Assignment - 2 - Comparative Study of Neo-classical age and Romanticism

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:-

This blog is part of an assignment for the paper 102 - Literature of the Neo-classical Period, Sem - 1, 2022.

 COMPARATIVE STUDY OF

NEO-CLASSICAL ERA 

AND ROMANTICISM 

TABLE OF CONTENTS:-

• Personal Information
• Assignment Details
• Abstract
• Keywords
• Introduction
• Neo Classical age
• Pioneer Writers and Poets of Neo-classical age
• Condition of women during the neo classical age and contemporary time
• Romanticism
• Difference between Neoclassicism and Romanticism
• Common Aspects of Neoclassical age and Romanticism
• Works Cited

PERSONAL INFORMATION:-

Name:- Pooja Anilbhai Bhuva

Batch:- M.A. Sem 1 (2022-2024)

Enrollment Number:- 4069206420220005

E-mail Address:- poojabhuva2002@gmail.com

Roll Number:- 17

ASSIGNMENT DETAILS:-

Topic:- Comparative Study of Neo-classical Era and Romanticism 

Paper & subject code:- 102 - Literature of the Neo-classical Period & 22393

Submitted to:- Smt. Sujata Binoy Gardi, Department of English, MKBU, Bhavnagar 

Date of Submission:- 7th November, 2022

About Assignment:- In this assignment I try to Compare Neo-Classical Era and Romantic Era with their Features, Characteristics, Writes, etc. 

ABSTRACT:-

Neo Classical age was started just after the Classical age. In the Classical age all the Writers and Poets imitated ancient Greeks and Romans. And in the Neo Classical age people imitated Classical age ideas. But when Neo Classical age was on its peak of falling, the age of reasons became unreliable at some point, the imitation became more and more in most of the works and Neo Classical age started to end in meaning of trueness and originality. Next age as a Romantic age grows as a feeling full and emotional age. It has its originality, spirituality and mysteriousness. The Neo Classical age has so many names like The Age of Prose, The Age of Reason, The Age of Enlightenment, The Age of Agriculture Revolution, The age of reason, Transition period, The age of satire. Jane Austen, Jane Locke, Alexander Pope and many more Writers and Poets are famous in the Neo Classical age. There is an interesting aspect of Women's condition also. Romanticism is a remarkable age in English Literature. William Wordsworth, Samuel Tylor Coleridge, John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Goerge Gordon Byron, William Blake, Robert Southey, Sir Walter Scott, and others are the Important Writers and Poets of the Romantic age. There are some similarities and Differences between these two ages. But both the ages are commonly Important in English Literature. 

KEYWORDS:-

Comparison, Similarities, Differences, Mystery, Spirituality, Reasons, Imitation, Classics, Movement

INTRODUCTION:-

Known with so many names The Neo Classical age has some important implications, Writers and Poets who made the Neo Classical age important in English literature and in History. 

Romanticism is also known as the romantic movement and the romantic era. This Era was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement.

'Romanticism is a beauty without bouncing the beautiful infinite.'

- Jean Paul

'I find the Romantic period extraordinarily interesting. My landscapes have connections with Romanticism: at times I feel a real desire for, an attraction to, this period, and some of my pictures are a homage to Caspar David Friedrich.'

-Gerhard Richter 

With these two points, we can clearly see how romanticism affects us. 

NEO CLASSICAL AGE:-

Neo-classical age, behind this name there were so many other name of this age like, The Augustan Age, The 18th Century Literature, The Age of Prose, The Age of Reason, The Age of Enlightenment, The Age of Agriculture Revolution, The age of reason, Transition period, The age of satire. According to English literature, the neo classical age is divided into three periods:-

1. The Restoration Age (1660-1700), 
2. The Augustan Age (1700-1750), 
3. The Age of Johnson (1750-1798)

This age is totally opposite of the Romantic age, in the classical age writers used to write their works into classics, they normally followed the rules of Ancient Greek writers which they gave for writing the great work. 

For the classical age, Winckelmann said that,

'The one way for us to become great, perhaps inimitable, is by imitating the ancients.'

