Genre Studies- Unit-II Neoclassical Age

 Neoclassical Age

Prose Writers

Introduction

• Matthew Arnold called the 18th century “Age of prose and reason”.

• Printing and paper became cheap in the period. so books became easily available.

• Reading middle class emerged that was hungry for socio-political debate. 

• Prose, periodicals and novels flourished in this period.

Periodicals

• 2 types of periodicals – Magazine Miscellany and Review. 

• Former emphasized on cultural and social aspects the latter was mostly of literary content. 

• The periodicals were promoted by clubs and coffee houses. 

• The Daily Courant: first periodical in England, in 1702.

• Periodical essays were on social and cultural issues with mild criticism. These essays later evolved into novels.

• Many essayists were engaged in politics

Daniel Defoe (1660-1731)

• Earliest of the prose writers.

• He was a novelist, journalist and entrepreneur.

• Defoe’s articled were published in the periodical The Review 1704-1713.

❖ Essay on Projects: His early work on trade, banking insurance etc.

❖ The Shortest Way with the Dissenters 1702: Being a dissenter favored religious toleration. Satire on Anglican Tories. He was pilloried for writing this work.

❖ Hymn to the Pillory: in response to the pillory he wrote the poem and people threw flowers instead of stones on him.

Jonathan Swift and The Battle of the Books

• Irish satirist and poet.

• Prodigy of William Temple.

• The Battle of the Books a prose satire on the dispute between Ancients and Moderns. 

• Supported Temple’s Essay upon the Ancient and Modern Learning this was attacked by William and Richard Bentley.

• It was a prologue to the work A Tale of Tub. An allegorical mock-heroic set in the St James Library.

The Whig Years

• Swift began religious writings in 1707 and 

published many works.

• He was a staunch Anglican as well as a Whig supporter.

• He published many works including 

❖ Argument Against Abolishing Christianity

❖ Sentiments of a Church of England Man

Other Pamphlets

❖ A Short View of the Present State of Ireland: Criticized the practice of absentee landlordism and points out that half of the revenue of Ireland is spent in England.

❖ A Modest Proposal :Preventing the children of poor people from being a burden to their parents. The work is notoriously powerful, Irish people should fatten their children and sell them as food to England, if the Irish people cant stand the English.

Joseph Addison (1672-1719)

• Classical scholar, influenced by Latin poetry and a Whig politician.

• He contributed anonymously in Steele’s Tatler from1709-1711.

• In 1711, Addison and Steele founded the periodical The Spectator.

• Addison has written almost 400 essays with of uniform length.

• Mild criticism on serious as well as light themes.

• Variety of social aspects were faithfully observed by Addison.

Richard Steele (1672-1729)

• Essayist and playwright.

• Born in Dublin.

• Founded many periodicals like The Tatler, The Spectator, The Guardian, Englishman etc.

• It is said about Steele that “He sowed that other men might reap”, because he was not benefitted from writing. 

• Steele’s approach was emotional and sentimental.

• He had fertile ideas, lacked skills of application.

• He quarreled with Addison on political issues.

Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

• Dr. Johnson lived in an age when pre-Romantic ideas were gaining acceptability more than neoclassicism.

• He had ailments of the eyes and ears which gave him a peculiar character.

• Tory views were loudly expressed.

• He wrote in a style called ‘Johnsonese’, which was pompous, artificial and verbose. A style which best suited the serious themes

• He was a pre-eminent member of an intellectual circle that included Edmund Burke, Joshua Reynolds and Adam Smith.

The Rambler

• Johnson published a series of periodicals from 1750-1752.

• Appeared twice a week, Tuesdays and 

Saturdays.

• Written in elevated neoclassical prose.

• Variety of themes like, morality, literature, 

society, religion etc. with serious tone.

• He also contributed to other series of essays, like The Idler, The Adventure etc.

Rasselas 

• Written in 1759.

• Subtitle: “The Prince of Abyssinia”

• A collection of Rambler essays, with neoclassical values.

• Critics says that he wrote this book to make money for his mother’s funeral.

• An oriental tale of the hero Rasselas is traveling with is friend Imlac, a neoclassical thinker.

• An allegory on life.