Neoclassical Period
The
Neoclassical Period was
written between 1660 and 1798. This time period is fragmented into three
sections: the Restoration Period, the Augustan Period, and the Age of Johnson.
Writers
of the Neoclassical Period tried to imitate the style of Roman’s and Greek’s writers. As a result the
combination of the terms:
“Neo”,
which
means: “new”,
and:
and:
“Classical”,
as in
the day of the Roman and Geek classics.
This
was also the era of Enlightenment which give emphasis to logic and reason. It
was controlled by Renaissance and followed by
the Romantic era. In fact, the Neoclassical Period ended in 1798 when
Wordsworth published the Romantic “Lyrical Ballads”.
Neoclassical
Era
Understanding
the Neoclassical era helps
us better understand its literature. This was a time of comfortableness in
England. People would meet at coffee houses to chat about politics, among other
topics, and sometimes drink a new, warm beverage made of chocolate. It was also
the beginning of the British tradition of drinking afternoon tea. And it was
the starting point of the middle class, and because of that, more people was
literate.
People
were very interested in appearances, but not necessarily in being genuine. Men
and women commonly wore wigs, and being clever and witty was in style. Having
good manners and doing the right thing, particularly in public, was essential.
It was a time, too, of British political
disorder as eight monarchs took the throne.
Characteristics
of Neoclassical Literature
Neoclassical literature is characterized by order, precision,
and structure. In direct opposition to Renaissance attitudes, where man was seen as
basically good, the neoclassical writers represented man as weak. They
emphasized restriction, self-control, and common sense. This was a time when conservatism flourished in both politics and
literature.
Some popular types of literature
included:
Parody
Essays
Satire
Letters
Fables
Melodrama, and
Rhyming with couplets.
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