Thinking activity on the Neoclassical age

This blog based on the Neoclassical age:thinking activity of assigned by Vaidehi ma'am. In this blog one can find the definitions of Neoclassicism and the Romanticism, the difference between that two age as well as the most prominent writer during that time Alexander pope and his work Rape of the Lock in PPT and the main themes of Neoclassical age.

1.Comparison of the general characteristics of the Elizabethan age and Neoclassical age:

 • Introduction:

Neoclassicism and romanticism are often considered to be opposing movements. The main difference between neoclassicism and romanticism is that neoclassicism emphasized on objectivity, order, and restraint whereas romanticism emphasized on imagination and emotion.

 • What is neoclassicism ?

Neoclassicism is a movement in literature that drew inspiration from the classical age. The writers of this period tried to imitate the style of Greeks and Romans. This movement, which was a reaction against the renaissance, lasted from about 1660 and 1798. John Milton, Alexander Pope, Voltaire, John Dryden, Jonathan Swift and Daniel Defoe are some well-known neoclassical writers. Parody, essays, satire, novels and poetry are some popular genres in this movement.

Neoclassicism was based on classical themes and forms. Structure, restraint, simplicity, decorum, order, logic, and objectivity were the main features of neoclassical literature. These were classical virtues which neoclassical writers admired and attempted to imitate. In his “An Essay on Criticism”, Alexander Pope describes the benefits of order and restraint as follows.

“Tis more to guide than spur the Muse’s Steed;

Restrain his Fury, than provoke his Speed;

The winged Courser, like a gen’rous Horse,

Shows most true Mettle when you check his Course”

This movement can be typically divided into three periods:

The Restoration Age (1660 to 1700):  This period marks the British King’s restoration to the throne. It is marked by Classical influence.

The Augustan Age (1700 to 1750): The Augustans believed that their period was similar to that of Augustus Ceaser in Rome, which was a period of tranquility and stability. 

The Age of Johnson (1750 to 1798): Also called the Age of Transition, this stage was marked by the upcoming Romantic ideals and influence and slow transition from neoclassical ideals to romantic ones. 

 • What is Romanticism?

Romanticism is a literary movement that lasted from about 1789 to 1832. This can be described as a reaction against industrial revolution and neoclassicism. The main feature of this movement is its emphasis on imagination, subjectivity, and emotion. William Wordsworth words in his preface to Lyrical ballads describes this emphasis on imagination and emotion as follows:

“For all good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: and though this be true, Poems to which any value can be attached were never produced on any variety of subjects but by a man who, being possessed of more than usual organic sensibility, had also thought long and deeply.”

William Wordsworth, John Keats, Lord Byron, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Walter Scott, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelly, and William Blake are some famous writers in the Romantic Movement. This movement drew inspiration from Medieval and Baroque eras and its main themes were nature, legends, pastoral life, and supernatural elements.

•  Difference Between Neoclassicism and Romanticism:

1.Period

Neoclassicism: Neoclassicism lasted from about 1660 and 1798.

Romanticism: Romanticism lasted from about1789 to 1832.

2.Emphasis

Neoclassicism: Neoclassicism emphasized on structure, restraint, and objectivity.

Romanticism: Romanticism emphasized on imagination, emotion, and subjectivity.

3.Inspiration

Neoclassicism: Neoclassicism drew its inspiration from Classical age (Greeks and Romans).

Romanticism: Romanticism drew its inspiration from Medieval and Baroque eras.

4.Themes

Neoclassicism: Greek and Roman history, bravery, restraint, and courage were major themes in neoclassicism.

Romanticism: Nature, legends, and pastoral life were major themes in romanticism.

5.Tone

Neoclassicism: Neoclassical writers used a calm, rational tone.

Romanticism: Romantic writers used a spontaneous, sometimes moody tone.

6.Writers

Neoclassicism: John Milton, Alexander Pope, Voltaire, John Dryden, Jonathan Swift and Daniel Defoe are some well-known neoclassic writers.

