Eighteenth Century Literature Essay

At the start of the Eighteenth Century literature the literary pieces focus on rational and scientific views on all aspects of life be it economic, friendly, political and religious. The finish heralded the Age of Enlightenment which was the thought much overriding of the day. The writers sought to deter tap universal principles on humanity, temper, and society. The eighteenth-century literate reflected this quest. Written pieces more or slight this time attacked various spiritual and scientific authority, dogmatism, intolerance, censorship, and economic and social restraints. then we move see in Thomas Grays lamentation Written in a Country Churchyard expressedly deals with the social issues usual during their time particularly the wide gap between social category and the opportunity to attain greatness. These lines in the poem captured these views Let not pipe dream mock their use upful toil, Their homely joys, and destiny obscure Nor Grandeur con with a disdainful sm ile The short and simple annals of the Poor. pick up morethe importance of being earnest satireGrays tone through surface the poem is filled with regret. One can guts that something important is lost. This emotional tone captures the injustices that exist in the society ascribable to wealth. He was actually voicing his opinions clearly against social class prejudices that was obvious during that period. In Jonathan agiles A Modest Proposal as well tackled the social ills during his time. This satirical essay employ allusions to English oppressive attitudes toward the Irish.This is patent in these lines I grant this food may be sanely dear, and therefore very proper for Landlords, who as they have already devoured some of the Parents, seem to have the best Title to the Children. He excessively pointed out criticisms on England on the way it mistreated Ireland For this kind of commodity pull up stakes not bear exportation, and flesh being of too tender a consistence, to a dmit a long continuance in salt, although perhaps I could name a country, which would be glad to eat up our only nation without it. At prototypical glance, the poem appeared to be criticisms heaped on England. alone upon closer inspection one can also sense that Swift was expressing his sentiments on the conditions in Ireland, more specifically the can-do spirit of the times that pervaded the community which misled people into thinking that they can cure all social and economic ills specifically fix population and labor issues. Swifts Modest Proposal talked about a burlesque of projects concerning the poor, that were considered faddy in the early 18th century.Eighteenth Century Literature is characterized by extreme rationalism and skepticism which gave rise to deism or the article of faith in the existence of God which became the main theme in the come through era of amativeism. This era is considered as the Age of Sensibility which of course clased with the ideals of the place Ages. Towards the end of the period, an intensifying focus on instinct and feeling or else of judgment and restraint was noted paving the way for the Romantic Literature. Romantic Literature During the period of Romanticism, industrialization was introduced.Steam engine was developed and this caused working out of cities and a number of migrants leaving the countryside. Poor people flocked to the city. Issues such as class-conflicts and concerns on environmental pollution were prevalent. This developments in the era prompted the poets and the writers to seek comfortableness in the beauty of nature. Thus, in most of their literary works we can see the universal theme of Mother Nature being the neat cause of wisdome and the antidote to industrialization. Philosophers particularly Jean Jacques Rousseau tackled pertinent issues such as the supremacy or dominance of nature over civilization.A gathering of poets called Lake Poets from England espoused this philosophical view. L ake Poets comprised of a group of friends such as William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The work of these 2 poets reflect their sentiments perfectly. These Romantic Poets utilized emotions and reflections in their poets to get their message across. Wordsworths I Wandered Lonely as a Cloudand Coleridges The Eolian lie in reflected their thoughts about nature and how much they value it. I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud by Wordsworth is about the beauty of nature and the occupy for introspection.This is best captured in the last lines of the poem For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They beat upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude And then my let outt with joyousness fills, And dances with the daffodils. Nature after all is best understood and appreciated in solitude. Solitude here however does not mean loneliness further internal peace or tranquility which is the by-product of being in commune with the natural order. Samuel Taylor C oleridges The Eolian Harp also tackles the beauty that nature brings.The Eolian Harp is a stringed instrument which produces music when placed in an free window allowing breeze to pass over it. The eolian harp was often used by poets in the Romantic period to represent creativity. Just similar Wordsworths poem, it sought to cope with pensiveness and nature as the reply or cure for this pensiveness as apparent in the first lines of the poem My pensive SARA thy soft cheek reclined Thus on mine arm, most soothing sweet it is To sit beside our Cot, our Cot oergrown With white-flowerd Jasmin, and the broad-leavd MyrtleColeridge and Wordsworth, however, have different versions of quixoticism. Coleridge wanted to make the telegnostic real or believable. Wordsworths idea of romanticism is to stir the fancy of readers using real characters. Victorian Literature During the Victorian Era (1837 1901), novels and poems were no longer written mainly to please the aristocratic few scarcel y to make an impression and cater to the tastes of the much larger middle class. The novels were also getting wider acceptance approximately this time. In this era, romantic images of the past were extolled.The writers use everyday language and combine it with classical and traditional language to represent the ushering of innovationality in the Victorian period. At that period, the economy was developing, the nobility was gaining less prominence, and the class structures were vanishing. There is a expressed need for Victorian poets to decree a voice that would capture the essence of their time and place. Rudyyard, Kipling Danny Deever attempts to portray the inner turmoils of a man about to be executed. The poem is about multitude execution parade with Danny Deever. What makes you look so white, so white? give tongue to Files-on-Parade. Im dreadin what Ive got to watch, the Colour-Sergeant said. For theyre hangin Danny Deever, you can hear the Dead March play, The regiments in ollow square theyre hangin him to-day Danny is to be executed by hanging because he killed a clotheshorse soldier while he was asleep. One can sense the concerns of the soldier. other important poet in the Victorian Era is William Ernest Henley who wrote Invictus. His poems were largely based on his personal reflections of his life and his situation being an amputee who suffered tuberculosis of the bone.In the unrelenting clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of accident My head is bloody, but unbowd. The common theme that ran through the poems is about struggles in life. Danny Deever struggled with his work as a soldier and in Invictus, struggles against disease was obvious. Literature in Victorian era is largely characterized as certain, conservative and objective. Writers in this area had learned to live with realities plaguing them be it social, economic and religious. Certainty in both poems come in the form of death and stru ggles.The views during this literary period were predominantly conservative especially when it came to social perspectives. The upheavals the people experienced during the romantic era had died down in the Victorian era. Much of the poets works around this time served to link and prepared writers as they paved way for the modern era. The literary pieces around this time also tended to reminiscing the past particularly the stories in the classical literature and the medieval literature of England. The Victorians cherised the the heroism, chivalry and nobility of the knights in the past and hoped to recapture that behavior in their period.