CHAPTER 8 THE AGE OF CLASSICISM
2.
Classicism: a term when applied generally, means clearness, elegance, symmetry, and repose produced by attention to traditional forms. More precisely, the term refers to the admiration and imitation of Greek and Roman literature, art, and architecture. It stands for certain definite ideas and attitudes including dominance of reason, balance and order etc. Classicism is usually contrasted with romanticism.
CHAPTER 8 THE 18TH CENTURY AND CLASSICISM
By Yao Benbiao
yaobenbiao@
CHAPTER 8 THE AGE OF CLASSICISM
I.
Great Events: 1. Glorious Revolution: In 1688, William of Orange and his wife Mary were invited to take the throne, a bloodless change of power 2. The constitutional monarchy was formally established after George I became the King of England, with more power left to the Parliament
CHAPTER 8 THE AGE OF CLASSICISM

Alexander Pope (1688 – 1744)
CHAPTER 8 THE AGE OF CLAStives 1. Alexander Pope (1688 – 1744) – the greatest poet in the first half of the 18th century 1) Life Career: -- a Roman catholic; -- weak and deformed, crooked after 12 -- received little education, self learned --began to translate classic works from Latin at 15 -- made acquaintances with well-known men of letters -- translated Homer and made good money, bought big house (the first successful professional writer)
CHAPTER 8 THE AGE OF CLASSICISM
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made some enemies, attacking them in one way or another 2) Literary achievements -- An Essay on Criticism (1711): the first major poem, expressing his neoclassic ideas, in heroic couplets -- The Rape of the Lock (1712): his famous mock epic – to present the very trivial incident of a war between two families over a lock of hair
CHAPTER 8 THE AGE OF CLASSICISM
II.
Great thinkers: 1. 1678, Issac Newton (1642 -1727): law of gravitation – all objects in the universe are attracted to each other by a certain force which is in direct proportion to their mass and in inverse proportion to the square of the distance between the objects 2. John Locke (1632 – 1704): the father of a new theory of knowledge, holding that all of men’s knowledge originates from sense perception – foundation of reason
3.
CHAPTER 8 THE AGE OF CLASSICISM
III.
New Terms: 1. Enlightenment Movement: was a progressive intellectual movement throughout Western Europe in the 18th century. The Enlightenment celebrated reason (rationality), equality, science and human being’s ability to perfect themselves and their society. They believed in the power of reason, so the 18th century in England has been called “the Age of Reason”.
CHAPTER 8 THE AGE OF CLASSICISM
3.
Neoclassicism: in English literary history, refers to the literary trend in the first half of the 18th century. They modeled themselves on Greek and Latin authors, and tried to control literary creation by some fixed laws and rules drawn from Greek and Latin works. Chief representatives are Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift.
CHAPTER 8 THE AGE OF CLASSICISM
1726, published his masterpiece, Gulliver’s Travel -- 1729, came out his A Modest Proposal. He suggested that the Irish problems of famine and overpopulation could be easily solved by having the babies of poor Irish subjects sold as delicacies to feed the rich. It is a heartbreaking piece of sarcasm and a most powerful blow to the English government’s policy of exploitation and oppression in Ireland.
CHAPTER 8 THE AGE OF CLASSICISM
2.
Jonathan Swift (1667 – 1745) – most outstanding prose writer and satirist
CHAPTER 8 THE AGE OF CLASSICISM
1)
Life career: -- born in Dublin, Ireland -- was a secretary to Sir William Temple -- 1709, worked as a minister of the Church of England in Ireland -- 1710, worked for the Tory journal of The Examiner -- formed the Scriblerus Club -- 1713, was the Dean of the St. Patrick Cathedral in Ireland
CHAPTER 8 THE AGE OF CLASSICISM
3.
The Industrial Revolution developed rapidly, which moved England to become the world’s number one capitalist and imperialist country 4. American Revolution broke out in 1775, which ended up in the defeat of the English troops and the independence of the American people 5. French Revolution began in 1789, which had a strong effect upon England.
CHAPTER 8 THE AGE OF CLASSICISM