENT (CIRCA 1700-1800)** The Enlightenment, or Age of Reason, was a cultural and intellectual movement that spread across Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. Characterized by a strong belief in reason, skepticism toward traditional authority (particularly religious), and a focus on individual liberty, it significantly influenced political, economic, and social structures. The era was marked by the rise of "print culture," with books, pamphlets, and newspapers becoming more accessible and allowing Enlightenment ideas to reach a broader audience. This period also witnessed a challenge to the established hierarchies, including the divine right of kings and the power of the church. Enlightenment thinkers focused on human nature, the relationship between government and its citizens, property, rights, and laws. As industrialization and societal changes took hold, these ideas laid the groundwork for the French and American revolutions. **Key themes included:** - The belief in the power of human reason to improve society - Advocacy for natural rights and liberty - Criticism of absolute monarchy and the church - The rise of secularism and emphasis on scientific progress **NOTABLE ENLIGHTENMENT WORKS AND THEIR AUTHORS**: - Mary Wollstonecraft: Vindication of the Rights of Women - Jonathan Swift: Gulliver's Travels - Voltaire: Candide - Adam Smith: The Wealth of Nations - John Locke: An Essay Concerning Human Understanding ***ROMANTIC PERIOD (CIRCA 1798-1870)*** The Romantic period emerged in the late 18th century as a reaction against the rationalism and industrialization of the Enlightenment. Romanticism emphasized intense emotion, individualism, and the sublime power of nature, as well as a break from the structured rules of classical literature. The movement embraced imagination, freedom of expression, and an idealization of the past, particularly medieval themes. Romantic authors rejected the Enlightenment's focus on reason and instead highlighted the irrational, the emotional, and the mystical aspects of life. The movement was often paired with Gothic elements---dark, supernatural, and tragic themes that contributed to a heightened sense of drama in literature. **Key themes included:** 1. The primacy of emotion over reason 2. A deep reverence for nature 3. The glorification of the individual and personal experience 4. The exploration of the dark and mysterious sides of life (Gothic literature) **NOTABLE ROMANTIC PERIOD WORKS AND THEIR AUTHORS**: - Samuel Taylor Coleridge: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Lyrical Ballads - Lord Byron: Don Juan, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage - William Wordsworth: The Prelude - Friedrich Schlegel: Lucinde - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: The Sorrows of Young Werther, Faust - Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel: Phenomenology of Mind ***POST-ROMANTICISM PERIOD (CIRCA 1870-1900)*** The Post-Romantic period followed the intense emotionalism of Romanticism and shifted focus toward critical social engagement and a deeper exploration of the individual\'s place within a rapidly industrializing society. As industrialization and urbanization reshaped society, Post-Romantic writers reflected on the complexities of modern life and the personal and societal conflicts it brought. While Romanticism was largely about emotion and nature, Post-Romanticism turned inward, addressing societal issues such as class struggles, the roles of religion and science, and individual moral dilemmas. These works often took on a more critical stance toward progress, reflecting the growing skepticism of industrialized, modern societies. **Key themes included:** 1. Self-reflection and psychological exploration 2. The critique of social and political systems 3. The tension between progress and nostalgia for a more idealized past 4. The impact of industrialization and modernity on society **NOTABLE POST-ROMANTICISM PERIOD WORKS AND THEIR AUTHORS:** - Charles Dickens: Oliver Twist, Great Expectations - William Makepeace Thackeray: Vanity Fair - The Brontë Sisters: Charlotte (Jane Eyre), Emily (Wuthering Heights), Anne (The Tenant of Wildfell Hall) - Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Sonnets from the Portuguese - Matthew Arnold: Dover Beach **REFERENCES**: Gräff, R. (2025). Europe Facts. Kids-World-Travel-Guide.com. https://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/europe-facts.html  StudySmarter Editorial Team. (2023). European Literature. StudySmarter. https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations Poetry Analysis. (n.d.). Baroque. Poetry Analysis. https://poemanalysis.com/movement/baroque/ https://www.britannica.com/art/English-literature/The-post-Romantic-and-Victorian-eras https://www.scribd.com/presentation/546645822/History-of-European-Literature