CH 9: Introduction to 17th- and 18th-Century Literature: Major Authors and Works

Question 1

17th century time frame

Answer 1

1600s

Question 2

18th century time frame

Answer 2

1700s

Question 3

Early 17th century: Jacobean Era / Renaissance Era

Answer 3

• Metaphysical poets: extremely clever and crafty with their words / meditated on heavy subjects like religion and love / intricate phrasing and extended metaphors / often talking about really important things
• printing press: allowed literature to be mass produced for the first time

Question 4

Late 17th century: The Caroline / Interregnum & Restoration

Answer 4

• metaphysical poetry kept going

- restoration comedy

Question 5

18th century: Augustan Era / The Neoclassicism

Answer 5

• rise of the early novel

- licensing act of 1737 - encouraged controversial thinkers to turn to novels

Question 6

Neoclassical Literature Characteristics

Answer 6

• [1660-1798]
• tried to imitate style of romans and greeks
• british political upheaval
• characterized by order, accuracy, and structure
• portrayed man as inherently flawed
• conservatism flourished
• parody / essays / satire / letters / fables / melodramas / rhyming with couplets
• brought a sense of stability and decorum to writers
• praised wit and parody
• careful moral appearances

Question 7

The Restoration Period

Answer 7

• [1660-1688]
• Charles II: restoring of english monarchial form of government
• innovative and varied writing
• definitively religious to satirical and risque
• the glorious revolution
• influence from enlightenment - defined by emphasis on reason and logic
• humility towards human reason
• return of the theatre
• restoration comedy - frequently crass, largely sexual, and often focused on the interactions of the elite members of english society
• poetry was strongly influenced by the political context of 17th century
• restoration poetry - the glory and powerful potential of human beings to understand and improve the world
  
  • outlined ways to live and write and think for yourself
• emphasis on classical literature
• topics - classical / religion / traditional
• heroic couplets - rhyming lines of iambic pantameter
  
  • each line has 5 iambs [metrical feet made up of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable]
    
    • “away”
  • continued to be popular for next 100 years
• evolution of formal prose - philosophical and religious texts
• formal journalism
• prose fiction finds its roots here