Romanticism: William Wordsworth, John Keats, Lord Byron, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Walter Scott, Percy Bysshe Shelley are some well-known writers of this movement.

 • Conclusion:

To sum up, we can say that both ages have rapid changes in so many forms. The Elizabethan age is the beginning of the Renaissance in English literature while neoclassical followed the rules and regulation, Both ages are quite different from each other. The Elizabethan age represents the freshness of each and every field while neoclassical followed the rules and regulations.

2.Who is your favourite  writer and favourite text from the Neoclassical Age? And how was he different from other writers? And the one thing that I want to mantioned about this neoclassical age .

 • Introduction:

Writers and craftsmen including Alexander Pope, John Dryden, Jonathan Swift and Josiah Wedgwood found inspiration in the classical period. Among all these neoclassical writers, Alexander pope is one of my favourite writer. And my favourite text is "Rape of the Lock" which is written by him. 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1-AEeVFa--Udp17E1E7SBArGAqDl_GZKc/edit?usp=drivesdk&ouid=103786789685062551548&rtpof=true&sd=true (presentation link of Alexander pope) 

Pope significantly employs two of these writing styles in Rape of the Lock; the use of classical models and the use of satire in order to correct human flaws.

Satire- Pope uses satire in this poem to paint a portrait of England at this time and to point out its moral flaws. The main apparent satire is of course the comparison of Belinda’s stolen lock to the abduction of Helen of Troy. By making a huge deal out of such a trivial thing, Pope is mocking his society. He believes that many of England’s faults comes from the fact that British society is too concerned with frivolities and trivialities and is very self-absorbed. If the biggest problem these people have is that a lock of hair is stolen from a girl, then they have it pretty good, and Pope uses this poem in an attempt to hold a mirror up to his own society. He wants them to see that their “woes” are not woes at all, and that they need to start worrying about more important things in life because the life that they currently lead is devoid of any meaning; the people in it exist solely to dress up and engage in petty fights.

Pope’s piece is also special because it was the first mock-epic, which is in fact a sort of combination of the use of classical models and satire. Pope modeled his poem after his own translation of Homer’s The Iliad, a classical Greek epic, yet also employed the use of satire to create a mock-epic. Because the nature of the problem, Belinda’s stolen lock of hair, is in fact quite trivial, Pope’s assertion that it is in fact of the utmost importance creates the satire that forms the “mock” part of the mock-epic.

Pope and many writers of the 18th Century tending to use Greek and Roman mythology for their dramatic effect. Most Greek and Roman myths are over-the-top with exaggeration and have extreme plot lines as their backbones. Over-dramatic works were perfect for writers like Pope who were hoping to make mockery of real-life situations. By using Greek and Roman mythology, writers were able to have a well-known topic to construct their pieces from, playing on the fact that both would be very over-done. The myths could be used as comparisons to the trivial problems of the 18th Century society. Since society’s priorities were mixed up, writers of the time could use myths as examples of just how absurd people were acting. Because of his style of satire and his way of writing and contribution towards literature, he became different from all other writers during his time and from Elizabethan literature. 

The things that I want to mentioned in this blog about the neoclassical age is , Clean, crisp lines replaced the twists and turns of Rococo art, and color was generally toned down. The subject matter often involved Greek or Roman myths, as well as the epic stories of ancient heroes, such as Achilles and Hector.Writers of the Neoclassical period tried to imitate the style of the Romans and Greeks. Thus the combination of the terms 'neo,' which means 'new,' and 'classical,' as in the day of the Roman and Greek classics. This was also the era of The Enlightenment, which emphasized logic and reason. It was preceded by The Renaissance and followed by the Romantic era. In fact, the Neoclassical period ended in 1798 when Wordsworth published the Romantic 'Lyrical Ballads'.

Thanks for reading......

Have a great time.