The Neo classical age followed the theory of writing that included own thinking writing, without any rules which were given by typically ancient Greek philosophers and writers. That's why it is called the Neo classical age.

'The best-laid plans of mice and men often go away.' 

(From the poem 'To a mouse' by Robert Burns in 1785)

PIONEER WRITERS AND POETS OF NEO-CLASSICAL AGE:-

Jane Austen:- She was born on December 16, 1775 in Steventon, Hampshire, England and died on July 18, 1817 in Winchester, Hampshire. She was the one English writer who first gave the novel its distinctly modern character. Some of her notable works include 'Emma', 'Lady Susan', 'Mansfield Park', 'Northanger Abbey', 'Persuasion', 'Pride and Prejudice', 'Sense and Sensibility', etc. (Britannica)

John Locke:- He was born on August 29, 1632 in Wrington, Somerset, England and died on October 28, 1704 in High Laver, Essex. He was an English philosopher whose works lie at the foundation of modern philosophical empiricism and political liberalism. Here are some of his notable works include 'A Letter Concerning Toleration', 'An Essay Concerning Human Understanding', 'Essays on the Law of Nature', 'Some Thoughts Concerning Education', 'The Reasonableness of Christianity', 'Two Tracts on Government', 'Two Treatises of Government', etc. (Rogers)

Jonathan Swift:- His pseudonym is Isaac Bickerstaff. He was born on November 30, 1667 in Dublin, Ireland and died on October 19, 1745 in Dublin. He was an Anglo-Irish author, who was the foremost prose satirist in the English language. Here are some of his notable works include 'A Modest Proposal', 'A Tale of a Tub', 'Argument Against Abolishing Christianity', 'Drapier’s Letters', 'Gulliver’s Travels', 'Journal to Stella', 'The Conduct of the Allies', 'Verses on the Death of Dr. Swift', etc. (Britannica)

Alexander Pope:- He was born on May 21, 1688 in London, England and died on May 30, 1744 in Twickenham, near London. He was a poet and satirist of the English Augustan period. Here are some of his notable works include 'An Epistle to Dr. Arbuthnot', 'An Essay on Criticism', 'An Essay on Man', 'Eloisa to Abelard', 'Epistle to the Right Honourable Richard Earl of Burlington', 'Memoirs of Martinus Scriblerus', 'The Dunciad', 'The New Dunciad', 'The Rape of the Lock', 'Windsor-Forest', etc. (Britannica)

Robert Burns:- He was born on January 25, 1759 in Alloway, Ayrshire, Scotland and died on July 21, 1796 in Dumfries, Dumfriesshire. He was the national poet of Scotland, who wrote lyrics and songs in Scots and in English. Here are some of his notable works include 'A Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs for the Voice', 'Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect', 'Tam o’Shanter', 'The Death and Dying Words of Poor Mailie', 'The Scots Musical Museum', etc. (Britannica)

CONDITION OF WOMEN DURING THE NEO CLASSICAL AGE AND CONTEMPORARY TIME:- 

The word women has so many meanings from every person's point of view and from every different society, cultures, and literature. In ancient times women were not used to writing or they had no right to write anything or even think of something about themselves. They just given some rules and some typical stereotype thoughts that women should stay in home cook for everyone and take care of their child, they should live in condition what society gave them.Until the ‘Reformation’ women theoretically had the option of continuing to live in a virginal state by entering the monastic life.

In the 17th century the professions like teacher, lawyer, doctor were closed to women. However some women had jobs. Some of them worked spinning cloth. Women were also tailors, milliners, dyers, shoemakers and embroiderers. There were also washerwomen. Some women worked in food preparation such as brewers, bakers or confectioners. Women also sold foodstuffs in the streets. A very common job for women was domestic servant. Other women were midwives and apothecaries.However most women were housewives and they were kept very busy.

Women’s roles within the family and local community allowed them to influence the political system. 

The eighteenth century brought the beginning of the British cultural revolution.The economic changes brought by the new middle class provided women with the opportunity to be more directly involved in commerce.Lower-to middle-class women often assisted their husbands in work outside the home. In France, Olympe de Gouges demanded equal rights for women in the new French Republic, and was eventually executed by guillotine in 1793.

