Matthew Arnold stated that the eighteenth century was the age of 'prose & reason'.
It is
called so because no good poetry was written at that age and poetry itself became ‘prosaic’.
literature of that era sprouted its roots deep in reason and intellect, thus it was charactetised
as satirical, didactic and critical. Poetry in this era saw a decline due to it being based on
imagination and enthusiasm.
The eighteenth century is also referred as the Augustan Age or Neo-classical Age
Augustan literature is generally ascribed to a period in the first half of the 18th Century, during
much of the reigns of:
Queen Anne (1702 – 1714)
King George I (1714 – 1727)
King George II (1727 – 1760)
The term, ‘Augustan' refers to King George I's desire to be compared to the first Roman Emperor,
Augustus Caesar, when poetry and the arts were supported and admired, and thus flourished.
Key authors of the Augustan era
The most representative authors of this era are:
Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 – 30 May 1744), poet
Jonathan Swift 30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745), essayist
The era also saw the development of the novel by authors such as:
Daniel Defoe (c.1659 – 24 April 1731
Samuel Richardson,
Henry Fielding,
Characteristics / Principal traits / Features
The dominant tone
Wit and intellectual conceits shaped the tone of much Augustan writing (following on from the clever
arguments of the metaphysical poets). Satire had already been a feature of Restorationliterature, prior to
the Augustan era, but at that time it was more circumscribed due to threat of prosecution for defamation.
In the eighteenth century, satire and parody were more widely used across the spectrum of prose, poetry
and dramatic works. Poets also bantered and argued over what should be the proper modes of poetic
expression, and which topics were worthy of the art form. One such debate was about the role of
the pastoral, for example.
Allusion
The Augustans were very much influenced by Milton's vast showcase of classical and
biblical allusion, Paradise Lost (1667). Displaying ones familiarity with the classics and the Bible in a witty
way was admired
The increase in literacy and printing
Literacy, and the relatively low cost of printed matter, expanded the reading audience to greater numbers
across social, economic and cultural spectrums. Periodicals were widely distributed. The most famous
was The Spectator, which was filled with essays on world events, politics and culture, presented as if by a
bystander, or ‘spectator'. This journalistic manner of reporting events laid the
groundwork for expanded popularity of the novel, and in fact, Defoe worked in
journalism at the time of writing Robinson Crusoe.
The dominant philosophy
The main philosophy of the period was empiricism (the reliance on reasoning based
upon experimentation and verification). It was scientific in its orientation, moving away
from the idea that humankind has innate qualities, inherited because people are made
in the ‘image of God.'
The philosophy of empiricism had originally been championed by John Locke in the Restoration
period, and was further debated during the Augustan era.
An empirical approach can be witnessed in the development of Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of
the English Language (1755), which sought to pin down the exact meaning of words.
The clubs and coffee-houses- The increased activity in politics led to a great Addison
to the number of political clubs and coffeehouse, which became the inspiration to
fashionable and public life. In the first number of ‘The Tatler’ Steele announces that the
activities of his new journal will be based upon the clubs. “All accounts of Gallantry,
Pleasure, and Entertainment shall be under the article of White’s Chocolate-House;
poetry under that of Will’s Coffee-House; Learning under the title of Grecian,
Foreign and Domestic News you will have from Saint James’ Coffee-House”.
Representative works
Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift (1726, amended 1735), is an excellent example of Augustan
literature, characterized by parody and satire. In his work, Swift targets the empiricists who insist on
individual, unyielding reason over morality and social values.
Alexander Pope was the most significant figure in poetry during the Augustan period. His
witty couplets were often quoted and used as axioms. Pope took issue with other authors about what
should be considered the proper subjects and nature of poetic expression. Often, he publicly attacked his
contemporaries through his satiric verse, making enemies of many. Pope's work The Dunciad (1728),
held contemporary ‘dunces' up to ridicule. He was roundly derided by similar methods in return.
allusion found in Augustan verse.
The Romantic reaction
The Romantic literary movement developed in the second half of the eighteenth century. It is
characterized by a reaction against Augustan literary ideals, empiricism and the Enlightenmentfocus on
‘reasoning' as a way to make authoritative conclusions.
Instead, Romanticism promoted:
The language of the common man, rather than Latinate or elevated diction
Feeling, rather than reasoning
The religion of Nature, rather than empiricism
Original expression and strong emotion, rather than wit
The creation of terror and use of horror in medieval settings is seen in the sub-genre of the Gothic
novel. A primary example is Horace Walpole's, The Castle of Otranto (1764)
Originality of imagination and form, rather than refining existing models
Nationalism and political radicalism, rather than literary spats.
