The Eighteenth Century I: The Age of Addison and Pope, Blamiers— Approaches--Unit II

BRITISH CRITICISM DURING THE 18^th CENTURY –Blamiers

M. Phil English, Bharathiar University--Blamiers—

Approaches--Unit II

Summary by Dr. S. Sreekumar

The Eighteenth Century I: The Age of Addison and Pope

Introduction

·        The 18^th century was a period of calm and prosperity in England. Industry and commerce were rapidly expanding. Agriculture and sheep farming also showed much progress in this century.

BRITISH CRITICISM DURING THE 17th CENTURY, Unit II The Seventeenth Century II: Rymer to Dennis–Blamiers

BRITISH CRITICISM DURING THE 17^th CENTURY –Blamiers

M. Phil English, Bharathiar University--Blamiers—

Approaches--Unit II

Summary by Dr. S. Sreekumar

Unit II The Seventeenth Century II: Rymer to Dennis

The public who came to witness the Restoration Dramas were very different from those who went to the Globe to see the plays of Shakespeare. The Restoration theatre provided amusement for a leisured and degenerate society. Puritans shunned it. Respectable Londoners seldom visited it.

Unit II The Seventeenth Century I--John Dryden

Unit II The Seventeenth Century I: Peacham, Drayton, Reynolds, Milton (Blamires, pp. 68-216)

Unit II The Seventeenth Century I: Peacham, Drayton, Reynolds, Milton (Blamires, pp. 68-216)

JOHN DRYDEN

(1631-1700)

I. His Critical Works

The following are the critical works of Dryden: -

1.An Essay of Dramatic Poesy

2.The Apology for Heroic Poetry.

3.The Grounds of Criticism in Tragedy.

4.Preface to the Fables.

Dryden has also spoken about the nature and functions of poetry.

II. The Nature of Poetry.

Unit II The Seventeenth Century I: Peacham, Drayton, Reynolds, Milton (Blamires, pp. 68-216)

M. Phil English, Bharathiar University--Blamiers— Approaches--Unit II,

Unit II 

The Seventeenth Century I: Peacham, Drayton, Reynolds, Milton (Blamires, pp. 68-216)

The Seventeenth Century II: Rymer to Dennis

The Eighteenth Century I: The Age of Addison and Pope

The Eighteenth Century II: Johnson and his Successors

Unit II The Seventeenth Century I: Peacham, Drayton Reynolds, Milton.

The seventeenth century was a turbulent period in the political as well as literary history of England. The Civil War of 1642-51, the execution of Charles I in 1649, the Commonwealth government and the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell created disorder and confusion in society so much so that quiet reflection on works of literature was nearly impossible.