In Now times women get the position that man have. They have right to write novels, poems and other works too. They also run the house by themselves. Now time we can say women has so many opportunities compare to 18th Century. Yes, 18th century was time when women started this revolution and in this time this revolution get in fire and every women are equal to men. 

ROMANTICISM:-

'Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. '

- Albert Einstein

As we normally know, the romantic era started with the publication of Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth and ST Coleridge. Now let's look at history.

Elizabethans belonged to romanticism as Shakespeare was the first who introduced the spirit of romanticism but he had no successors to carry on. Thereupon it came to the end of the 18th century. During the 18th century Thomson published 'The Seasons'. it implies return to nature, crying for the beautiful, love of men, God Sensuousness, lyricism etc. In short romanticism expresses a new delight in theme, feeling and expression. In this way the seed of romanticism was shown by Thomson and Grew, Cowper, Collins, Burns. They were considered the fore-runners of romantic poets. Letter on romanticism was revived fully with the publication of Lyrical Ballads in 1778 by William Wordsworth and ST Coleridge. The first generation of romantics was Coleridge and Wordsworth. Vote for the first time emphasized upon the aims and objects of the new poetry. They introduced a number of new meters and they rejected poetic diction of the 18th century. They favored simplicity of theme. 

The second generation of the romantics were Keats, Shelley and Byron. They could get fame after their death. Keats was considered as the worshiper of beauty. Shelly was an idealist and lyricist of the first order. Byron Was the most passionate poet. 

Here are some features of Romanticism:-

• Break from the set rules
• Interest in country life
• Love of liberty and freedom
• Interest in the middle age
• Love for beauty
• Predominance of imagination and emotion
• Supernaturalism

These all features have their own identity. These features are the main reason romanticism is very well known, interesting and important in English Literature. Also the Writers and Poets of the Romantic Era made this movement more powerful.

Major Poets and Writers of Romantic Era or Romanticism are include William Wordsworth, Samuel Tylor Coleridge, John Keats, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Goerge Gordon Byron, William Blake, Robert Southey, Sir Walter Scott, William Hazlitt, Jane Austen, etc. 

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NEOCLASSICISM AND ROMANTICISM:-

• Neo Classical age existed from 1660 to 1798 and Romanticism or Romantic age existed from 1798 to around 1837. 
• Neo Classical age is the age of Reason and Romantic age believes in following Heart and feelings. This is the major and main difference between this two age. It also called that age of prose while Romantic age is age of Poem and age of nature. 
• The Neo Classical age was inspired by Greeks and Romans and the Romantic age was inspired by the medieval era.
• Neo Classical age uses the style of calmness and rational thoughts while romantic age follows spontaneity. 
• Neo Classical age focuses on political and unemotional aspects while Romantic age mysterious and natural aspects. 

COMMON ASPECTS OF NEOCLASSICAL AGE AND ROMANTICISM:- 

• Even though these two ages or movements are totally opposite from each other, there were some similarities in it. 
• First one is that some Writers and Poets existed in this era and wrote for both eras, and give justice to both ages. 
• Jane Austen, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Goerge Gordon Byron, etc writers or Poets are topics of discussion were they more Neo Classical or belong to Romantic age. 
• Second is even though these two ages are different from each other, they are antagonists of what art should be about. 
• Most of the work of both ages is based on Renaissance ideas. 
• As the Romantic age started just after the Neo Classical age, it's Normal to have some Neo Classical ideas and thoughts in it. 

WORKS CITED:-

• Britannica, The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia. 'Alexander Pope'. Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Nov. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/facts/Alexander-Pope-English-author.
• Britannica, The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia. 'Jane Austen'. Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Nov. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/facts/Jane-Austen.
• Britannica, The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia. 'Jonathan Swift'. Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Nov. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/facts/Jonathan-Swift.
• Britannica, The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia. 'Robert Burns'. Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Nov. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/facts/Robert-Burns. 
• Rogers, Graham A.J.. 'John Locke'. Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Oct. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Locke. 

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