The Eighteenth Century and Neo-Classicism

The Eighteenth Century and Neo-Classicism:
The late 17th century brought tremendous change in English society. The Restoration period resumed some of the literary tradition of the period before Civil War. The period is also known as the Augustan Age and the Age of Reason as the Enlightenment philosophy gives importance to Rationalism. As a term, Neo-Classical denotes revival of classical forms of art. The Metaphysical poetry had left the literary standards and values confused and Neo-classicism led the reaction against the Metaphysical poets and insisted on writing charming poetry on the classical model taking inspiration from the matter of Greek and Latin classics. Edmund Waller and Sir John Denham were the precursors of the movement and forerunners of Dryden and Pope. “In the age of Dryden and Pope, the poetics of the Classical Age was engaged as a kind of norm-determining process and it was manifested in the choice of metre, genre and literary form.” The Neo-classical poets preferred form over substance. Every variety of verse including drama, epic, satire, ode and pastoral was found and governed by a spirit of reason and good sense, the Neo-classical poets abandoned emotionalism and accepted the intellectual principles of the Enlightenment. Their aim was to delight, instruct and correct man taking human nature as subject matter. Neo-classical poetry favoured clarity, simplicity, restraint, good sense, natural wit and intellect. Unlike the Metaphysical poets, the Neoclassical poetry surprises the reader rather than shock with its superb use of natural wit…etc.