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Laurence Sterne Tristan Shandy, the style and structure of which are the very Sentimental Journey antithesis of rationally composed novels, reveal a purely emotional approach to life on the part of the narrator Sterne is full of pity and compassion for the poor and the afflicted. But though he scoffs at prejudices and sings praise to liberty he is inferior to Swift and Fielding in the broad and critical portrayal of contemporary life. Sympathy for O. Goldsmith The Deserted Village the peasant Thomas Gray Elegy, Written in a Country Churchyard George Crabble The Village
3. Pre-romanticism
Another conspicuous trend in the English literature of the latter half of the 18? century was the so-called pre-romanticism. It originated among the conservatives group of men of letters as a reactions against enlightenment and found its most manifest expression in the Gothie novel”, the terms arising from the fact that the greater part of such romance were devoted to the medieval times. Horace Walpole The Castle of Oranto Ann Radcliff. Evil forces reign in the world, and it is futile to struggle against one’s fate. The mysterious element plays an enormous role The Mysteries of on the Gothic novel; it is so replete with Udolpho bloodcurdling scenes and unnatural feelings that it is justly called “a novel of horrors”. In spite of his mysticism, wrote poems full of human feelings and sympathy for the oppressed people William Blake End
The task of upholding revolutionary struggle of the people for their rights in the 18? century was initiated by Robert Burns and later taken up in the 19? century by the writers of revolutionary romanticism.
Daniel Defoe
Four facts stand out clearly, which help the reader to understand the characters of his works. Facts Explanation Defoe was a jack-at-all His interest was largely with the working classes and trade notwithstanding many questionable practices, he seems to have had some continued purpose of educating and uplifting the 大家网英语专八论坛
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common people Defoe was a radical Non-conformist in religion, and was intended by his father for the independent ministry Defoe was a journalist The puritan zeal for reform possesses him, and he tried to do so by his pen. The seal for reform marks all his numerous works, and accounts for the moralizing to be found everywhere A newspaper man’s instinct for making a “good story”. He wrote an immense number of pamphlets, poems, and magazine article Defoe knew prison life.
Henry Fielding
Fielding’s position Fielding’s character Henry Fielding is the greatest novelist if the eighteenth century, and one of the greatest that England ever produced. Passive Aristocrats and men set in authority embody all the evils; they persecute the heroes and obstruct their every move and action Positive positive characters are always people with natural, unpreserved feelings, and though “for the sake of appearance”, and to make them acceptable to the 18? century reader, Joseph Andrews, the manservant, and Tome Jones, the foundling, are eventually give parents of noble descent, still they have nothing aristocratic about them, and in their feelings and behavior, remain closely related to the common people He hates that hypocrisy which tries to conceal itself under a mask of morality. In the evolution of the plots of his novels, he invariably puts such characters in position which tear away their mask. He displays almost savage pleasure in making them ridiculous. Comments Fielding’s best work: Amelia is the story of a good life in contrast with an unworthy husband Description Joseph Andrews, was inspired by the success of Richardson’s novel Pamela, and began as a burlesque of the false sentimentality and the conventional virtues of Richardson’s heroine(Pamela Richardson Richardson, who has no humor, who minces words, and moralizes, and dotes on the sentimental woes of his heroines Fielding’s satire Joseph Andrews 大家网英语专八论坛
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Fielding Fielding is direct, vigorous, hilarious, and coarse to the point of vulgarity. He is full of animal spirits, and he tells the story of a vagabond life, not for the sake of moralizing, like Defoe, but simply because it interests him and his only concerns is “to laugh men out of their follies.” So his story, though it abounds in unpleasant incidents, generally leaves the reader with the strong impression of reality.
Jonathan Swift
The eighteenth century in English literature is an age of prose, but because the poetry is very bad but because the prose is very good. Writer’s position The supreme master in the first part of the century, the name of Jonathan Swift is one of the very greatest names in English literature Gulliver’s Travels’ The book is a classic and devastating satire on the human race. position Gulliver’s Travels’ The secret of the power is that there is no visible sign of anger, nor power raising the voice; the tone is cold, restrained, ironic, varied only by some flashed of fooling when Swifts sense of the ridiculous gets the better of him. General description The plot of the book comprises the extraordinary adventure of Doctor Lemuel Gulliver, description of fantastic lands visited by him, their socials systems, ways and customs of their inhabitants Houhnhnms Horse are the real people and human beings, Yahoos, are their filthy servant, has a savage power unequalled in English literature or any literature Lilliputians Gulliver is a giant among them, and with the giants among whom Gulliver is a pygmy The Tale of a Tub Satire on the various churches and religion of the day
Oliver Goldsmith
General comments Poetry All his writing is pervaded by a gentle and a genuine feeling that avoids sentimentality with consummate skill. He makes the rimming couplets as natural and simple as his prose. There a few descriptive and reflective poems in the English language that have kept their freshness as has The Deserted Village. 大家网英语专八论坛
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Comedy With Sheridan
William Blake
Comment The Good-natured Man and She Stoops to Conquer met with opposition because the fashion was then for sentimental comedy. Goldsmith’s success marked a return to the comedy for manners, with wit and fun as essential ingredients. Sheridan’s Rivals and School for Scandal and She Stoops to Conquer are the only plays of the eighteenth century that have been kept alive upon the modern stage Of all the romantic poets of the eighteenth century, Blake is the most independent and the most original, following no man’s lead, and obeying no voice but that he heard in his own mystic soul Songs of Innocence He first showed the musical cast of his mind. Their underlying theme is the all-pervading presence of divine and sympathy, even in trouble and sorrow. The Book of Thel Similar theme with the Songs of Innocence: the maiden Thel laments the vanity and transience of life, and is answered by lily, the cloud, the worm and the clod; they explain the principle of mutual self-sacrifice and the death means a new birth. The Songs of A sense of gloom and mystery, and of the power of evil. We find Experience again a protest against restrictive codes and exaltation of the spirit of love.
The Romantic Period
Background
Industrial Revolution and French Revolution had a strong influence in Britain literature. Fighting for “Liberty, Equality and Fraternity” also becomes British national spirit. Edmund Burke Reflections on the An anti-revolutionary manifesto for all reactionaries Revolution in France in Europe. “He pitied the plumage and forgot the dying bird.” as Thomas Paine said. Thomas Paine The Rights of Man Politics is the business of the whole mass of common people and not only of a governing oligarchy. People would not like a government that failed to secure people “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
Age of Wordsworth Mark Romanticism prevailed during the period of 1798-1832, beginning with the 大家网英语专八论坛
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