The enlightement the literature of the period

This period saw a remarkable rise in literature. People wrote on many subjects and made great contributions in the fields 01 philosophy, history, natural sciences and the new science of political economy.

Writers-widely accepted those literary forms, in particular prose forms, which were understandable to the people as a whole.

Contact between writer and democratic reader was established by Joseph Addison and Richard Steele, the famous English essayists who started and directed several magazines, for which they wrote pamphlets and essays. In 1709 Steele issued a magazine, "The Tatler"; it was followed by others: "The Spectator" (1711), "The Guardian" (1713), and 'The Englishman" (1713). In the latter political problems were discussed.

Periodical newspapers, which had been published since the Civil War and now had daily issues, also helped to spread information among the general public.

Copies of current newspapers were kept in the coffee-houses. The latter came into being as soon as coffee, chocolate, and tea were introduced as common drinks. Many people went there regularly to learn the latest news, and the coffee-houses eventually became centres of political and literary discussion. The number of coffee-houses and their role in influencing public opinion increased during the 18th century, and they became practically the second home of the intellectual Londoner. Each rank and profession, each shade of religious and political opinion had its own coffee-house. Men of letters and the wits criticized the latest literary works and discussed political problems there. University students, translators, printers and other people crowded in to John the discussion.

English literature of the period may be characterized by the following features:

a) As we have already said, the period saw the rise of the political pamphlet and essay, but the leading genre of the Enlightenment became the novel. Poetry and the heroic age of Shakespeare gave way to the prose age of the essayists and novelists. The prose style became clear, graceful and polished. The poets of the period did not deal with strong | human passions, they were more interested in the problems of everyday life, and discussed things in verse.

b) The hero of the novel was no longer a prince but a representative of the middle class. This had never taken place before: so far, me common people had usually been depicted as comic characters. They were considered incapable of rousing admiration or tragic compassion.

c) Literature became very instructive: Problems of good and evil were set forth. Writers tried to teach their readers what was good and what was bad from their own points of view. They mostly attacked the i vices of the aristocracy and many of them praised me virtues of the then progressive bourgeois class.

The literature of the age of the Enlightenment may be divided into three periods:

The first period lasted from the "Glorious Revolution" (1688– 1689) till the end of the seventeen thirties. It is characterized by classicism in poetry. The greatest follower of the classic style was Alexanlder Pope. Alongside with this high style there appeared new prose literature, the essays of Steele and Addison and the first realistic novels written by Defoe and Swift. Most of the writers of this time wrole political pamphlets, but the ablesi came from the pens of Defoe and Swift.

The second period of the Enlightenment was the most mature period. It embraces the forties and the fifties of the 18th century. It saw the development of the realistic social novel represented by Richardson, Fielding and Smollett.

The third period refers to the last decades of the century. It is marked by the appearance of anew trend: Sentimental ism, typified by the works of Goldsmith and Sterne. This period also saw the rise of the realistic drama (Sheridan) and the revival of poetry.

Alexander Pope (1688–1744). Pope was an English classicist. He developed a taste for the art of ancient Greece and Rome. Classical forms suited the age, which tried to bring everything under the control of reason. The simplicity, proportion, and restrained emotion of the ancient Greek and Roman writers appealed to the English classicists. In 1715 Pope published part of his translations of the "Iliad 1'iliadj" and the "Odyssey 1-odisij" of Homer, * which brought him fame.

Pope deals with the favourite subject of vice and virtue in his famous poem "An Essay on Man", in which he analyses the powers and weaknesses of man. He believed that the perverse nature of man was imaginary rather than real. Each thing in the world was in harmony with others. He refused to see the contradictions that arose after the Revolution of 1688 and was later criticized by those writers who were not satisfied with the results of the Revolution.

Pope had a delicate sense of style which he polished to the highest degree. Pope organized a society of literary men who called themselves the "Martin Scriblems's Club". Swift numbered among its members. Martin Scriblerus was an imaginary personage: anyone who wished to publish a satire in a magazine was allowed to use tlie pseudonym Martin Scriblerus. Pope hoped that when put together these articles would make an interesting book; but they remained isolated compositions. Yet it was the Martin Scriblerus's Club that inspired Swift to write the famous novel "Gulliver's Travels".