THE HISTORY OF NEO-CLASSICAL AGE

on
The Neo classical Age

THE HISTORY OF NEO-CLASSICAL AGE :      

  • First of all , the blog is about Neo-classical age. The term Neoclassicism is a combination of two words: NEO and CLASSIC. The word Neo has been derived from a Greek word Neos, which means young and new, while the word Classic , according to the Webster Dictionary , refers to the style and works of the ancient authors of Greek and Rome.
  • The period is called neoclassical because its writers looked to the ideals and art forms of classical times, emphasizing even more than their Renaissance predecessors the classical ideals of order and rational control.
  • The neo-classical literature was written between 1660 and 1798. This time period is broken down into three parts: 

                          (1) The Restoration Age 
                          (2) The Augustan Age 
                          (3) Age of Johnson or The Age of Transition
  • In this era most prominent writers was John Dryden, Samuel Johnson, Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope.

1. Tom jones as Picaresque Novel.

  • The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, often known simply as Tom Jones, is comic novel by English playwrights and novelist Henry Fielding. It is picaresque novel. It was first published on 28 February 1749 in London.
  • Spanish word 'picaro' meaning a rouge or knave or a villain. He confronts theives, rescue and beautiful damsels and fall in love. He fights duels, suffors and highly-unexpected behaviour. The chief characteristic of the Picaresque novel are picaro and adventure. Mostly he wanders on the highways. The protagonist has to move from place to place, from people to people.


  • In fact, the novelist paints the society as a whole. This form gives the novelist enough scope to throw light on the life, culture and morality of the age. Fielding's Tom Jones has been considered a picaresque novel.E
  •  It reflect the major characteristic of the picarseque form.Tom Jones, the protagonist of the novel and illegitimate child. He is turned out of home by his patron. The one-third of the novel depicts Tom's adventuresin the countryside. Molly's battle in the churchyard and tom's escapade with Molly in the bushes are in picaresque tradition
  • When Allworthy dismisses Tom in Book, he takes the road to bristol. Here the picaresque nature of the novel becomes evident. In this novel one can find Tom's involvement in some breathtaking adventures on the roadside. As the protagonist passes through various scenes, meets with various incidents. He comesin contact with a great variety of characters. He joins the army. He rescues the man of the hill. 
  • Tom fights several times for a good cause. He  saves mrs.Waters. He stays at the upon Inn. Here some comedies take place. Tom continue on the roadside. He meets many thrilling and sensational incidents take palce. Once he is arrested and presented before civil magistrate. In this way fielding employs a lot of picaresque elements.
  • In short, Tom Jones has a lot of picaresque elements. But in many respects it does not follow the picaresque tradition. Its hero is not rouge. He is kind, generous and sensitive person. He is a man of helping attitude. The aim of novelist is definately novel, moral. Its plots construction differs from the picaresque novel. Thus it can be said that though Tom Jones has a lot of elements of picaresque novel, but it is not a regular picaresque novel.

2. Write in brief about your favourite major/minor - writer/poet of the age.

Alexander Pope : 


                   ( Born : 21 May 1688 .
                     Died : 30 May 1744 .)

  • Alexander Pope was English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century. He was born in London. His life is full of suffered but his passion of writing made him most famous.  
  • Pope 's education was affected by the recently enacted Acts, which banned Catholics from teaching, attending a university, voting and holding public office.
  • He educated himself through extensive studying and reading , especially poetry. But his health very week in his childhood . He suffered from curvature of the spine. He was not much height.He has also warmhearted and generous in his affection for his many friends.
  • Pope was precocious as a child and attracted the notice of a bookseller who published his Pastorals in 1709.
Pope's Villa at Twickenham.

  • In the age of Augustan literature , Pope is best known for his satirical and not only one subject bt different subjects poetry including : 
        1. Rape The of the Lock  :  This poem published in 1712. The Rape of the Lock immediately made pope famous as a poet. It was long humorous poem in classical style. It was based on a true event that happened to people he know.


2. The dunciad: This upset Pope, who then he made Theobald the original hero of Dunciad. 


        3. An Essay on Criticism: An Essay on criticism is one of the first major poems written by the English writer Alexander Pope published in 1711. 

        4.Translation of Homer : Pope undertook the translation of Homer's lliad because he needed money and this opportunity gave him greatest achievement as a translator.
  • From 1725 to 1726 Pope was engaged in a version of odyssey. and he naturally received the biggest part of the profits. Pope also took several editorial works. Then, in 1725 pope's six volumes on the works of William Shakespeare were published. 
  • As Pope grew older he become more ill. He described his life as a " long disease," and asthma increased his sufferings in his last year. At times during the last month of his life he became delirious.
  • Pope died on May 30, 1744 ,and was buried in Twickenham Church. 

(3) Portrayal of humans in Neo-classical novels.

  • Neo-classical literature has been written in a period where social order was undergoing a tremendous change. In the so called Enlightenment Period. people believed that natural passions are not necessarily good, natural passion must be subordinated to social needs and be strictly controlled.
  • Authors believed that reason was the primary basis of authority. They believed that social needs are more important than individual needs. It is quite on contrary to its preceding age, in which emphasis was laid on individualism rather than the socialism.


  • The Age was considered man as limited being, having power. A large number of satires and works of the period attack the man for his pride and advise him to remain content with him to remain content with his limited power of knowledge. thus man in Neoclassical literature remains a being limited means and power.


  • In Neo-classical literature is characterized by order, accuracy, and structure. In direct opposition to Renaissance attitudes, where man was seen as basically good, the Neoclassical writer portrayed man as inherently flawed. They emphasized restraint , self-control, and common sense. 


                       THANK YOU!!!!!

Comments

Post a Comment