Literary Characteristics

    " History - Puritan + Restoration Age  :- " 

       " Thinking Activity "

Hello readers! Here, I am going to write down an another blog. This blog is inspired by Dr. Dilip sir barad - Department of English, MKBU. This blog is a part of our thinking activity of the Puritan and Restoration period in the history of English literature. 

  Here, In this particular blog I am going to deal with the literary Characteristics of the Restoration age.

    Before, we discuss the general Characteristics of these age. First let me tell you about the brief introduction of the Restoration period / Era / Age. 

    The Restoration Period :- ( 1660 - 1700) 

       In the history of English Literature The period from - 1660 to 1700 is known as the 'Restoration Period' Or ' The Age of Dryden. ' John Dryden - was the representative writer of the Restoration period. The restoration of King Charles-||in 1660 marks the beginning of a new era both in the life and literature of England. The historical events like the restoration of Charles -|| in 1660 , the religious controversy and the revolution of 1688 deeply influenced the social life and the literary movements of the age. 

    In short, We can understand that The Restoration period brought about a revolutionary change in life of people and literature also.

  ' Literary Characteristics of the Age :-'

 

           In the literature of The Restoration period, we note a sudden breaking away from the old standards, just as Society broke away from the restraints of puritanism. The literature of the Restoration period marked the complete breaking of ties with the Renaissance literature. It reflected the spirit of the age. 

      The following are the chief Features of this period. They are given as below or under. 

              1. French Influence 

              2. New Tendencies

              3. Realism

              4. Formalism

              5. The heroic Couplet 

  

  Let's discuss these Characteristics in detail:-

 1. French Influence :-

  

      The French influence was predominant during this restoration period because the king had spent the period of his exile in France. The French manners and fashion spread from the court to the aristocracy. It also influenced Contemporary literature. Since Shakespeare and the Elizabethans were no longer interesting, literary men began to imitate the French writers, with whose works they had just grown familiar. That is why here begins the so - called period of French influence. Which shows itself in English  literature for the next century. 

     One has only to Consider for a moment the French writers of this period - ' pascal, Bossuet, Fenelon, Malherbe, Corneille, Racine, Moliere, - all that brilliant company which makes the reign of Louis14 the Elizabethan age of French literature - to see how far astray the early writers of the Restoration went in their wretched imitation. 

 2. New Tendencies :- 

      With the final rejection of the Restoration drama we reach a crisis in the history of English literature. The old Elizabethan Spirit, with its patriotism, it's creative Vigor, its love of romance, and the puritan spirit with its moral earnestness and individualism, we're both things of the past; and at first there was nothing to take their places. 

    John Dryden - the greatest writer of the age, voiced a general Complaint when he said that in his prose and poetry he was

" drawing the outlines " Of a new art, but had no teacher to instruct him. But literature is a progressive art, and soon the writers of the age developed two marked tendencies of their own - the tendency to realism, and the tendency to that preciseness and elegance of expression which marks our literature for the next hundred years. 

 3.Realism :- 

     

      Restoration literature is realistic. In realism, that is the representation of men exactly as they are, the expression of the plain truth without regard to ideals or romance - the tendency was at first thoroughly bad. The early restoration writers sought to paint realistic pictures of a court and society, and, as we have suggested, they emphasized vices rather than virtues. Like Hobbes, they saw only the the externals of man, his body and appetites, not his soul and it's ideals. 

     Later on, however, this tendency to realism became more wholesome. So we can understand that 'Realism ' became one of the major & important characteristics during the Restoration era. 

4. Formalism :- 

       

     The another important & noticeable Characteristics of these age and tendency of the age was towards directness and simplicity of expression, and to this excellent tendency our literature is greatly indebted. In both the Elizabethan and the puritan ages the general tendency of writers was towards extravagance of thought and language. Sentences were often involved, and loaded with Latin quotations and classical allusions. The Restoration writers Opposed this vigorously. From France they brought back the tendency to regard established rules for writing, to emphasize close reasoning rather than the romantic fancy. They decided to use ' Short, clear cut sentences without an unnecessary word. ' 

     John Dryden - accepted this excellent rule for his prose, and adopted the heroic couplet, as the next best thing, for the greater part of his poetry. As he tells us himself; 

    " And this unpolished rugged verse I chose 

     As fittest for discourse, and nearest prose. " 

     We can say that it was largely due to him only that writers developed that Formalism of style, that precise, almost mathematical elegance, miscalled classicism, which ruled English literature for the next century. 

  5. The Heroic Couplet :- 

   

       Another thing which the reader will note with interest in Restoration literature is the 'adoption of the heroic couplet ' . 

that is, two iambic pentameter lines which time together, as the most suitable form of poetry. 'Waller ' - who began to use it in the year 1623,  is generally regarded as " The father of the Couplet. " For he is the first poet to use it consistently in the bulk of his poetry. 

     

      Chaucer had used the rimed couplet wonderfully well in his ' Canterbury Tales.' But in Chaucer it is the poetical thought more than the expression which delights us. Waller and Dryden made the Couplet the prevailing literary fashion, and in their hands the couplet becomes  Closed. That is each pair of lines must contain a complete thought, stated as precisely as possible. Thus Waller writers ;

   " The soul's dark cottage, battered and decayed, 

    Lets in new light through chinks that time has made. "

    That even the Couplet is capable of melody  and variety is shown in "Chaucer's Canterbury Tales & In John keats 's Endymion. " 

        

    Go through these videos for your better understanding about the Restoration period in the history of English literature.

     Conclusion :- To sum up we can understand that these five things, the tendency to vulgar realism in the drama, a general formalism which came from following set rules, the development of a simpler and more direct prose style, and the prevalence of the heroic couplet in poetry - are the main Characteristics of Restoration literature. They all are exemplified in the work of one man, 'John Dryden. ' 

  

  I hope that this blog is helpful to you... 

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