Summary of English Literature and Literary Analysis
English Literature and Literary Analysis: Student's Guide
Introduction
The period from the mid-17th century through the 18th century in Britain covers major political, social, and literary changes: the Civil War and Interregnum, the Restoration of 1660, the Augustan Age, and the rise of the modern novel. Writers responded to shifting power, expanding cities, and new print cultures. This guide summarizes key movements, authors, and features, with examples and practical uses for study and research.
1. Historical and Cultural Context
1.1 Timeline and big shifts
- 1660: Restoration of Charles II after the Puritan Republic
- 1660–1700: Restoration literary climate (drama, wit, French influences)
- 1700–1745: Augustan Age (classical models, balance, satire)
- 18th century: Expansion of print culture, growth of the middle class, and the emergence of the novel
Definition: The "Restoration" refers to the return of the monarchy in 1660 and the cultural climate that followed, including renewed theatre and social satire.
1.2 Social forces shaping literature
- Urbanization and commercial growth produced a large, literate middle class
- Printing technology, newspapers, magazines, and circulating libraries spread texts beyond aristocratic circles
- Enlightenment values emphasized reason, observation, and interest in human behavior
2. Major Literary Tendencies
2.1 Neoclassical tendencies (late 17th century into 18th)
- Reaction against instability: writers sought order, harmony, and control
- Classicism: models from ancient Greece and Rome guided taste and form
- Emphasis on clarity, balance, moderation, and social decorum
Definition: "Neoclassicism" is a literary movement that values classical models, formal restraint, and reasoned balance in art and literature.
Practical example: When reading an Augustan poem, look for controlled diction, regular verse, and moral or social commentary rather than overt emotional display.
2.2 Cavalier poets (influenced by Ben Jonson)
- Representative poets: Robert Herrick, Richard Lovelace, John Suckling
- Shared features:
- Emphasis on control and moderation
- Celebration of loyalty, honor, beauty, friendship
- Enjoyment of simple pleasures and courtly pastimes
- Avoidance of excessive emotional intensity
Example: A Cavalier lyric often praises a patron, a love interest, or a convivial scene using polished language and classical allusion.
2.3 John Milton — a complex figure
- Milton blends Puritan seriousness, classical education, and political commitment
- Key themes: obedience, free will, rebellion, divine authority, and the nature of evil
- Important prose and poetry:
- Political prose defending conscience and press freedom (notably Areopagitica)
- Early poems: "On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity," "Comus," "Lycidas"
- Epic: "Paradise Lost" (1667)
Definition: "Areopagitica" is Milton’s famous 1644 pamphlet arguing against pre-publication censorship and for freedom of expression.
Real-world application: Use Milton’s political prose when studying the development of free speech arguments in English intellectual history; use his epic to trace theological and philosophical debates of the mid-17th century.
3. The Restoration and the Augustan Age (1660–1745)
3.1 Restoration drama and culture (1660–1700)
- Drama returns to prominence: the theatre reopens after Puritan suppression
- Comedy of manners becomes dominant: witty, urban, satirical plays that mock upper-class manners and hypocrisy
- French influences: court fashion and stylistic borrowings (Charles II had been in France)
Example: Restoration comedies often stage love intrigues, disguise scenes, and barbed social
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Restoration to Neoclassicism
Klíčové pojmy: Restoration marks 1660 return of monarchy and revived theatre, Neoclassicism values order, balance, and classical models, Cavalier poets emphasize moderation, honor, and simple pleasures, Milton combines Puritan seriousness, classical epic form, and political writing, Areopagitica argues against censorship and for free expression, Restoration drama centers on comedy of manners and social satire, Augustan Age prizes clarity, proportion, and satirical public commentary, Expansion of print culture and middle-class readership enables the novel, Use secondary sources to support, not replace, your original argument, Close reading requires attention to form, context, and authorial stance, Research workflow: skim, read closely, annotate, cross-reference, summarize, When analyzing works, connect literary features to social and political history