English 12 Unit 3 Review: British Literature - 17th and 18th Centuries

Key Authors and Works

• John Milton, known for his epic poem "Paradise Lost" which explores the fall of man and the nature of good and evil
• John Dryden, a prominent poet, playwright, and critic who helped establish the heroic couplet as a dominant poetic form
  • Wrote "Absalom and Achitophel," a satirical poem that uses biblical allegory to comment on contemporary politics
• Alexander Pope, a master of the heroic couplet and known for his satirical works such as "The Rape of the Lock" and "The Dunciad"
• Jonathan Swift, a satirist famous for his prose works "Gulliver's Travels" and "A Modest Proposal"
  • "Gulliver's Travels" satirizes human nature and the politics of Swift's time through the fantastical journeys of its protagonist
• Daniel Defoe, considered one of the pioneers of the English novel with works like "Robinson Crusoe" and "Moll Flanders"
• Samuel Johnson, an influential writer, critic, and lexicographer who compiled "A Dictionary of the English Language"
• Aphra Behn, one of the first English women to earn a living through writing, known for her plays and novels like "Oroonoko"

Historical and Cultural Context

• The Restoration period (1660-1700) marked the return of the monarchy under Charles II after the Puritan Commonwealth
  • Characterized by a reaction against Puritan austerity, leading to a revival of theater and a more libertine atmosphere
• The Age of Enlightenment, an intellectual and philosophical movement that emphasized reason, individualism, and skepticism
• The Scientific Revolution, which led to a growing interest in empiricism and the natural world
  • Influenced writers to adopt a more rational and analytical approach to literature
• The rise of the middle class and the expansion of literacy, which created a larger audience for literature
• Political and religious conflicts, such as the Glorious Revolution (1688) and the Act of Union (1707) between England and Scotland
• The development of coffee houses as centers of intellectual and literary discourse
• The growth of journalism and the periodical press, which provided new platforms for writers and critics

Literary Movements and Styles

• Neoclassicism, a movement that sought to emulate the forms and styles of classical Greek and Roman literature
  • Emphasized order, reason, and restraint in both content and form
  • Characterized by a focus on the heroic couplet, a rhyming pair of iambic pentameter lines
• The rise of the novel as a distinct literary genre, with works like Defoe's "Robinson Crusoe" and Richardson's "Pamela"
  • Novels focused on realistic characters and settings, often exploring social and moral issues
• The development of the mock-epic, a form that used the elevated style of epic poetry to satirize contemporary subjects
  • Exemplified by Pope's "The Rape of the Lock," which satirizes the trivial concerns of aristocratic society
• The revival of satire as a popular literary mode, used to critique social, political, and religious issues
• The emergence of the periodical essay, a shorter form of prose that addressed a wide range of topics for a middle-class audience
  • Popularized by writers like Joseph Addison and Richard Steele in "The Tatler" and "The Spectator"

Themes and Motifs

• The nature of good and evil, as explored in Milton's "Paradise Lost" and Defoe's "Moll Flanders"
• The role of reason and empiricism in understanding the world, reflecting the influence of the Enlightenment
• Social and political satire, as seen in the works of Dryden, Pope, and Swift
  • Often used to critique corruption, hypocrisy, and the abuse of power
• The nature of human identity and the individual's relationship to society, as explored in the emerging novel genre
• The tension between appearance and reality, particularly in the context of social and moral norms
• The role of women in society, as reflected in the works of Aphra Behn and the female characters in novels like "Moll Flanders"
• The impact of colonialism and the encounter with non-European cultures, as seen in Behn's "Oroonoko" and Swift's "Gulliver's Travels"

Literary Techniques and Devices

• The heroic couplet, a rhyming pair of iambic pentameter lines, used extensively by poets like Dryden and Pope
  • Served to create a sense of order, balance, and epigrammatic wit
• Satire, a mode that uses humor, irony, and exaggeration to critique and expose human vices and follies
  • Horatian satire, named after the Roman poet Horace, is more gentle and urbane in its mockery
  • Juvenalian satire, named after the Roman poet Juvenal, is more bitter and scathing in its attacks
• Irony, a rhetorical device that creates a discrepancy between what is said and what is meant or understood
  • Verbal irony, where the intended meaning is the opposite of the literal meaning
  • Situational irony, where the outcome of a situation is contrary to what was expected
• Allegory, a narrative technique in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities
  • Used by Dryden in "Absalom and Achitophel" to comment on contemporary political figures and events
• Epistolary form, a novel written as a series of letters, used by Richardson in "Pamela" to create a sense of intimacy and psychological realism
• Mock-epic, a form that applies the elevated style and conventions of epic poetry to trivial or mundane subjects, as in Pope's "The Rape of the Lock"

Critical Analysis and Interpretation

• Feminist readings of works by Aphra Behn and the representation of women in novels like "Moll Flanders" and "Pamela"
  • Examine how these works challenge or reinforce gender roles and expectations
• Postcolonial interpretations of texts like Behn's "Oroonoko" and Swift's "Gulliver's Travels"
  • Explore how these works depict and critique the power dynamics of colonialism and the encounter with non-European cultures
• Marxist analyses of the rise of the novel and its relationship to the growing middle class and capitalist economy
• New Historicist approaches that situate texts within their broader cultural, social, and political contexts
  • Examine how literature both reflects and shapes the values and beliefs of its time
• Reader-response criticism, which focuses on the role of the reader in creating meaning and interpretation
• Comparative studies that trace the influence of 17th and 18th-century British literature on European and American literary traditions

Influence on Later Literature

• The continued popularity and adaptation of works like "Robinson Crusoe," "Gulliver's Travels," and "Paradise Lost"
  • These texts have inspired countless retellings, reimaginings, and allusions in literature, film, and popular culture
• The development of the novel as a dominant literary form, building on the foundations laid by Defoe, Richardson, and others
• The enduring influence of Neoclassical style and the heroic couplet on later poets, particularly in the 18th and early 19th centuries
• The use of satire as a powerful tool for social and political commentary, as seen in the works of later writers like Voltaire, Mark Twain, and George Orwell
• The impact of the Enlightenment and its emphasis on reason, individualism, and skepticism on subsequent literary movements like Romanticism and Realism
• The ongoing exploration of themes such as the nature of good and evil, the role of the individual in society, and the tension between appearance and reality in literature across time and cultures

Recommended Readings and Resources

• "The Cambridge Companion to English Literature, 1650-1740" edited by Steven N. Zwicker
  • Provides a comprehensive overview of the period, with essays on major authors, genres, and contexts
• "The Eighteenth Century: The Intellectual and Cultural Context of English Literature, 1700-1789" by James Sambrook
  • Offers a detailed exploration of the historical, social, and intellectual background of 18th-century British literature
• "The Rise of the Novel: Studies in Defoe, Richardson, and Fielding" by Ian Watt
  • A seminal work that traces the emergence and development of the novel as a distinct literary genre in the 18th century
• "Satire: A Critical Reintroduction" by Dustin Griffin
  • Examines the history, theory, and practice of satire, with a focus on its role in 17th and 18th-century British literature
• "Oroonoko, and Other Writings" by Aphra Behn, edited by Paul Salzman
  • Collects Behn's most important works, including her groundbreaking novel "Oroonoko" and a selection of her plays and poems
• "The Major Works" by Alexander Pope, edited by Pat Rogers
  • Presents a wide range of Pope's poetry and prose, including "The Rape of the Lock," "An Essay on Criticism," and "The Dunciad"
• "The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century" edited by Stephen Greenblatt
  • A comprehensive collection of the period's most significant literary works, with helpful annotations and contextual materials