The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century Notes 1660

The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century Notes 1660 -1800

Restoration People from England Europe poured into North America n England was exhausted by war and disease, but produced many brilliant works of philosophy, art, and literature. n

This era has been labeled: Augustan Age and Neoclassical period: n Likened to Rome when Emperor Augustus restored peace and order after Julius Caesar was assassinated. n England restored their king and experienced a period of calm and order after an era of political turmoil.

The Enlightenment and Age of Reason n People stopped asking “Why? ” questions and started asking “How? ” questions: how body works and laws of the universe. n Natural phenomena explained by scientific observations.

Modern English Prose: Royal Society of London for the Promotion of Natural Knowledge n Called for exact, precise prose n Short to the point vs. their predecessors endless sentences n John Dryden: “founder and first true master” of modern English prose.

Religious Change n Deism: the universe is a perfect mechanism, which God had built and left to run on its own; ex: meteors aren’t a sign from God, rather God didn’t interfere in human affairs n Most people still held onto strong views of Christianity.

New Writing n Journalism (for the middle class) and First English Novels (something new)

The Age of Satire: a kind of writing that ridicules human weakness, vice, or folly in order to bring about social reform. n Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift both used satire to expose the moral corruption & crass (extreme) commercialism of 18 th century England. n

Jonathan Swift (1667 -1745) n Principal prose writer of early 18 th century n England’s greatest satirist n Obtained a master’s degree from Oxford n ordained a priest in the Church of Ireland

Jonathan Swift n He did not write for fame or money; most books & pamphlets were published anonymously. n Aim in writing: improve human conduct; make people more humane & decent

Swift’s Works Tale of a Tub exposes “gross corruption in religion & learning” n Gulliver’s Travels attacks different varieties of human misbehavior. n A Modest Proposal his most famous pamphlet n

Terms: verbal irony is a contrast between what is said and what is actually meant n situational irony contrast between what is expected to happen and what actually does happen n dramatic irony contrast between what a character knows and what the reader or audience knows n